The choice between glulam and solid timber is one of the first decisions in the specification of a timber house. This comparison is written for B2B dealers who advise customers on residential projects. It covers wall profiles, settlement, seasoning checks, thermal review, appearance and the cases where solid timber remains the right choice.
What Makes Glulam Different from Solid Timber?
Solid timber is sawn directly from the log. Every piece is unique, with its own grain pattern and knots.
Glulam (glued-laminated timber) is made by bonding layers of dried timber, the lamellae, into one section, which is then planed, profiled and cut to the approved drawings of the building. Eurodita glues its glulam in its own factory and profiles and machines it on the same site.
Which Wall Profiles Are Available in Each Material?
Solid wall profiles are 19 x 100, 28 x 100, 34 x 100, 44 x 130, 58 x 130 and 70 x 130 mm. Glulam wall profiles are 70 x 130, 88 x 260, 135 x 260, 180 x 260 and 220 x 260 mm, and the Dovetail corner system is available on the glulam profiles except 70 x 130 mm. Solid wall profiles end at 70 mm; thicker walls, up to 220 mm, are made in glulam.
A solid log model can be made in any of the 28, 34, 44, 58 and 70 mm profiles, and a glulam model in any glulam profile; the profile is chosen per project and budget. The full list is on the wall profiles page.
How Does Settlement Compare?
Solid log walls settle as the timber dries and acclimatises, and that settlement is allowed for in the detailing around windows, doors and connections.
Glulam walls do settle, but only minimally: in use the settlement is neither felt nor seen. Openings and fixings are still detailed in the project drawings.
How Do Seasoning Checks Compare?
Seasoning checks can develop when the difference in moisture between the core and the surface of a piece of timber becomes large, and they are most pronounced in large solid sections. The lamellae of glulam are thin and are dried before they are glued, so they dry more uniformly, and seasoning checks occur less frequently in glulam than in sawn timber (APA, The Engineered Wood Association, Technical Note EWS R475E). Checks can still occur in glulam.
What About Structure and Thermal Performance?
Eurodita does not publish strength, span or load values for its wall profiles. Structural calculations, where a project needs them, are carried out by external structural engineering specialists, and two-storey glulam houses are handled as project-engineered work.
Eurodita publishes preliminary U-values for the timber wall element alone, one value per wall thickness; they are listed in the glulam wall profiles guide and the wall thickness and thermal guide. The published values make no distinction between solid and glulam walls of the same thickness, and they are not a figure for a finished building: the energy performance of a building depends on the complete envelope, including roof, floor, glazing, insulation, airtightness and installation.
What Are the Aesthetic Differences?
- Solid timber offers a traditional appearance with natural grain variation, visible knots and character marks. Each wall has a unique appearance.
- Glulam shows light glue lines between the lamellae.
Neither appearance is inherently superior. The choice depends on the design intent and on the preference of the customer.
When Should Dealers Specify Solid Timber Instead?
- Traditional appearance: when the customer specifically wants the look of solid log cabin construction.
- Garden buildings: the standard garden building ranges are catalogued in solid wall profiles from 19 to 70 mm.
- Budget: the wall profile can be varied to suit the budget of the project.
The key for dealers is to present both options honestly. This builds trust and positions the dealer as an adviser rather than a salesperson.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do glulam walls settle?
Glulam walls do settle, but only minimally: in use the settlement is neither felt nor seen. Openings and fixings are still detailed in the project drawings.
Can glulam be used with traditional log cabin jointing?
Yes. Glulam wall logs are cut on Hundegger CNC lines to the order drawings, with joints, corners and openings machined in, and the Dovetail corner system is available on the 88 to 220 mm glulam profiles.
How is a glulam house priced compared with a solid log building?
Eurodita publishes no price list. A glulam house is priced from the Eurodita estimator or from a specific project quotation, because profile, corner system, storey count and finish all change the manufacturing job. Quotations are issued in writing in EUR, excluding VAT and delivery, EXW Eurodita factory by default.
Does glulam require different maintenance than solid timber?
Wall logs are supplied untreated by default, so the protective coating is arranged by the buyer unless factory painting was ordered. Factory painting or finishing of glulam can be offered as an extra service.
Which adhesive is used in Eurodita glulam?
The lamellae are bonded in the Eurodita factory with Dynea Prefere 6151 and hardener Prefere 6651, a two-component EPI adhesive for load-bearing timber that the supplier classifies as Type I under EN 16254; the supplier describes Prefere 6151 as formaldehyde-free. This describes the adhesive, not a certification of the finished glulam.
For detailed specifications or to compare glulam and solid timber options for your product range, contact the Eurodita partner team.