Three Frequently Asked Questions of LVL

As the expert of structural materials, Honcheng export more than 30 containers LVL to Australia and New Zealand. We're here to cover the top three questions for our LVL.

1. Timber treatment

To determine the level of treatment required, we need to know where the product is being used. Is it inside or outside, above the ground or in contact with the ground? And is it south or north of the tropic of capricorn. Regardless of where the product is being used, we recommend that it be termite treated.

HC LVL is treated in H2S grade for use south of the tropic of capricorn. Our preservative treatment is glue line treatment. TPAA (Timber Preservers Association of Australia http://www.tpaa.com.au/  ) number is 616 59. Glue line treatment means that when you cut, notch, splay or drill a hole in the treated LVL, you are not compromising the termite protection.

2. Notching and cutting

The rules for cutting and notching all timber products are set out in AS1684. For LVL beams deeper than 200 millimeters, you can drill a hole through the side with a dismeter up to 50 millimeters to run electrical conduit.

You can notch and splay 25 percent of the beam depth at the ends to fit into a supporting structure or onto a wall. You can drill a vertical hole through the LVL up to maximum diameter of 25 of the beam’s width. Just like other structural timber, you cannot drill larger holes in the beam for things like plumbing and air conditioning, that's where e-joists come in.

3. The right LVL size

To find the right size beam for the job, you need to know three things.

3.1 Application

Firstly, define the application what is the beam doing. Is it a roof beam supporting rafters, is it a lintel in wall frame or is it a floor joist supporting a heavy floor?

3.2 Span

Next define the span. What is the distance between the walls or beams supporting the beam? Is it a single span? Or will the beam span across an intermediate support creating a continuous span.

3.3 Load

Lastly, define the loads. How much weight is going to be applied to the beam. Is the roof cladding metal sheeting or tiles? Is it supporting a wall as well? Is it supporting flooring?

With these pieces of information, the LVL the LVL size can be determined using our span charts