Glulams enioytrend towards customhomes

Hope Lumber are used tbr door and windorv headers as rvell as floor and roof framing. Farmer reported that many large modern custom homes also include a nostalgic link to the past-the covered patio-back porch. The roofs over these porches are usually framed 'uvith a high-strength glulam, such as the 3000f glulam Power Beam from Anthony Forest Products.

Hope Lumber's Raul Garcia said the camber of the Power Beam is popular rvith builders because it avoids sagging and deflection under heavy loads. This means fewer call-backs for builders and for dealers. Since thc Power Beam became available in 3000f, it has replaced 2400f glulams in many applications, Garcia said.

Hope Lumber has held product information events for builder customers in the past, but Farmer said that glulams are now so widely used that most builders no longer need engineered wood "education."

"Contractors rvho formerly nailed three 2x12s together fbr garage door headers now specify the glulam Porver Beam because of its strength and onepiece application at the job site," Garcia noted. rnHE GROWI\-G market for large

Hope Lumber offers engineering and estimating assistance for engineered wood, both from CAD programs and cln-site consultations.

Anothcr reason that wide-width framing lumber is being replaced by engineered wood in many applications is because kiln dried (127o moisture content) glulams offer greater stability and resistance to twisting and warping at the job site. And unlike LVL and PSL beams which can change size when they absorb moisture, individually rvrapped glulams are less susceptible to rveather problems during construction.

Kiln-dried glulams also have the stability to resist rvarping and twisting, a problem that develops with conventional solid sawn beams in this climate. They are wrapped and come in pre-cut lengths up to 60 ft. with the strength and camber to resist sagging.

I. custom homes has been good news for the engineered lvood market, particularly glued laminated beams.

Robert Farmer, a practicing architect and engineered rvood specialist with Hope Lumber Co., Conroe, Tx., said his company's volume of glulam beams has doubled in the past fbur years.

Most of the beams supplied by