ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, The bookmark icon allows you to save any story to your account to read it later, Tap it once to save, and tap it again to unsave, What to Select? The growing popularity of engineered wood products can be attributed to a range of factors, including: According to a new report by the Grace Farms Foundation, modern slavery is a common piece of the global supply chain. In short, LSL and other engineered studs are a one-to-one replacement for standard 2-by studs, so it’s business as usual. Engineered wood, also known as composite wood, consists of a range of wood products that are made by joining veneers, fibers, strands, and particles of wood with adhesives to form man-made composites. But let’s talk about “engineered” studs. We used lots of blocking to fix the floor, but would invariably overlook one or get callbacks for squeaky nails. Clients were always wary, believing the lumber was cheap and probably not as strong. For composite products, the issues are primarily inadequate strength and fastener-holding characteristics. Flaws are especially noticeable on drywall that has raking light from high windows washing the surface. I still recall seeing the ad for LSL studs in a trade magazine. Fast-forward 20 years, and now I’m building custom homes—many of them contemporary-style. There are two ways you can keep reading: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Re: TJI's vs. Dimensional Lumber Most long, wide dimensional lumber comes from old-growth fir (at least here in New England), and the less of that we cut down the better. True indeed, but steel studs aren’t structural or load-bearing, and our residentially focused trades don’t know how to work with them. @ Copyright 2020 Residential Products Online. MVP Awards: The Most Valuable Products of 2020. A little more than one-half of U.S. glulam goes to new residential construction and remodeling uses. Why pay extra freight costs or disposal fees? This may allow you to re-engineer the size, spacing and/or quantity of structural elements in your product’s frame to optimize material use and save cost without sacrificing strength. In these big-budget projects, the extra money spent on engineered studs isn’t an issue, but for a traditional builder, it may not work. This may allow you to re-engineer the size, spacing and/or quantity of structural elements in your product’s frame to optimize material use and save cost without sacrificing strength. The client worked with the structural engineer to design a wood-framed house that could stand up to winds in excess of 100 mph. What are the relative merits of the three beam types that they offer LSL(Timberstrand), LVL(Microlam) and PSL (Parallam). Shop dimensional lumber and a variety of building supplies products online at Lowes.com. Depending on your budget, engineered studs are great for the following: An exterior wall built using engineered studs. When engineered lumber first appeared on my radar, it was in the form of I-joists to solve the crowning problems 2x10 and 2x12 joists created. For one, it’s pricey. I marked them with orange paint, and the framer would fix them using different methods with varying degrees of success. Glulam beams and wood I-joists can carry greater loads over longer spans than is possible with solid sawn wood of the same size," adds Merry. Maximum Usability . Then I discovered laminated strand lumber (LSL). A more in depth article of each topic can be found right here at. Designing a repair for a damaged I-joist can be very difficult and requires an understanding of I-joists, adhesives and fasteners that may not be familiar to many designers. Don’t use a traditional housewrap on modern homes with no overhangs, since there’s less margin for error. "With the advent of forest farming as a primary source of wood fiber in the U.S., it is getting exceedingly difficult to find a resource that will permit the milling of larger pieces of framing lumber. Our ½-inch, Level-4 drywall and vinyl floors telegraphed those inconsistencies, so if I missed them on a frame check, I had a ton of work ahead if it became a punch list item. All Rights Reserved. As I mentioned earlier, I build a lot of architect-designed modern homes that require a high standard for flatness and perfection. Advantages of glulam include: Laminated veneer lumber is produced by bonding thin wood veneers together in a large billet so the grain of all veneers is parallel to the long direction. Is Your Problem-Solving Like Playing Whac-A-Mole? Weâre here to answer your questions and provide technical support to help you evaluate and integrate TimberStrand LSL successfully into your operation. To receive a product sample, please provide the information requested below and add any special requests in the ânotesâ field. Another factor is weight; engineered studs are generally heavier than traditional lumber and denser, too, so they’re more diffi cult to nail. If it does get wet and can’t dry (inside a wall cavity, for example) it will rot faster than dimensional lumber. Laminated veneer lumber is produced by bonding thin wood veneers together in a large billet so the grain of all veneers is parallel to the long direction. Good luck on your next build! Simply maximum usability and minimum waste. Every inch of TimberStrand LSL is usable. The client worked with the structural engineer to design a wood-framed house that could stand up to winds in excess of 100 mph. As I mentioned earlier, I build a lot of architect-designed modern homes that require a high standard for flatness and perfection. I still recall seeing the ad for LSL studs in a trade magazine. In these big-budget projects, the extra money spent on engineered studs isn’t an issue, but for a traditional builder, it may not work. I have a few questions…. Installation errors: Damage to wood I-joists within a structural system is normally associated with notching of the flanges or misapplication of the manufacturer's web hole information. Glulam beams have low moisture content (about 12 percent at production stage). READ: THE PROS AND CONS OF UPPER CABINETS, OPEN STORAGE AND MORE. In addition to being flat and straight, engineered studs are strong. Skip to main content. Thank you for your interest in TimberStrand LSL. If not those options, consider a fluid-applied weather resistive barrier, such as Prosoco’s R-Guard system. Floor joists often had large crowns and the 5⁄8-inch commodity OSB decking (glued and nailed) would telegraph those humps or dips. This may allow you to re-engineer the size, spacing and/or quantity of structural elements in your productâs frame to optimize material use and save cost without sacrificing strength. If it does get wet and can’t dry (inside a wall cavity, for example) it will rot faster than dimensional lumber. It offers a number of competitive advantages that make it ideal for critical furniture frame and support components while still delivering business-building operational cost savings. Then I transitioned to thick, engineered AdvanTech decking, and that helped a great deal, too. The manufacturing processes makes engineered lumber stronger than traditional. Then I discovered laminated strand lumber (LSL). In many parts of the country, you can find excellent Doug fir studs for not much more than SPF, and that may get you 80 to 90 percent of what you need. @ Copyright 2020 Residential Products Online. I don’t miss those days. Once you have completed the form, donât forget to click on the submit button to forward your sample request. Softwood lumber is a commodity whose price fluctuates with the markets. Drilling through the web material is normally an acceptable practice," says, O'Day. My building career started in the ’90s, working for a company that used panelized systems for its houses. Each day, our editors assemble the latest breaking industry What is the Most Popular Exterior Building Material? Subs need to be careful when installing plumbing and electricity that must be routed through engineered lumber. Compare; Find My Store. The walls were preframed in a factory and delivered to our jobsites where the local framer assembled the components. Depths up to 48 inches and lengths limited only by ground transportation and handling are available to builders.