What is laminated veneer lumber LVL and what is it used for?
Laminated Veneer Lumber is a high-strength engineered wood product made from veneers bonded together under heat and pressure. It is used for permanent structural applications including beams and rafters. Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) is a high-strength engineered wood product used primarily for structural applications.
What is the difference between LVL and glulam?
A glulam beam looks like a stack of 2 x 4s (or larger lumber) glued together on their broadsides. This is in contrast to other engineered members, such as LVL (laminated veneer lumber) and Microlam beams, which look like very thick plywood, with very thin layers of wood glued together to form a thicker mass.25-Jun-2019
Is LVL stronger than dimensional lumber?
Laminated veneer lumber (LVL) studs can provide ultimate strength against wind and shear-loads and can be up to two and a half times stronger than standard framing lumber of the same dimension in compression and tension, which means a wood-framed house can be designed and constructed to withstand 100 mph or more .
Do you need glue to make laminated veneer lumber?
LVL beams are long pieces of lumber that are usually used for grand windows and wide doorways. With wooden LVL beams, you must use extremely adhesive glue; not using strong enough glue will cause your wooden structures to collapse.
Is LVL cheaper than steel?
Cost To Install A Recessed Load-Bearing Beam LVL beams are cheaper than steel beams; however, steel beams take up less space and are easier to install inside a ceiling.
Can you make your own LVL?
Although you can attempt to make do-it-yourself laminated beams or buy used glulam beams for sale, it is highly recommended that you purchase them from a reliable source. If you make just one small mistake when trying to make your own glulam, you can severely damage your entire project.10-Sept-2019
What are the disadvantages of LVL?
Although its dimensional stability is better than solid wood, the product may result in some defect, such as warping, if it is not properly stored in the warehouse. Also, LVL requires high capital investment to have relatively low production cost.
What size LVL do I need for a 20 foot span?
What size lvl beam for a 20 foot span:- as per general thumb rule, for a 20 foot span, size of LVL beam or GLULAM should be 10 to 12 inches deep and 3-1/2 inches or 2ply wide, thus you need something like a 10-12″ GLULAM or LVL to span upto 20 feet and can use simple 2×14 dimensional lumber at 16″ apart from centre as ...
What size LVL Do I need to span 24 feet?
LVL beam size for a 24 foot span:- as per general thumb rule, for a 24 foot span, size of LVL beam or GLULAM should be 12-14 inches deep and 4 inches wide, thus you need something like a 12-14″ GLULAM or LVL to span upto 24 feet used for residential building or projects.
Can LVL be joined?
The TrussLOK Engineered Wood Fastener has been designed specifically for use in joining multiple-ply engineered wood beams (LVL, LSL & PSL). Using a stan- dard corded or cordless 1/2" low speed/high torque drill, install screws into the side of the outermost ply.
How much does an LVL beam cost?
LVL beams cost on average $3 to $12 per linear foot for the material or $50 to $200 per foot installed. LVL beams are more cost-effective and durable than regular wood beams. LVL beams are fire-resistant, shrink-proof, and easy to install, especially in long spans.11-Jan-2022
Can you screw into LVL?
Drilling holes in IB (International Beams) LVL (laminated veneer lumber) is generally discouraged. However, small diameter round holes, appropriately located in the wide face of the LVL, are permitted as indicated in the table and notes below.31-Jan-2020
What is LVL lumber?
LVL, laminated veneer lumber, is the preferred choice for structural applications and the ideal solution when you’re looking for strength, dimensional stability and high load-bearing capacity. It is engineered to be relatively stronger than steel yet lighter than concrete, while being highly workable and durable.
What is LVL in construction?
LVL is a renewable, carbon-neutral alternative to traditional construction materials that can have large environmental footprints. As trees grow – and when they are used as timber in buildings – they efficiently store carbon.
What is massive wood?
Unlike when building with mineral-based construction materials, massive wood allows you to reduce time spent on time-consuming welding, forming or drying times that slow down installation. Ydalir school and kindergarten in Elverum, Norway, was built by Woodcon using a total of 76m³ LVL by Stora Enso.
Sawn Wood Beams vs. Laminated Beams
Massive, single-piece sawn wood beams, while beautiful and eye-catching, today are mostly the stuff of museums and historic structures. If that's your design idea, reclaimed wood is your best option. Sourced from old barns or warehouses, reclaimed wood beams carry weight well but at a high price. That price: size, weight, and purchase price.
What Is Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL)?
LVL employs thin, veneer layers to form larger beams and columns. These layers are glued together under high pressure. LVLs always run perpendicular to the load.
Where to Buy LVLs
Due to a lack of customer demand, few home improvement centers will carry LVLs in-stock and on the shelves, ready for purchase. However, some of the large home centers have LVLs in their catalog, available for special order.
Boise Cascade VersaLam
Boise Cascade's two massive US-based plants in Louisiana and Oregon and its many distribution centers make VersaLam one of the largest suppliers in the LVL field.
Weyerhauser Microllam and Parallam
One of the oldest West Coast names in lumber, Weyerhauser produces the popular Microllam brand of LVL headers and beams.
Louisiana-Pacific LP SolidStart LVL
Louisiana-Pacific may have a small engineered wood division, but that doesn't mean it can't provide basic LVLs needed for general building use. LVLs range from 1 1/2 inches to 3 1/2 inches wide, with depths between 3 1/2 inches to 9 1/2 inches.
Roseburg RigidLam LVL
South of the Willamette Valley and based in the densely forested lumber country of central Oregon, 80-year-old Roseburg and its several thousand employees produce a full spectrum of lumber products. These products range from sawn lumber and particleboard to laminated veneer lumber.