# Glulam Question



## CalebNH (Feb 27, 2007)

Hello. I am building a house-attached open porch in NH. 

Am strongly leaning towards Glulam for the perimeter beam. (Homeowner doesn't like the look of LVL).

Homeowner ALSO doesn't like the look of a treated Glulam, which is green in color for many years. 

So, my question is how to use non-treated architectural grade glulams for exterior beams. Beams will be exposed but situated under a full roof w/soffits. I'm worried about weathering at the end-joint connection. 

The connections are at the perimeter corners, where beam-beam will be fashioned into an "ell" 

For this, Option 1 is to use butt joints with end caps.

Option 2 is to miter the corners 

I've located an arch grade bracket from Simpson that can handle either case.

HAs anyone used glulams like this before? 

Any help appreciated.

thanks


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## loneframer (Feb 13, 2009)

Perma-Post treated glulams are not green in color. However, I don't like the look of any structural material left to the weather.


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

Architectural Grade Exterior Glu Lams. I have used Cedar, Sitka Spruce & Fir. In an exposed condition as you are referencing a wipe down with a semi transparent stain will greatly improve the visual performance of the beams.


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## BuenaHomes (Jun 13, 2007)

CalebNH said:


> Hello. I am building a house-attached open porch in NH.
> 
> Am strongly leaning towards Glulam for the perimeter beam. (Homeowner doesn't like the look of LVL).
> 
> ...


 I would wrape the entire exposed beams with home owner species' choice. I done that before and look great at the end, you can use t&g or other wood that you feel matches the customer's taste.


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## Joe Carola (Jun 15, 2004)

CalebNH said:


> Hello. I am building a house-attached open porch in NH.
> 
> Am strongly leaning towards Glulam for the perimeter beam. (Homeowner doesn't like the look of LVL).
> 
> Homeowner ALSO doesn't like the look of a treated Glulam, which is green in color for many years.


Stain it to whatever color they want.



> So, my question is how to use non-treated architectural grade glulams for exterior beams. Beams will be exposed but situated under a full roof w/soffits. I'm worried about weathering at the end-joint connection.


Wrap the beam w/pine, Azek, Cedar..........etc. 



> HAs anyone used glulams like this before?


All the time but they always get wrapped. In this situation you never need to use a treated glulam because it's getting wrapped.


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## kwt const (Oct 28, 2010)

This photo shows a rim board and I-joists under a six year old house. Located on the west corner of the house. There is no vapor protection between the rim board and the brick. I don't know if it is Fiber strong brand or not, but when I stuck my finger through the soggy mess and touched the backside of the brick, I didn't care what brand it was. This is not proof that untreated LVL's would behave the same way. I did not build this house, but I got to fix it. The short of the long is that I would avoid using untreated engineered lumber on any exposed structural component. Wrapped, stained or otherwise. There are some great ideas in the the replies on how to cover the beams. I just wanted to show you some effects water has on engineered lumber over a short time.


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## JohnFRWhipple (Oct 20, 2009)

Was that beam tight to the brick?


With some 5/8 furring strips that beam could have been attached just off the brick and allow the water to get past instead of being trapped...

These details and added ventalation are becoming every day here in Rainy Vancouver. Lots to learn as this is outside my regular scope of work but issues I was faced to learn while building my home.


JW






kwt const said:


> View attachment 38048
> 
> This photo shows a rim board and I-joists under a six year old house. Located on the west corner of the house. There is no vapor protection between the rim board and the brick. I don't know if it is Fiber strong brand or not, but when I stuck my finger through the soggy mess and touched the backside of the brick, I didn't care what brand it was. This is not proof that untreated LVL's would behave the same way. I did not build this house, but I got to fix it. The short of the long is that I would avoid using untreated engineered lumber on any exposed structural component. Wrapped, stained or otherwise. There are some great ideas in the the replies on how to cover the beams. I just wanted to show you some effects water has on engineered lumber over a short time.


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## kwt const (Oct 28, 2010)

JohnFRWhipple said:


> Was that beam tight to the brick?
> 
> There was spacing between brick and rim joist. Not a stitch of house wrap. I didn't do too much exploratory surgery, but I believe the brick ledge was located at the mud sill; which was treated. The water collected there and the OSB rim sopped it up like a sponge and transferred it to the I joists. Lots of differences in applications and exposures here and engineered lumber is great, but if my gut tells me that something might haunt me one day, I put the aesthetics of the material second. Tell the HO that I don't like the way my feet look either, but I need them to hold my arse up off the ground. I can always put socks and shoes on to hide them. :laughing:


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## CalebNH (Feb 27, 2007)

Thanks for all the replies. Am meeting with the HO today. 

The Permapost treatment looks interesting. thanks


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## sigmolding (Oct 6, 2010)

Since last year, I 've renovated six decks in a townhome complex, actually they are balcony's , and they are all bearing on 18" glulams exposed to the weather and were built in the mid eighties. the span (from memory) at least 19'. All seem to be holding up fine in the extreme chicago weather. All have southeast exposure,and some have direct exposure to the elements. There is no doute that they have had some treatments put on them, but certainly not wolmanized. no two decks are the same. some have had three season rooms put on them, and some just decks. but all are exposed from bellow. Hope that helps.


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## javatom (Sep 9, 2008)

The cut ends of the glulam will start checking because it will dry faster than the interior portion of the beam. The "look" is great when installed but will look a little beat up within a couple of years.


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## UpNorth (May 17, 2007)

See attached. The porch beams, exposed, are cut from logs using a bandsaw mill, and the faces exhibit that nice bandsawn texture.

With mortise and tenon joinery, including pegs driven to show about 3/4" proud, it gives the look we want.


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## sigmolding (Oct 6, 2010)

before carpentry,I did a five year tour in residential masonary. In the chicago area were I have always lived, the first course of masonary, be it brick or stone,had a seperate flashing of thirty lb. felt or more currently,vinyl flashing. was installed. Also in that first course, there were (weep joints) installed,either holes in the mortar, or rope equivelent to that of old sash cord layed approximately every three feet. the purpose was to relief condensation that would build up between the masonary and the framing.


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## sigmolding (Oct 6, 2010)

can the ends be treated so as to minimize shrinkage or checking? I recently had a portable saw mill cut two trees for me and to air dry them, the cutter told me paint the ends to avoid checking.


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