Engineered lumber is lumber created by a manufacturer and designed for a certain structural purpose. The main categories of engineered lumber are:

Laminated Veneer Lumber
Laminated Veneer Lumber or LVL, functions as beams to provide support over large spans such as removed support walls and garage door openings. These are applications where dimensional lumber isn’t structurally sound to use. LVL is also useful in areas where a heavy load is bearing from a floor, wall or roof above on a somewhat short span where dimensional lumber isn’t

practical. This type of lumber cannot be altered by holes or notches anywhere within the span or at the ends as it compromises the integrity of the beam, but nails can be driven into it wherever necessary to anchor the beam or to add hangers for I-joists or dimensional lumber joists which terminate at an LVL. In-stock LVLs 9¼" x 20'; 11-7/8" x 20'; 14" x 20'; and 16" x 20'.

Wood I-joists
Wood I-joists, sometimes called “TJI” or “Trus Joists,” are wood I-joists used for floor joists on upper floors and also in 1st floor conventional foundation construction on piers as opposed to slab floor construction. They are engineered for long spans and are doubled up in places where a wall will be placed over them, and sometimes tripled where heavy roof-loaded support walls are placed above them. They consist of a top and bottom chord/flange made from LVL with a webbing in-between made from OSB (oriented strand board). The webbing can be removed up to certain sizes/shapes according to the manufacturers (and engineers) specifications, but for small holes, wood I-joists come with “knockouts,” which are perforated, pre-cut areas where holes can be made easily typically without engineering approval. Available by special order.

Finger-Jointed Lumber
Solid dimensional lumber lengths typically max out at lengths of 22' to 24', but is made longer by the technique of “finger-jointing.” This joins lumber by using small solid pieces, usually 18" to 24" long, and joining them together using finger-joints and glue to produce lengths that can be up to 36' long in 2x6 size. Finger-jointing also is predominate in pre-cut wall studs.

Glu-lam Beams
Glu-lam Beams are created by taking 2x4 or 2x6 stock and glueing the faces together to create beams such as 4x12 or 6x16. LVL beams have taken their place in most home construction. Available by special order.

Manufactured Trusses
Trusses are used in home construction as bracing to support the roof rafters in the attic space. It is seen as an easier installation and a better solution for supporting roofs as opposed to the use of dimensional lumber’s struts & purlins as bracing. In our area, stick-framing with dimensional lumber roof support is still predominate. The main drawback of trusses is that less attic space is usable. Available by special order.