Engineered timber beams (I-beams)

Laminated wood panels

Engineered floors

Heat treated wood

I-beams or I-joists, are manufactured from kiln dried C24 softwood or LVL and oriented strand board as a flange material, to form an I-section beam. They are increasingly popular in the housebuilding and commercial sectors as a replacement for conventional timber joists, because:

• They can be used with pre-formed flooring solutions
• Their superior strength-to-weight ratio allows longer spans and easier handling
• Their shrink and warp resistance helps create ‘quiet’ floor solutions
• Their consistent dimensions provide extra stability
• They are easy to install, cut and drill for services
• They come with product support software and engineering programmes and literature that can supply calculations for planners and designers
• I-beams are also used in the wall sections of timber-framed construction systems.
  
  

These products are made from high quality slow growth Nordic timber. Engineered from 40-45mm wide lamells glued together under high pressure to form larger widths and lengths, they are produced in panel form and are ideal for furniture production, as well as DIY projects.

The timber is specially kiln dried to 8-10% for optimum stability. There is a range of qualities and grades for versatile product end use, in sizes from 6mm - 70mm in thickness, 200mm - 1250mm in width and 300mm - 5000mm in length. Panels can be cut and further machined.

Available pre-finished with a variety of stains, paints and lacquers, panels can be combined with high quality planed sections and plywood veneers to provide attractive designs.

Laminated wood sections are also widely used in joinery, especially in window and door production. These sections improve the stability of the wood product by preventing warping and twisting. In window production, they also provide a clear timber section, free from knots, which increases paint life thereby enhancing the service life of the window.

Constructional floors

Major manufacturers supply ready-made flooring systems, pre-fabricated as part of an overall building solution. They speed up site finishing times, meet sound, fire and load bearing demands and are supported by technical and computer expertise.

Engineered wood floors

Engineered timber flooring systems provide stable surfaces at lower costs, using 2.5mm - 3.5mm wood veneers combined with 3 ply substrata. Planks come in many formats, always tongued and grooved, and hardened finishes are available using lacquers, oils and waxes.

Compressed wood floors

New patented processes increase the hardness of wood – so that pine can be as hard as oak. Compressed wood flooring is particularly suitable for heavy traffic areas, e.g. public buildings.

Heat treated wood (eg Thermowood®) is softwood that has been heated to temperatures in excess of 215°C, to change the cell structure, reducing moisture content by up to 50%, making the timber more stable and durable.

Heat treated wood is suitable for outdoor products like fencing, noise barriers, cladding, decking, windows, doors, garden furniture etc.

It is environmentally friendly; the timber is PEFC certificated and the process is chemical free, using only heat and steam. Fix as normal timber, pre-drilling for screws, using stainless or galvanised fixings.

Sunlight will grey the timber, but oil and water based stains can be applied.