I'm an experienced woodworker but new to historic architectural work. My client has a home built around the 1940s and 50s in southern california and wants new windows built. The frames will be painted, but I want to be as historically accurate as we can be.

The client requested paint grade douglas fir, but I am not sure the quality of new fir I could find today would match that of the rest of the windows. Any thoughts? Am I overthinking this if it will be painted anyway?

I'm a avid supporter of historical restoration work. I even went as far as getting the fire damaged Greek Revivahome we bought in the early 80's on the National Register of Historic places when the project was complete. That was a huge challenge as much of the original fabric had been destroyed by the fire. It was a 10+ year labor of love as we worked around ourselves while living in the house.

That being said I do have a problem with using original materials when they were the wrong materials in the first place. Locally here in northeast Connecticut there is a Gothic Revival property that is owned and cared for by a local society. About 35 years ago they contracted to have the ornate fence along the road restored/rebuilt. I took a look at the time but did not get involved in the bidding. The requirement I disagreed with was that it had to be built out of pine.

The original fence was probably built from Pitch Pine which is a coastal New England species that is now pretty much long gone in decent sized trees. But the caretakers insisted on pine for the rebuild. Now, 35 years later they are going through the same process all over again. If a better weather resistant species had been used and the fence kept up they would likely be dealing with some repairs instead of a new 150' to 200' long fence. On the other side of the coin I built a cedar fence about 50 years ago that was extremely well cared for over the years and (amazingly) still looks good today. It was probably made at the tail end of the availability of old growth cedar.

So how does all this apply to your window project? Fir isn't a bad exterior wood, especially if being painted and maintained. But I do need to ask what condition the original windows are in today. If they are rotting at the corners then you probably should consider a better species for the project.....historical accuracy or not. Genuine mahogany, sapele, utile etc. all come to mind as possibly better species choices.

On the other hand if the original fir held up well, and they are simply "worn out" then stay with the fir. But if you can get hold vertical grain boards that would be best.

BH Davis

Douglas fir was the predominant window frame material for Southern California homes of that period. Its grain and shrinkage are more compatible with the original windows, allowing for a painting finish that can restore their original appearance. Substituting other woods (such as pine varieties) may result in a difference in gloss and feel due to differences in grain coarseness and paint absorption.

We recommend using paint-grade Douglas fir as a priority, but if supply is a concern, we offer a comparable kiln-dried western white pine alternative. Its performance is similar to Douglas fir, it's more readily available, and equally suitable for painting, achieving a balance between historical authenticity and practicality.