While working on restoration projects,
I'm often asked questions on
wood selection. On a recent job in
Virginia, a contractor was looking for
a low-cost substitute for expensive
vertical-grain fir flooring for an exterior
porch deck. For projects like this, I
have two methods for deciding what
wood will be best for the job.
Two Ways to Select Wood
The first and easiest method is to
look at the kind of wood that has
been used traditionally. If woodworkers
over the years have used a certain
wood for a particular application, then
I trust their collective judgment. In
New England, for instance, the common
wood for porch decks has been
"hard pine," which usually means red
pine or fir,