While not the newest of technologies – first being registered as an invention in late 1800s – glue laminated timber has been rising in popularity around the world. In Europe, it has been widely adopted for some time, but now it also reached the US market, where the practice is being hailed as the new, low-carbon option, with superior fire resistance properties and flexibility towards tall buildings.
It is part of the rising global trend of mass wood: materials that have been made of wood stacked together in some manner. It got its name from the sheer size of modules that are produced from timber using these methods. Massive amounts of timber can be integrated together to form a single piece – hence the mass wood.
Eurodita’s chosen option is glue lamination – a set of wood panels glued together to form longer and stronger building materials. Glulam allows us to use long spans of exposed framing, as well as elegant, interesting curvatures. Our log home manufacture process makes us extremely flexible and allows us to use new and attention-grabbing designs for our bespoke log cabin homes. But more on the technical aspect of glulam later. In this post, we would like to introduce you to the rising trend of mass timber, which sweeping the construction sector. Not just glulam log cabins, but also prize-winning architectural buildings and even skyscrapers are now possible to be built from mass timber products. This type of timber has proven to be more durable, fire resistant, recyclable and low-carbon.
Cross laminated timber
Let’s start with cross-laminated wood – or CLT for short. It involves panels, that consist of layered timber boards (usually the numbers are three, five, or seven). These panels are stacked crosswise, at 90-degree angles and then glued into place. Structural adhesives and finger joints keep the boards connected. The result is an exceptionally sturdy wooden building component. This strength lets designers use the wood in various creative ways, including wide prefabricated floor slabs, taller plate heights and single-level walls.
Dowel laminated timber
Another great option from the mass timber movement is the DLT or dowel laminated timber. In this case, instead of glue or more traditional nails, dowels hold the boards together. The dowels are made from hardwood, while the panels – from softwood. By friction fitting them together, which is achieved by different moisture content of the softwood and the hardwood components, additional dimensional stability is created. If even more such stability is required, dowels can be inserted diagonally to achieve it. DLT is a strong option, especially popular among the green movement. It’s very easy to mull and recycle these components, as they contain no additional metal or chemicals.
Nail laminated timber
Modernly called NLT – or nail laminated timber – is actually an age-old method that’s been going through a sort of renaissance in the current construction market. NLT panels gain their strength through nails and screws holding them together. The answer as to why it’s making a resurgence lies in domestic availability. This mass timber product doesn’t require a dedicated manufacturing facility. Comparing it to DLT or glulam materials, NLT can be easily manufactured with readily available dimensional lumber. This allows builders and manufacturers the use of locally sourced timber.
Glue laminated timber
Finally, our own glue lamination – or glulam – method of producing mass wood. To form a glulam plank, wood laminations are positioned according to their stress-rated performance. Then the laminations are jointed end to end, forming long spans, and are glued together with a durable, moisture-resistant adhesive. The grains of these laminations run parallel with the plank’s length, improving its strength. That is how we are able to produce our beautiful and exceptional contemporary residential log cabins. With glulam, our log homes are durable, aesthetically pleasing and functional. We can form almost any length and width of a plank we need, which allows us to build bespoke houses of almost any design.
We are happy and proud to be at the forefront of the business trend. Our log homes will serve their owners long, keep them safe from the elements and endure. We are also happy about the success our partners are finding with us as their remote production facility. We as the bespoke log cabin company will always look for ways to further improve our craft and future-proof our products, all while making all the bespoke log cabin dreams come true. Let’s talk more about mass timber, glue lamination and its role in our production line. Reach out to us through our partner program and let’s do business!