You may have heard of LVL before, but what exactly is it? LVL is short for laminated veneer lumber. It’s a type of engineered wood that’s been specifically designed for strength and durability. In this blog post, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about LVL. By the time you’re finished reading, you’ll know exactly why LVL is such a popular choice for construction projects big and small.
Things You Need to Know about LVL
How LVL is made?
LVL is made by bonding thin layers, or plies, of wood veneer together under heat and pressure. The grain direction of each successive ply is perpendicular to the one before it, which gives the finished product excellent strength and dimensional stability. Once the desired thickness is achieved, the LVL is cut into boards or beams of the desired length.
What is LVL used for?
Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) is an engineered wood product used in a range of construction and bridge construction applications. When cross-bonded to expand stiffness, it can be used to form load-bearing wall panels and floors. LVL beams, columns, and panels are an essential part of the modern wood building due to their many advantages, such as versatility and verified structural performance. While often used by myself as a hidden structural thing of a building, finished exterior grades are additionally used.
Will LVL burn in a fire?
LVL is permitted and can be safely exposed by building codes due to the fact its large mass gives inherent fire resistance. Like many different wood products, LVL is naturally hearth-resistant due to charring. In the event of a fire, this char on the outside types a protective layer while retaining strength. This significantly slows the burn, allowing time to evacuate the building safely.
Will LVL rot or mold?
Similar to different wood products, LVL will now not rot or mold when well-designed and installed. Contact with water needs to be avoided for the duration of and after construction. Sealing the ends and edges of the lvl beam will assist make sure safety towards moisture penetration. Long-term exposure will require anti-corrosion treatment and a protecting coating.
What makes LVL so strong?
The layers of veneers in LVL are bonded together using special adhesives that create a great deal of strength and resistance to physical forces such as tension, compression, and bending. This makes LVL an ideal material for applications where high strength is required, such as floor joists and beams. In addition to its high strength, laminated veneer lumber also has good dimensional stability, meaning it will not shrink or swell as much as solid wood when exposed to changes in temperature or humidity.
Why is LVL so popular?
In addition to its high strength and dimensional stability, laminated veneer lumber has a number of other advantages that make it a popular choice for builders and contractors. LVL is less likely than solid wood to warp or check (crack), so it can be used in applications where warping or checking would be a problem. Additionally, because it is made from thin layers of wood glued together, it can be manufactured in longer lengths than solid wood lumber. This makes it ideal for applications such as roof trusses and floor joists where longer spans are required.
Conclusion
The last thought is that LVL is a strong, highly predictable, uniform wood product that can be made from quickly growing trees that are no longer appropriate for normal solid-sawn timber. You can purchase lvl beams at the best price from the online store.
