![where to buy lvl beams near me where to buy lvl beams near me](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e2/d4/b8/e2d4b8cccf3d866134c74005cbb0770c.jpg)
Going rate for new bare plain steel is $0.75 a pound, plus some extra if you want them to cut it. Especially if you can scarf onto a decent chunk of salvage stuff-saw a few 8" 20-footers on CL for $100 each a few weeks ago. It's obvious that steel would be a far better choice-almost 9 times stronger than the LVL, even without a cover plate.
![where to buy lvl beams near me where to buy lvl beams near me](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/wsQAAOSwyBBgdx5-/s-l200.jpg)
concentrated load in the middle of a 16' span.
![where to buy lvl beams near me where to buy lvl beams near me](https://cdn.homeguide.com/assets/images/content/homeguide-lvl-beams-cost-chart.jpg)
Is your living room furniture really that stout to require something so heavy?īy comparison, the Weyerhauser book I have shows a double LVL at 7-1/4" deep being good for a maximum bending moment of 7100 ft.-lb., which converts to only a 1775 lb. with a wide-enough 1/2" cover plate welded or bolted to the bottom flange. But his depth requirement (8") is the controlling factor.Ī steel W 8 x 35 spanning 16' can support a single concentrated load (in the middle) of 15,600 lb., without a cover plate. So my question is, is there a good solution to replace the steel I-Beam with an LVL and what dimensions etc would the LVL beam need to have?Īctually, gunguy, LVL strength is related more to depth than width. To maximize overhead clearance I need to keep the beam height to 8" max (which is why I originally went with a steel beam).
![where to buy lvl beams near me where to buy lvl beams near me](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/a1gAAOSwV25dh7ya/s-l200.jpg)
The advantages of thinking about going with LVL is the quicker availability and it would be easier (lighter and better to work with than steel) to install. So I got wondering if I could use an LVL beam, or perhaps a couple, installed side by side, and spiked together to optimize the strength. I am sourcing the beam through a friend of a friend, but because that person is going on vacation for a month (would be nice!), I have to delay my project. The new span of the beam will be 16' and I am (was) planning to use either a W8-35 or W6-28 (with a 1/2" cover plate to give it a bit more strength) I-Beam.
WHERE TO BUY LVL BEAMS NEAR ME INSTALL
If you need an LVL beam now, your local, independent lumber yard likely will have a few basic LVL sizes in-stock.At my cottage I am opening up the basement (to install a pool table) and removing a steel post in order to provide a wide open area. However, some of the large home centers have LVLs in their catalog, available for special order. These pieces, too, are glued together under high pressure to form larger beams and columns.ĭue to a lack of customer demand, few home improvement centers will carry LVLs in-stock and on the shelves, ready for purchase. LVLs always run perpendicular to the load.Īnother version of LVL, glulam, uses full-size pieces of lumber, not veneer. These layers are glued together under high pressure. LVL employs thin, veneer layers to form larger beams and columns. The method is to layer up ordinary store-bought two-by-tens or two-by-twelves to shoulder the load.īut LVLs do the same-and more-in a sleeker form, and usually at reasonable prices. Lamination packs greater strength into a smaller size, the key to providing homeowners with the airy, spacious open floor plan homes that are so desirable today. A builder or do-it-yourselfer can create a rudimentary type of laminated structural wood from scratch. Laminating smaller-dimension wood is the solution. That price: size, weight, and purchase price. Sourced from old barns or warehouses, reclaimed wood beams carry weight well but at a high price. If that's your design idea, reclaimed wood is your best option. Massive, single-piece sawn wood beams, while beautiful and eye-catching, today are mostly the stuff of museums and historic structures. Engineered wood beams and joists commonly called laminated veneer lumber (LVL) are just the type of special that builders and homeowners need for this tough job. When you need heavy support, you have to look somewhere other than your local home improvement store's aisle of sawn lumber. Structural members that carry the support of thousands of pounds of the house need to be special.