Douglas Fir: Strong, Beautiful, Sustainable

Strength

The first choice of architects and engineers, when specifying structural lumber, is Douglas Fir. It is chosen for its superior strength-to-weight ratio and its dimensional stability. Douglas Fir has the highest resistance-to-applied-load of all of the North American softwoods. In addition, it is documented to have superior performance in actual use against strong winds, storms and earthquakes.

Rainier goes a step further by using only Machine Stress-Related (MSR) lumber. Each piece of lumber is nondestructively tested with mechanical stress-rating equipment to measure its stiffness and other physical working properties before it is subjected to normal visual inspection and selection. Our use of MSR lumber allows Rainier yurts to attain higher wind and snow loads without unnecessary structural additions such as center posts. The known bending ratio of these rafters gives us accurate and repeatable strength factors to support Rainier Yurtsí engineering specifications.

All of the wood we use at Rainier is Kiln Dried (seasoned in a heated chamber) to bring it to a pre-determined moisture content, and a stable dimension. In addition, Rainier wood is northern grown in a slower growing season, producing a tighter grain and a higher density, both of which enhance structural strength.

Beauty

For enhanced beauty, we refine the rafter selection process with a visual inspection, allowing only Select Structural or better to be used in our yurt rafters. This culls wood that may be strong but does not meet our standards for beauty: color, grain pattern, texture, knot type and quantity of knots. Douglas Fir has a light rosy color with a remarkably straight grain. It will redden slightly over time, when exposed to light.

Sustainable

Douglas Fir timberlands are the most productive softwood timberlands in the United States in terms of volume per acre. Environmental laws in the northwest US protect habitat, watersheds, soils, and biological diversity. Timber in the northwest is managed primarily in natural stands on long rotations. The many square miles of forests set aside permanently in National Parks and Wilderness Areas are not a part of these harvestable forests.

Rainier Yurts — Built to be the Best

Rainier is fortunate to build our yurts in the heart of northwest forests. This ensures your yurt is made with the finest quality Douglas Fir available. When you buy a Rainier Yurt, you get a beautiful structure made from strong, beautiful and sustainable wood, grown in the Northwest.