I found some Glulam beams for sale on Craiglist for half the price of new beams. The only problem is that they have been sitting in this persons yard for 13 years. They were covered by sheets of metal roofing I am told, and they are raised off of the ground 4 inches with airflow underneath. The beams are not wrapped or treated so assume that the sides of the beams are open to the air/ moisture. I live in rainy Oregon.
So my question is how do Glulam beams hold up to this kind of storage?
Would they still be safe to use?
Any help is appreciated,
Thank you
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I bought a couple of truck loads of big glue lams circa 1960's and have had great luck building all sorts of things.They had a coat of varnish and many coats of paint but were in great shape after clean up. You might try cutting some sample ends off and physically stress test for any delamination. 50% off is too much , try 10-20 % of market. Other than my good experience I would caution further investigation! Good luck. Rob
I remember a tech paper on it, I think it's in the publications tab at aitc-glulam.org
Here it is, scroll down to the technical pubs, a couple look promising;
http://www.aitc-glulam.org/shopcart/index.asp
If the beams will be used structurally, for human habitation, this is risky. Likewise for animals or expensive cars, etc. You do not know their strength rating or if they have incipient decay or a compromised glue joint.
Contact Oregon State forest products lab (extension specialist) for some possible on-the-site evaluation.
i agree with gene i would be afraid of them as the lumber will swell and shrink as the moisture changes the glue doesnt (at least none that i know of ) i would be afraid the lam glue joints would be weak :)
It's difficult to inspect when they are dirty or weathered. I accidentally bought some 12"x15" reclaimed glulams thinking they were solid wood. So I remilled and planed them to 11x14 with my beam planer. Mine look good to use, but I'd always leave a larger safety factor than normal. You don't know until you can really see what's there.