One of the summer projects is to build a porch and for this I need posts.
I have two options: solid 115 mm posts made of fine-sawn heartwood for about 250 SEK each and laminated ones consisting of two lamellas glued with the heart side out. The latter cost 860 SEK each.
The question is, which should one choose? It's about half a dozen posts, so the price difference is not insignificant.
I can tolerate some twisting and cracks as long as the weather resistance is good. The location is very exposed (near the coast).
I have two options: solid 115 mm posts made of fine-sawn heartwood for about 250 SEK each and laminated ones consisting of two lamellas glued with the heart side out. The latter cost 860 SEK each.
The question is, which should one choose? It's about half a dozen posts, so the price difference is not insignificant.
I can tolerate some twisting and cracks as long as the weather resistance is good. The location is very exposed (near the coast).
Hmm, poor response to this...
Let's say I instead buy the finely sawn heartwood cleaved lengthwise. Can I manage to glue it together myself into posts? I'm thinking of two pieces glued with the sapwood sides against each other.
I don't have a large planer, but I could consider investing in a dozen clamps.
Let's say I instead buy the finely sawn heartwood cleaved lengthwise. Can I manage to glue it together myself into posts? I'm thinking of two pieces glued with the sapwood sides against each other.
I don't have a large planer, but I could consider investing in a dozen clamps.
I use a lot of posts in dimensions 70x70, 95x95, and 120x120 when building piers, and there aren't huge cracks. If you can get solid posts at that price, I wouldn't hesitate.
Glulam also cracks outdoors; I've seen this on the beams and posts left outside for 2-3 years.
If you're unlucky, you’ll get a big crack, but it won't collapse the roof, and if you don't seal the moisture with a plastic paint from '78, there are no problems.
115x115 can practically bear half a house, so I assume these dimensions are mostly for aesthetic reasons.
Glulam also cracks outdoors; I've seen this on the beams and posts left outside for 2-3 years.
If you're unlucky, you’ll get a big crack, but it won't collapse the roof, and if you don't seal the moisture with a plastic paint from '78, there are no problems.
115x115 can practically bear half a house, so I assume these dimensions are mostly for aesthetic reasons.
Thanks for the insights! Then it will be massive kärnvirke.
It really is only an aesthetic issue concerning the dimension. There's no load to speak of, the roof will only be 10 m², and the snow always blows away here.
It really is only an aesthetic issue concerning the dimension. There's no load to speak of, the roof will only be 10 m², and the snow always blows away here.
One option is to use a 95x95 post and then clad it with 28 boards, which will give you 150 posts. The boards might be easier to handle if you want to plane and mill grooves and rounding than working with a large and heavy solid post...