Installing Windows and Doors in Glulam Frames
Glulam is often chosen for its aesthetic value in exposed applications like vaulted ceilings. Yet, its workhorse status also makes it ideal for many hidden applications such as purlins, ridge beams and garage door headers.
Glulam (also referred to as CLT and GLT) consists of lamellae of wood that are laminated together using strong structural adhesives for strength and longevity. Numerous wood species can be utilized for this process.
Pre-Assembly
Glulam is an engineered wood product manufactured by adhering individual pieces of lumber together using bonding laminations, known as lams, to form structural members with specific bending and compression stresses in mind. This is achieved by strategically placing stronger lams where high stress loads occur while less-strong lams can be placed where lesser stress loads exist on a beam – comparable in strength to steel! Pound-for-pound, it stands up well against its counterpart steel for use on longer span components like floor girders/headers/rooof/ridge beams/purlins etc.
Pre-assembly refers to the fabrication and partial assembly of glulam components within a controlled environment before delivery to their installation site. This process offers numerous benefits, such as increased safety and quality control, optimized scheduling and reduced project costs and timelines.
Framing crews can install glulam floor beams without having to schedule another trade for steel work, providing more design freedom and lessening on-site coordination needs.
Pre-assembly provides numerous advantages. One is that it allows standardized safety protocols to be followed in a controlled environment, decreasing the risk of accidents or injuries on the job site. Pre-assembly also enables components to be rigorously tested prior to being delivered for installation on site – thus guaranteeing they meet specifications and performance requirements.
As with other wood construction techniques, glulam offers several appearance and stress-rated grades designed to suit different applications. Architectural appearance glulam is best used when exposed to view. Manufactured through a premium hand select process that minimizes visible knots while leaving all exposed surfaces finished, this grade also comes stress rated to meet specific allowable bending stresses across its span.
Framing and industrial appearance glulam options also exist, which is available with stress-rated products that feature no camber for easy compatibility with standard framing materials. Rosboro’s X-Beam and Big Beam DF products can be installed seamlessly as door and window headers, featuring full 3-1/2″ or 5-1/2″ widths to seamlessly intersect with 2-by-4 and 2 by 6-inch wall framing systems.
Pre-Sealing
Glulam, or laminated beams, are engineered stress-rated products made from lumber laminations laminated together in long lengths known as laminated beams. Made of Spruce Pine Fir and Douglas Fir, glulam can reach allowable strengths on par with steel while offering outstanding stability and acoustic performance. Available in many shapes and sizes to meet various design needs; its load bearing capacity compares well against concrete and steel construction projects while it requires less material overall to achieve load-bearing capacities that concrete and steel projects use. Additionally, construction projects completed using glulam construction can complete three times faster than cast-in-place concrete projects while up to seven times faster than steel framing or precast slab construction projects using concrete.
Residential garage door headers and floor joists are two common applications of glulam construction. These structures are easy to specify and work with, while adding timeless wooden aesthetics into the home.
Since glulam is manufactured as long pieces, it can span longer distances than other wood framing components, such as solid sawn beams or built-up timber. Fabrication and shipping constraints limit its length; additionally, routing for windows/doors installation as well as electrical/plumbing components can also be integrated.
In general, glulam structures consist of a full-length glulam header attached to wall sheathing and secured with moment-resisting connections at its foundation. Additionally, this header may also serve to extend sheathing or framing components to the building edge.
Most glulam stock comes prefabricated with zero or very minimal camber for easy connection of other wood frame components to it. This makes installation more efficient by eliminating the need to hire separate framing trades for steel work.
Wood sheathing improves glulam’s acoustic performance, by absorbing sound waves. Furthermore, installing additional insulation further boosts this quality; making glulam an excellent alternative to concrete or steel structures for buildings that demand energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.
Installation
The glulam fabrication process yields long lengths of structural wood beams that can be assembled and installed at construction sites using standard framing techniques – making glued laminated timber (GLT) buildings an economically feasible alternative to steel and concrete structures.
Gulam members not only offer superior strength and stiffness, but are also visually pleasing. Exposed laminations can be painted, stained, or clear-coated to achieve various aesthetics – providing architects and engineers with limitless design possibilities in commercial buildings, homes, or community spaces.
Glulam is an eco-friendly material produced using less energy and water than traditional wood materials, while remaining more fire-retardant than wooden studs or steel in an emergency situation. Furthermore, glulam can be harvested and reused at will – an invaluable renewable resource that should not go to waste!
Rosboro offers several specialty types of glulam to meet the unique requirements of your project, including its X-Beam architectural appearance beam for both exposed and concealed applications, such as door and window headers. Another specialty type is Big Beam DF which combines high strength rated engineered wood products with an aesthetic appearance for added design options.
No matter the type of glulam your project requires, it is vital that you work with an experienced manufacturer who upholds high quality standards. Be sure that any glulam you purchase carries the APA trademark, which indicates a rigorous quality verification and testing program conducted by its manufacturer and meets ANSI A190.1 National Standard for Structural Glued Laminated Timber products. Make sure that the glulam you purchase has been treated to resist fungus, insect infestation and rot, and any notching or drilling should only take place with approval from a design engineer as notches and holes may compromise its protective coating and cause it to expand or split in response to changes in humidity conditions.
Final Inspection
An inspection after final installation can help ensure your doors and windows have been installed correctly, including testing locks to make sure they operate as expected, weatherproof seals are intact for weatherproofing, and no obstructions prevent opening and closing action. Inspecting doors and windows during their initial setup could reduce future maintenance costs as well.
Glulam frames offer incredible design flexibility when it comes to window and door placement, such as tight radii on its members allowing dramatic curves on structures to be accommodated by them. Furthermore, it’s highly energy efficient as its material naturally resists thermal bridging while acting as an effective insulator; additional insulation materials may further boost its energy efficiency.
Final inspections are an essential element of finishing construction and receiving your certificate of occupancy or completion. They help prevent costly rework and dissatisfied customers as well as decrease legal disputes by verifying that your building meets all expectations, safety standards and legal requirements.
NSW statistics reveal that approximately five per cent of property contracts are terminated due to issues discovered during final inspection, so it’s wise to perform a comprehensive examination prior to settlement date.
Timber frame buildings tend to have less of an environmental impact compared to steel and concrete buildings in terms of energy consumption and carbon emissions. One cubic meter of wood can sequester one tonne of CO2, as well as being great at reducing air pollution as it emits less volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere than other building materials.
Timber’s unique combination of seismic and wind resistance properties make it the ideal material choice for high-rise commercial and residential buildings, while its exceptional durability and timeless aesthetic appeals greatly to architects and designers – no doubt contributing to its increasing use as a framing option in more projects across the board.