Building an outdoor table from glulam beams?

[SandmanNet]

Can anyone think of a reason not to build a table out of glulam beams? It's going to be an outdoor table (under a roof), so my idea is to buy a couple of 56x225 beams and join them with dominos and outdoor glue.

The tabletop should be much more rigid than with regular timber, right? But is there something I'm not considering?

 

[vectrex]

It's probably going well. The biggest disadvantage is probably that it gets very heavy.

 

[mlkjhr]

He should make a very small table so that it can be lifted.
Joking aside, it should be a tabletop that holds its shape well!

 

[SandmanNet]

It will probably be fine. The biggest downside is that it will be very heavy.

Definitely, which I actually see as an advantage though

 

[justusandersson]

Why not 42x225?

 

[L-E]

is probably not so rot-resistant

 

[SandmanNet]

isn't very rot-resistant

No, but neither are regular fir battens, but they can be treated. The plan is to brush and stain the board, then oil it thoroughly, unless there's a hard wax that works well for outdoor wood. The table will be under a roof, so it should last a good while anyway.

 

[SandmanNet]

Why not 42x225?

Could work too, might be a bit more manageable.

 

[L-E]

A preconceived notion. If you have a Festool Domino, I suspect you have a few other tools as well. Why not buy some heart pine (decking), cut and glue it together yourself. You also avoid any transverse joints. By appropriately mixing the direction of the growth rings, you avoid it bending.

 

[SandmanNet]

A preconceived idea. If you have a Festool Domino, I suspect you have some other tools as well. Why not buy some core pine (decking), cut and glue it together yourself. You also avoid potential crosswise joints. If you mix the direction of the growth rings appropriately, you avoid warping.

I would love to, but I have no contacts at sawmills, or even know if there are any sawmills nearby. I live in Västerås and I have searched high and low for a place where you can get better wood, but it seems to be futile

 

[L-E]

Beijer/Optimera has kärnfuru decking. You have to look a bit, but you can find good pieces.

 

[ramafred]

Tips from someone living near Västerås, Fagersta to be exact, but we hope to become Västerås residents next year; our renovation project is there anyway...

Talk to Anders at Naddebo sawmill outside Fagersta; he works a lot with lärk, sometimes even oak and other nice types of wood. However, I think he's cut back on "common timber" since people are too stingy to pay more than at the building barns.

You might also be able to get some good timber at OK prices at Sörbo Såg, if I'm not mistaken, they deal a lot in special items and have a small lumberyard.

You can find some better timber at the building merchants in Västerås compared to Byggmax/Bauhaus.