True firs

Overview

The true firs (genus Abies) are pale, soft, plain softwoods that go into construction as 'hem-fir' together with hemlock. They are not for fine furniture, but as cheap stock for paint-grade shop furniture and utility builds they work. This file covers white fir, grand fir and noble fir.

Pros

• Generally easy to work with hand and machine tools (Wood Database).
• Straight grain and uniform medium-coarse texture.
• Glues, stains and finishes well.
• Cheap and plentiful as lumber.

Cons

• Non-durable to perishable, with little insect resistance (Wood Database).
• Drying defects can occur.
• Soft and plain; not decorative.
• Skin irritation reported for Abies.

Variants and subspecies

• White fir (Abies concolor): 480 lbf, 415 kg/m3.
• Grand fir (A. grandis): 490 lbf, 450 kg/m3.
• Noble fir (A. procera): 410 lbf, 415 kg/m3.
• Not related to Douglas fir, which is a different genus; commonly sold with Western hemlock as hem-fir.

Working and finishing

Cuts and planes easily. Dry carefully and choose straight boards because drying defects occur. Pre-drill in thin parts. Glues and finishes well.

Staining and finishing colour

Stains and finishes adequately but as a soft, plain wood tends to look blotchy with pigment stains; use a conditioner, gel stain or paint.

Sustainability and handling

Not CITES-listed (Wood Database; checked 2026-09-30); IUCN Least Concern as of 2026-09-30 for all three. The Wood Database reports that fir in the Abies genus has caused skin irritation, although severe reactions are uncommon.

Popular projects

Shop furniture, painted cabinets and shelving, crates and boxes, and framing.

Buying notes

Sold as hem-fir dimension lumber in the West; clear or quartersawn pieces cost more (Wood Database). No retail listing was opened for this guide, so the range is an estimate.