Glue for structural Beams

[Wayne Webb]

I picked up a gallon of Franklin Titebond II this weekend, was just now reading on the label and it says "not for structural or load-bearing applications". So that's out.
I'm preparing to laminate some LVL beams to support a wood mezzanine in my shop. I would like something with a fairly long open time because I will be laminating 3 12' pieces per beam. My first thought was West Systems Epoxy with slow hardener but it's so doggone expensive as I will need to cover about 150' of surface area in total. What would you suggest?Thanks

[joe milana]

There are guidelines for bolting them together, but Resourcinal resin or structural epoxy would be two adhesives that come to mind.

Edit: It sounds like you may be making the beams, not laminating manufactured beams?

[Mel Fulks]

I think there is at least one other type that that bears same type of warning. I would not hesitate to use them for your
purpose. And I would not even get a quote for epoxy, "expensive" is all the info I need.

[Wayne Webb]

There are guidelines for bolting them together, but Resourcinal resin or structural epoxy would be two adhesives that come to mind.

Edit: It sounds like you may be making the beams, not laminating manufactured beams?

My local building supplies(Lowes. Home Depot, Townsends, Tatums etc) can only get them in 1.75'' thick. They look sort of like long pieces of plywood. To get the beam thickness I need for the span and strength needed is to laminate 3 of those together . They would end up being 5.25'' x 9.25'' x 12' long

[Jacob Reverb]

To get the beam thickness I need for the span and strength needed is to laminate 3 of those together . They would end up being 5.25'' x 9.25'' x 12' long

That must be some Godawful load for a 12' span!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Talk with a local building code department. My carport was built by someone who had little experience, no knowledge and was cutting corners. After I bought the house, when I reroofed, I noticed a lot of movement when I walked across the carport roof. I ended up retrussing it to local code with plywood gussets. I started out using an expensive resin based adhesive with nails but the building department told me that typical construction adhesive with nails would be sufficient. That was nearly 40 years ago, the roof is stable and still up, so I would check with the local department to see what they would recommend and accept.

BTW, several years later I ended up installing a glue-lam header as the folks who built it used a doubled 2x8 header with one portion spliced in the middle of a 19' span and.....they used no glue. With 9" of snow on the roof, I measured a 1 3/8" sag in the middle of that 19' span. I purchased a 12 1/2" by 5" glue lam beam as recommended by a Boise-Cascade structural engineer. I ordered it from a local lumberyard not big box store.

[Erik Loza]

My local building supplies(Lowes. Home Depot, Townsends, Tatums etc) can only get them in 1.75'' thick. They look sort of like long pieces of plywood. To get the beam thickness I need for the span and strength needed is to laminate 3 of those together . They would end up being 5.25'' x 9.25'' x 12' long

Could you sister them together with hardware? Pretty sure I've seen that either done or floated as an option in the past.

Erik

[mreza Salav]

You almost surely need to bolt them together and there are engineering spec's to bolts and spacing and the number of them.
You can use PL construction glue and nail them together to put the beams together but typically this needs to be followed by bolts.

[Richard Coers]

Go to a real builders supply house. The home builders in your area buy their beams from someone.

[Mark Daily]

You almost surely need to bolt them together and there are engineering spec's to bolts and spacing and the number of them.
You can use PL construction glue and nail them together to put the beams together but typically this needs to be followed by bolts.
I second that- I wouldn’t trust adhesive alone.

[Bill Carey]

My local building supplies(Lowes. Home Depot, Townsends, Tatums etc) can only get them in 1.75'' thick. They look sort of like long pieces of plywood. To get the beam thickness I need for the span and strength needed is to laminate 3 of those together . They would end up being 5.25'' x 9.25'' x 12' long


You obviously got some engineering done on this. Ask about using a flitch plate with construction lumber. And as was said, must be a hell of a load over only 12'......

[peter gagliardi]

Industry standard now in most places is to bolt them together with Fastenmaster type bolts or structural screws. Its done that way on construction sites all across the US. Unlikely that you need to glue them, and doubtful you would get a bond that would absolve you of a lawsuit should something go wrong.
Company supplying the LVL's will spec fastening for multi-ply.

[Lee Schierer]

When I replaced the improperly home made beam that the builder put in my garage, now workshop, with an LVL I went to the local professional building material supplier and they designed the beam and provided explicit instructions on how they should be laminated together and supported. I suggest you contact your supplier or the manufacturer of the LVL's you plan to use for proper instructions.

[sean meltvedt]

Wayne, each lvl manufacturer will have a published nailing schedule for parallel members. I would run several beads of construction adhesive between prior to nailing.
Cheers
Sean

[Ben Grefe]

I agree with Richard. Home Depot is not the right place to go for LVL’s. You might be able to call a small contractor and ask where they source their beams from. It might be ‘professionals only’, so you’ll need to get somebody to order for you, but it’s much better to get a spec’d LVL for the span instead of making something on your own.

[Steve Fish]

You obviously got some engineering done on this. Ask about using a flitch plate with construction lumber. And as was said, must be a hell of a load over only 12'......

This would be my route as well especially if you want to limit deflection. Sometimes the plate can actually save you a couple bucks over special order micro-lams to boot

[Darcy Warner]

PL premium and GRK lags. Why complicate things?

[Scott T Smith]

In answer to your original question, resourcinal was/is used for laminating wooden aircraft parts, and is an excellent adhesive.

[mreza Salav]

We build houses and in our area no glue is needed. its nailed together to put up and then bolts. GRK lags are good.

[Brad Shipton]

Casein glue was used eons ago for glulams, but they changed to resourcinal for durabilty reasons. I have used this version https://www.amazon.ca/Aerodux-Resorcinol-Resin-Kit-Quart/dp/B00DP5VQD2 , but if you read the MSDS sheet you might not be comfortable with it. Keep in mind the clamping used in glulam production if you are inclined to build it according to standards for beams ( https://edmontonjournal.com/business/edmonton-firms-wood-products-give-buildings-strength-and-beauty). That is difficult to replicate in our shops. Sure, I know most of use have built endless things with far less clamp force, but those items were furniture pieces where nothing of significance falls down if they fail. Epoxy requires far less pressure and that is what I would use if I were going to do this.

I would go buy an LVL, PSL, timberstrand, or glulam and move on with life. At a 12'-0" span you should be able to justify a built up dimensional lumber beam. Any decent sized supplier has the software tools to size a beam for you.

[Michael A. Tyree]

I built a 20" truss for my sawmill shed roof to allow long log handling. It's under the roof but exposed to moisture in the air outside. After my research into adhesives resorcinol was it for weatherproof issue. Sold in box stores. In an interior location you have other choices?

[Mel Fulks]

I once called Titebond about that warning on label. Tech guy said it was just a liability thing against stupidity.

[Bill White]

There are guidelines for bolting them together, but Resourcinal resin or structural epoxy would be two adhesives that come to mind.

Edit: It sounds like you may be making the beams, not laminating manufactured beams?

Yep! Joe just beat me to the post.

[Wayne Webb]

All of the manufacturers I've viewed literature from, so far, are saying to use nails spaced at certain distances apart. But I would feel better about it if I also used a structural glue. I have used both West Systems epoxy and resorcinol many times for making outdoor signs from redwood and cedar. Of all the glues I've tried they are the best; especially the epoxy. I have done my research on the load capacity for the beams but will do some more; because I may be able to use slightly longer ones. I ended up purchasing some 14' LVL's from this place. http://www.wholesalewoodonline.com/ They are to be delivered next Tuesday.
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