Unlike sawn lumber, glulam beams are uniform and straight.
Glulam beams can be manufactured from a diverse number of lumber species, such as redwood and Alaskan cedar, and in arches and sweeping curves.
Curved glulam lumber in Alaskan cedar.
Whenever possible, keep glulams in their original wrapping, even after placement, to prevent soiling and damage.
Parallel-strand lumber is stiffer than LVL and may be ordered CCA pressure-treated for three levels of outdoor exposure, including ground contact and saturated use.
Straight, strong engineered beams make ideal stair stringers. Although LVL is suitable for this application, LSL is less expensive and less prone to nail splits.
For flush-framed shallow-depth girders, steel can't be beat. Better Header's custom-order I-beams are packed out with KD-lumber or, for exterior applications, pressure-treated lumber in conjunction with an aluminum-zinc coating on the steel. Sandwich-plate beams can be ordered with solid lumber or LVL facing to match engineered lumber depths.
Dimensionally stable double-web I-joist headers take the place of standard site-fabricated lumber headers above window and door openings. An insulating expanded polystyrene core is a standard feature of the SWII header series.
