Tips for Maintaining the Natural Beauty of Glulam Timber
Glulam is one of the most sought-after materials used in construction. Offering strength, durability and aesthetic appeal it has transformed how builders design structures.
Wood in glulam construction is naturally durable, but requires proper upkeep in order to remain beautiful. Many glulam structures require surface treatment or coatings; film-forming surface treatments protect against absorption and loss of moisture while opaque paints help combat damage and deterioration.
1. Keep it Clean
Glulam is an innovative building material that is revolutionizing global construction. Used for stunning architectural features like exposed ceilings or even workhorses such as garage door headers or floor beams, its strength, durability, and sustainability make it the perfect material to tackle various projects.
Glulam differs from steel and concrete in that its production requires considerable energy; on the contrary, glulam is made of wood–an abundant natural resource with minimal environmental impacts. Plus, more likely than other materials to come from sustainable forests; making glulam an excellent choice for projects seeking green construction solutions.
One of the major advantages of glulam is its versatility in accommodating various structural shapes. This versatile material excels at accommodating long-spanning structures with custom curvilinear shapes, and it can even be combined with hybrid assemblies and other building systems to form more complex, modern designs. Plus, glulam adds warmth and beauty to buildings!
Glulam manufacturing allows for large section sizes and long lengths, enhancing its strength. Furthermore, lamination reduces many natural defects seen in solid sawn timber while permitting production of curved and bowed members.
Gulam not only offers aesthetic and structural advantages, but its lightweight nature also makes it easier to manage and install. Furthermore, its resistance to thermal expansion and contraction reduces joint usage; furthermore it can span long distances without intermediate supports saving both costs and time on installation.
After its useful life has ended, glulam can be recycled. The wood can be reused as building material or made into products like furniture, stair treads and cabinetry – creating an environmental incentive to use this material that helps maximize forest resource management while decreasing landfill waste.
2. Keep it Dry
Many different kinds of wood are utilized in construction, but few can rival glulam for its attractiveness or versatility. From striking vaulted ceilings to hidden purlins and garage door headers – glulam is appreciated for both its strength and beauty wherever it’s used.
Glulam differs from traditional lumber in that it consists of multiple wood laminations that are finger-jointed together with durable and moisture resistant adhesives to form long lengths, typically with their grain running parallel along its length for increased strength and durability. Available both as custom sizes as well as stock sizes with multiple appearance grades to choose from, glulam can provide you with strength that no other material can.
Though glulam is an outstanding and versatile building material, it may become susceptible to water damage over time when left exposed to both rainwater and sunlight for extended periods. Therefore, timely inspection and repairs should be conducted as soon as any signs of deterioration appear (degraded coatings, black mold growth or softened surfaces are all indicative of structural integrity issues that require attention) so as to minimize their effect. Experienced specialists are available to address these concerns quickly and effectively to maintain structural longevity.
Gulam lumber comes primarily from Scandinavian forests that prioritize reforestation and environmental sustainability, and requires significantly less energy to manufacture, transport and treat than concrete or steel for building projects.
British Columbia projects of all kinds are increasingly employing glulam in construction projects, including hospitals, schools and high-rise buildings. From vaulted ceilings to undulating pedestrian bridges over Burnaby roadways – using this resilient material has proven its reliability for modern building. When cared for properly it can remain beautiful while performing effectively for decades more – Binkley Construction proudly provides expert glulam repair and recycling services that contribute towards creating stronger future for mass timber construction projects. Contact us for more information today.
3. Keep it Moisture Free
Glulam timber is an increasingly popular choice for projects requiring both structural strength and aesthetic appeal. As an economical, eco-friendly alternative to concrete or steel structures, glulam provides sustainable benefits while still looking attractive. Used in various capacities – floor beams, purlins columns cantilevers cantilevers etc – this versatile material makes an impactful statement about durability in designs such as open ceilings. In contrast to concrete however, its natural insulating properties help lower energy costs compared to its counterpart.
Glulam is generally constructed using locally grown and sustainably harvested woods which have been kiln dried, stress tested and finger-jointed into continuous lengths of lumber. A durable moisture-resistant structural adhesive is then applied and pressed onto each piece, usually made from spruce or pine although other species such as Douglas-fir, fir-larch or SPF may also be utilized; once produced the lumber slats can then be stacked parallel or cross laminated together to form structural elements such as roof and floor trusses or timber-framed building components.
The resultant material is extremely strong and flexible – similar to steel in terms of structural efficiency – with the added ability of being formed into curvier or arched shapes to expand creative options for architects and designers.
Gulam may be relatively new to the construction industry, yet it has quickly become a preferred option among developers. With its appealing appearance and adaptability making it suitable for use in commercial, industrial and residential properties; as well as support beams or exposed ceiling components – and its four distinct appearance grades: framing structural architectural and premium.
Glulam stands out as an eco-friendly building material with its recyclable properties and flexible applications throughout its lifecycle. Thanks to its natural insulating properties, glulam may reduce heating and cooling costs as its natural insulation properties help decrease additional insulation needs, helping save on heating/cooling costs overall. Plus, production using smaller pieces of the tree allows more efficient use of wood resources – an important consideration in today’s effort towards being less wasteful.
4. Keep it Clean
Glulam timber (glued laminated timber) is an engineered wood product created using multiple pieces of dried pine, larch, spruce or hewn fir slats glued in layers for increased strength. Once assembled together with parallel grain lines (or cross laminated for additional support) running parallel (or cross laminated for greater resilience), then glued down. This form of engineered timber often outshines solid timber structures by withstanding loads and flexures that would destroy it otherwise.
Dependent upon the design of the project, wood slats may be arranged into straight or curved patterns. Glulam manufacturers also create customized pieces tailored specifically to each unique requirement of each project. As it’s comprised of smaller slats than solid timber, glulam has less natural defects and greater structural stability, making it both cost-effective and ecologically conscious material choice.
Gulam can also be used to build large open spaces without the need for supporting beams – making it a valuable material in both commercial construction projects as well as homes or other private properties. Vaulted ceilings or other architectural features may even be created using this material while serving as its main structural component for roof systems.
The last advantage of glulam is its chemical and fire retardant resistance. Furthermore, its composition of small slats allows it to be bent or curved more easily than solid wood can.
Glulam manufacturing produces much larger section sizes and longer lengths than is possible with traditional solid sawn timber, making glulam an ideal material for long span bridges or other large load-bearing projects. Since curved and straight structures can both be created using this material, its versatility makes it an excellent solution.
Glulam is an extremely sustainable building material, with most manufacturers using wood from sustainable forests for manufacturing purposes and recyclable products at the end of lifecycle. Most glulam manufacturers have created environmental product declarations which detail quantitative and objective information regarding their environmental impacts, from cradle to gate.