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pstrme

Anybody ever use Treated GluLam

pstrme
17 years ago

I am need for something that will span 25ft that is very straight. I thought about using an "I" beam but I saw an ad for treated Glulam beams made by http://www.rosboro.com/products/treated.html

Has anybody on here ever used a treated glulam for support? I need a beam that is a minimum of 6"x8"x 25' long.

Comments (9)

  • ron6519
    17 years ago

    There are a few engineered lumber categories that might suit your needs. All depend on the load they will be subjected to. I've used LVL's on a few occassions. All the occassions were overseen by an engineer or an architect.
    Any answer given here will be useless, given the lack of details volunteered. They would be useless if you gave alot of details.
    All you can expect are some general opinions which have no validity.
    Ron

  • john_hyatt
    17 years ago

    Its a funny deal with the pt lams, they are not ment to be exposed to water,they call it wet use, so as long as the baeam is not exposed to rain they say it works fine. John

  • borisswort
    17 years ago

    I used one of those glulams (6 x 10 x 28' long). I like them. The deck feels a lot sturdier than any deck I have ever been on even though I only used 3 6x6 posts for a 28' wide deck. I had to use two backhoes (two of my neighbors had one) to get the beam up because it is a second story deck. They are made for exposure to rain (I live in the Seattle area), they just are not made for ground contact.

  • john_hyatt
    17 years ago

    From the Rosboro Site>>>recomened for applications exposed to elements not to reach moisture content of 16% such as areas around hangers,fasteners ( bolts nails screws) this will lead to potential decay hazards. Rosboro treated Glulam is a framing aperance glulam and therefor is not recomended for exposed to view applications Yo boris,, you ol Boys ever get moisture content any place near 16%??? If so hang on to your lug nuts its time for an overhaul. J

  • pstrme
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    I am in Mississippi. I need to use a 3 solid beam to span 25ft. Thats why I was looking at using Rosboro's pt lams. I was also going to drape the beams with a rubber membrane to keep any direct water off of it. the beam will never touch ground. I would love to hear of some other options if you don't think this is a good thing to do.

    Thanks,

  • borisswort
    17 years ago

    pstrme, that is what the beams were made for, so it should not be a problem. Don't listen to John - once again he is rambling on about something he has never used or knows anything about. Believe him when he says he is uneducated. I wouldn't bother putting a rubber membrane on it. It is made to get water on it - it is pressure treated. As John quoted, it is not made for exposed views, so you might want to paint it to make it look better. I have been meaning to do that, but I just haven't gotten around to it.

  • john_hyatt
    17 years ago

    Guys...just go to the site its all there. I dont really care if a Person uses them or not. The info on the Rosboro site is very clear. J

  • pstrme
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Well, just got back a quote on the beams. $31.00/ft. So, it looks like I am going to use 8x8 "I" beams with a 2x8 bolted to the top so I can have something to screw the decking into. I will have joist hangers welded to the sides. Now, that should last forever.

  • joe_decks
    16 years ago

    I used a 22' treated GluLam on a very large deck project where the homeowner wanted to eliminate 6x6 posts from in front of his large glass frenh doors. This was a few years ago, I stopped by recently to visit another potential customer that lives next door. The GluLam still looked fine. I suggest installing sticky rubberized flashing material to the top edge and down 1 inch on each side to create a "rooftop" for any water draining between the deck boards. Leave the sides and bottom completely open for moisture to escape and dry out.

    Here is a link that might be useful: DecksNJ.com serving northern New Jersey