Oct 13
LVL Lumber is used in many places throughout a house as beams and headers. I will not explain how and where in this blog. It is my job to use them correctly when I design your house. The following is a good description of an LVL and what to expect for appearance and characteristics if your house requires them.
Thickness up to 3 1/2″, depths up to 24″
- GP Lam LVL is available in thicknesses of 1-3/4″ and 3-1/2″.
- Choose from standard depths of 9-1/4″, 9-1/2″, 11-1/4″, 11-7/8″, 14″, 16″, and 18″.
- 20″, 22″, and 24″ depths are available by special order.
- Multiple pieces of GP Lam LVL can be assembled for greater thicknesses that can carry even heavier loads across even longer spans.
Lengths up to 60′
- GP Lam LVL comes in standard lengths of 24′, 28′, 32′, 36′, 40′, 44′ and 48′.
- Lengths to 60′ are available by special order.
GP Lam LVL outperforms conventional lumber
- High design values for bending, stiffness and shear strength
- High strength-to-weight ratio - more than 50 stronger than solid sawn products
- Resists shrinking, warping, splitting and checking
- FiberGuard® sealant for protection from moisture damage
- Ordinary nail assembly - installs as easily as ordinary lumber
- No defects to cut out and less waste on the job
The link to the manufacturer:
http://www.gp.com/build/product.aspx?pid=1392
written by pencilman
\\ tags: LVL Laminated Veneer Lumber
Jul 14
I will admit, it is curiously difficult to find a building materials supplier in Maine who has any idea what a Termit Shield looks like, or a builder who ever installs them. Mainers are under the impression that they are unecessary due to the impression that termites seldom appear in Maine. Well that will change as they migrate north with population growth. However, we already have a severe problem in Maine with ants infesting homes and eating the wood frame of the house. What is traditionally called a “termite shield” will also work for ants. If you do not install one in your house, you are making a serious mistake. I found two companies online who supply termite shields. Print them and bring them to your builder or supplier and tell them you want these on your home. They are installed by laying them along the top of the foundation wall, under the sills. Here are links to their PDF brochures.
http://penciljazz.com/blogpdf/Flamco_termiteshield.pdf
http://penciljazz.com/blogpdf/Union_termiteshield.pdf
written by pencilman
\\ tags: Termite Shields: Ant Infestation Prevention
Jun 06
Truss Joists are ideal for spanning distances longer than 16 feet since a 2 x 12 solid spruce joist might cost about the same these days, and you’ll get a couple of other advantages. You can run air ductwork right through the middle of the joists, and you can often forget the girder altogether and span the full width of the area with truss joists that could span 32 feet or more. Of course there are always other issues raised with this choice too, so study your plans.
http://www.ilevel.com/floors/default.aspx
written by pencilman
\\ tags: Floor Framing: Truss Joists
May 31
There are several types of roof trusses, all of which solve different design and space problems, provide different load bearing capacities, and use different dimensions of lumber. Your local lumber suppliers are usually affiliated with a local truss supplier, or you may contact them directly. Here is a chart illustrating commonly used truss patterns.
written by pencilman
\\ tags: roof truss
