Just curious for those thay have used LSL lumber.
Anyone know how much the 2×4 or 2×6 are going for ?
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I have used LSL for rimboard and for studs. You cannot beat the straightness and consistency.
Don't have any current pricing, though. What is your intent for use?
Gene Davis, Davis Housewrights, Inc., Lake Placid, NY
Framing kitchen
the last time I used it which was 5 years ago, it was about 30% more expensive
and hard as a sonafa to nail. the nailing gun just left the nails sticking out and even then they were hard to finish with a hammer.
carpenter in transition
Ive noticed when nailing side grain on lsl studs, such as fasting straps, it tends to delaminate. Ive seen this on lsl posts too.
Just got pricing - more like 200% more
2x4 8 footers - $8.30 a stick
2x5 8 footers - $13.00 a stick
"2x5 8 footers - $13.00 a stick"2x5?Do you mean 2x6?Joe Carola
Edited 6/8/2005 12:43 am ET by Framer
Yes. I meant 2x6 - Trujoist Timberstrand stuff.
We find that it ranges between 2.5 and 3 times the cost of yellow pine. We recover about half of that in not having to fool with crooked studs and the rest of the difference is justified in having a superior product. The flatness of the walls is a marvelous thing. We use it on almost all our projects.
Oh, 2x5s are perfectly fine, as this product can be ordered in any width you desire. We have used it in 2x12 stud widths at 22 foot lengths. Imagine trying to frame a flat wall from lumber in those dimensions. I would imagine a 4.5" stud would be a good compromise and save a little money and floor space.
When we use it, we have it delivered in 48' lengths and plan our cutting to minimize waste. If you get it in shorter lengths, it comes 12', 16', or 24'. These are not usually conducive to minimizing waste.
We use regular lumber for certain parts of the wall such as short jacks and blocking to save money. We have no problems associated with nailing since they reduced the stiffness of the product but the splinters are pretty bad and gloves are recommended for handling it.
Used judiciously, lsl is a great product, and imo worth the xtra cost for areas such as kitchens. Also, this is one of the best products for balloon framing of 2-story window walls, etc. It would be hard to justify the cost of building an entire house with it though.
It can be justified by the level of quality that can be achieved. This is especially true for contemporary homes where the primary architectural detail is the crispness of the lines and surfaces.
"...2x5s are perfectly fine, as this product can be ordered in any width you desire. ... I would imagine a 4.5" stud would be a good compromise and save a little money and floor space.
I've kinda thought the same thing. Good compromise between a 2X4 and a 2X6 wall.
I've heard that 2X5 lumber is available in Canada. Anybody up that way use it?
A fine is a tax for doing something wrong. A tax is a fine for doing something right.
I've heard that 2X5 lumber is available in Canada. Anybody up that way use it?
Never heard of it in Ontario, Boss. We generally have what the U.S. has.
I tell you what is available in the Great White North by special order: J-grade lumber. Milled for the Japanese market. Beautiful stuff; very tight limits on size and number of knots, no warp or wane. Somebody on this thread mentioned needing LSL for balloon framing. J-grade will do it.
Regards,
Tim Ruttan
They reduced the stiffness of the product ? Are you saying you can now gun nail this stuff and set the nail flush ?
It would be nice to use the stuff for all the plate material in a home, especially if you can get the stuff 48' long.
carpenter in transition
Ray,I've never heard of a 2x5 stud before. Does it measure 4-1/2"?What insulation would you use?What do you do with windows and doors?Do they make windows and doors for 2x5 walls from where your from or do you make your own extension jambs?Joe Carola
Joe- We order jambs in whatever width we desire. We use 5/8" rock throughout our homes so 4 9/16" jambs wouldn't work anyway. We will extend jambs if that is what is called for as often the extensions supplied by a window manufacturer are not appropriate. Many upper end window manufacturers do not attempt to fill a wall thickness. The windows I'm working with right now (Case) come in a 3 1/8" thick jamb. We return different materials to them.
Dan H- Steel studs have real issues in regards to thermal bridging and should not be used on exterior walls with cavity fill insulation. It is a common and negligent practice.
Tim- They reduced the E modulus from 1.5 to 1.3. They are easier to work with now. The headers have an E modulus of 1.9.
You might want to consider steel studs instead.
I've never framed with Steel before. I can see how it can work for other parts of the room , but I wanted to get the walls perfect as I'll be framing the kitchen ...
Steel would be at least as straight as LSL, cheaper, and likely easier to work with. You'd want to use heavy-duty studs for the cabinet walls, or reenforce them with wood, though.
We use steel "H" columns frequently for the tall walls if not lsl lumber. Seems to work better in the situations where most of the "wall" consists of openings (i.e. large windows). Most of these walls are 20'-6" high, 18'-22' in length, and filled with windows. Personally, I don't care for the exterior look but the interiors are dramatic when the view out is a lake.
Sorry if I may sound a bit dump but this is one way of getting an education. And that is by asking what might sound like a stupid question to some people.
What do the letters LSL stand for?
Is this some kind of processed material?
Thank You
Dane
I will always be a beginner as I am always learning.
Laminated strand lumber.