Laminated 2x6's instead of 6x6?

[kc8ksg]

I'm going to start building a pole barn style shop and was wondering if anybody's done the laminated 2x6's instead of treated 6x6s? I've built a few pole barns and we've always used treated 6x6's, but a buddy if mine had one built last year and the company used 3 2x6's glued/nailed together. I had never heard of this but after some googleing it seems to be the norm, and is a decent amount cheaper and supposedly stronger.
I did some searching on here but didn't come up with much so I figured I'd ask.

[MudzerK5]

I used them on my shop build and they are fine. Only thing is, if they get wet, they have a potential to warp, but I guess thats with any wood.

They are actually a true 6"x6" post too and they are not usually just 2x6's glued and spiked -they are milled lumber glued spiked and then ran through a jointer to finish the outer dimension.

[crimsen]

(3) 2x6 laminated together will make a stronger product in that you will have less warping and twisting than a single post, as well as not nearly the issue of the wood drying out and splitting. the load capabilities will be roughly the same for a like sized solid post or laminated.

the down site is esthetics of a single solid post is better than laminated with nail heads showing, as well as getting all the lumber to match up perfectly flush on all sides will be next to impossible without milling after it is built.


if you are doing like mudzerk and getting rough lumber milled, glued and re-milled, basically a LVL idea post, then you will likely be the same cost as a solid post but with less/no warp/twist issues.

[kc8ksg]

No milling, it will just be glued and nailed, I'm not concerned with looks so much as strength. It looks like the 2x6s would save me a couple hundred dollars so that'll probably be the way I go.

[WYJAX]

Just remember that 3 2x6s is actually going to be 4.5" x 5.5" where a post will be 5.5" x 5.5". Not sure if this is an issue for you, it wouldn't be for me. But you better account for it during layout.

[chimaira989]

I don't know if it's the right way to do things, but i needed a beam when i took an interior wall down, and to make it the right width I glued and screwed a strip of plywood between the 2x8's to get the dimension i was after. Is this acceptable or does this weaken it??

[Hvy_Chevy]

Originally Posted by chimaira989

I don't know if it's the right way to do things, but i needed a beam when i took an interior wall down, and to make it the right width I glued and screwed a strip of plywood between the 2x8's to get the dimension i was after. Is this acceptable or does this weaken it??

Some people do that to add strength

[WYJAX]

Originally Posted by chimaira989

I don't know if it's the right way to do things, but i needed a beam when i took an interior wall down, and to make it the right width I glued and screwed a strip of plywood between the 2x8's to get the dimension i was after. Is this acceptable or does this weaken it??

It's perfectly acceptable to add plywood or OSB in between 2x material to gain the desired width. It's done with window and door headers all the time. If I were in your shoes, and doing this to build a post, I would through bolt through all 3 2x6's and the plywood probably every 4'. Use a 1/2" hex bolt with fender washers on both sides and a nylock nut. The down forces of the loads will constantly be trying to spit the 2x6's apart in that configuration, the through bolts will prevent this and allow you to tighten the bolts up as the 2x6's dry and shrink over time.

[NotAPoser]

I am just about building a house, and that is the ONLY way that I would do the posts for the car port and for the front porch. All 6 posts are in the area of 16' long, and I was very worried about them twisting like I have seen 6x6's do so often. I used 1/2" plywood between each 2x6. I did this for extra strength, and to make them have the same dimensions as a 6x6. I would DEFINITELY do the plywood in the middle if I were you!

[crimsen]

Adding plywood to increase the dimension is perfectly acceptable and common.

Originally Posted by WYJAX

It's perfectly acceptable to add plywood or OSB in between 2x material to gain the desired width. It's done with window and door headers all the time. If I were in your shoes, and doing this to build a post, I would through bolt through all 3 2x6's and the plywood probably every 4'. Use a 1/2" hex bolt with fender washers on both sides and a nylock nut. The down forces of the loads will constantly be trying to spit the 2x6's apart in that configuration, the through bolts will prevent this and allow you to tighten the bolts up as the 2x6's dry and shrink over time.

I think your going way over the deep end here. Normal nailing patterns for a beam ( 1/2 lumber dimensional width in nails every 16", starting 6" from the end. ) will never try to seperate with a verticle load. Even with minimal nailing, the verticle load is even through the whole width of the post, so if it is unsupported and trys to flex, all material would want to flex in a similar fashion. If its flexing, your post is under sized. (excessive flex. There is some allowable and expected minor movement available.

[WYJAX]

Originally Posted by crimsen

Adding plywood to increase the dimension is perfectly acceptable and common.





I think your going way over the deep end here. Normal nailing patterns for a beam ( 1/2 lumber dimensional width in nails every 16", starting 6" from the end. ) will never try to seperate with a verticle load. Even with minimal nailing, the verticle load is even through the whole width of the post, so if it is unsupported and trys to flex, all material would want to flex in a similar fashion. If its flexing, your post is under sized. (excessive flex. There is some allowable and expected minor movement available.

Never say never. I have seen 2x8 posts constructed this way begin to delaminate from heavy snow loads up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains near Truckee Ca when I was building custom mountain homes. I also saw a 6x6 post that was point loaded on top of a 6x12 door header and the snow load had pushed the 6x6 post halfway through the header. Mother nature is a wicked bitch, and if you get complacent with her she'll kick you square in the nuts.

[hyghlndr]

Laminates are supposed to be much stronger and better than regular lumber. The huge pole barn local place uses them for all their buildings. I have a 30ft clear span garage done this way and have no issues with snow, winds and even a tree that damaged the roof.

[WYJAX]

Originally Posted by hyghlndr

Laminates are supposed to be much stronger and better than regular lumber. The huge pole barn local place uses them for all their buildings. I have a 30ft clear span garage done this way and have no issues with snow, winds and even a tree that damaged the roof.

Your laminated beam is most likely an egineered piece of wood that you or your builder had to special order. We are talking about simply nailing 2x6s together to achieve a desired width. Totally different animal altogether.

[drewp]

off topic, how big are you goin with this, if its 800SQft or less and you already have a pad poured why not just frame it normally rather than a big ugly pole barn that likely with have ugly sheet metal and no insulation...
framing walls is relatively cheap,plywood is cheap, and framing the roof is cheap by avoiding trusses. hell even hardi plank siding is cheao these days...

[Sirennet]

SCREWS not nailed! And make sure they wont deteriorate in the natural moisture in the wood over time, I have seen many with the head of the screw rotted off and the boards separating.

[kc8ksg]

Originally Posted by drewp

off topic, how big are you goin with this, if its 800SQft or less and you already have a pad poured why not just frame it normally rather than a big ugly pole barn that likely with have ugly sheet metal and no insulation...
framing walls is relatively cheap,plywood is cheap, and framing the roof is cheap by avoiding trusses. hell even hardi plank siding is cheao these days...

32w x 48L x 14h I already crunched the numbers and stick built will cost quite a bit more. I'm not concerned with looks but I'm more for function over looks anyway and it will be a few hundred feet from the house. It will be insulated at some point when funds allow.

[Harold Phipps]

My Morton is built that way.
But with 2 x 8's since I have taller side walls. (18 feet).