Laminated strand lumber (LSL) is an engineered wood product we will see a lot more of in the near future.
The material, made from strands of timber bonded together in the same direction under pressure and heat by adhesive, is used across the EU as CE-certified Rimboard in timber frame construction.
Manufacturer Louisiana-Pacific (LP Building Products) will shortly be shipping more LSL products to its UK distributor, MBM Forest Products, for trials, with an aim of a commercial roll-out later this year.
This lighter weight and easier to nail LP SolidStart Simply Better Stud is specifically designed for non load-bearing internal stud partition walls, providing a viable alternative to 38×63 timber sections and metal studs.
"We’re starting fairly small and getting a few trial packs into selected customers to get some feedback through builders. So far the response from customers has been very positive. We met a lot of builders at Ecobuild that were very interested in trying the product," said Andrew Caldwell of MBM.
MBM believes the product’s straightness and low moisture content compared to some solid timber traded in the UK, and its ability to eliminate noggins between studs – effectively removing timber from the wall – were key.
Many customers also understood the costs to the builder and merchant in dealing with inferior timber products.
"We believe it will eat into the steel stud sector, giving the timber industry another option to fight against steel. Some builders have shifted away from timber studs to metal but we can certainly get some of that back based on our initial feedback and research.
Many builders we met at Ecobuild said they used metal because of its straightness but would much prefer to work with timber if arrow-straight timber studs were available" MBM says the 38×63 LP SolidStart Simply Better Stud will offer more secure supply and pricing through the often volatile summer.
Price-wise, a 2.4m 38x63mm LP SolidStart Simply Better Stud will cost a little more per piece but much of the cost difference can be offset by faster installation, reduced materials, elimination of noggins and fewer call backs.
MBM is also trialling a second LP SolidStart LSL product application – structural wall plates for multi-storey timber frame. Reduced rail thickness and less inherent material shrinkage are the quoted benefits, leading to reduced settlement in the timber frame structure.
Consultancy C4Ci has been involved with research on this application, looking at a 29x140mm LP SolidStart LSL wall-plate product.
Aside from these newer LP SolidStart LSL applications, MBM believes the material will become commonplace in the UK for use as structural beams, joists and rafters in floors and roofs, making a similar impact in the beam market as OSB did in once plywood-dominated floor decking and wall sheathing.
