Wood Business

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SolidGuard LSL from LP Building Products

July, 10, 2013, Nashville, Tenn. – LP Building Products launched its new LP SolidGuard LSL (Laminated Strand Lumber), adding protection against termite damage and fungal decay to its LSL product.

As the industry embraces wood framing in taller multifamily structures, this new product provides a treated sill plate solution to help eliminate shrinkage.

“Shrinkage is an important concern for lumber in multistory structures as it can affect shear wall performance and structural capability,” said Kim Rogers, EWP product manager for LP Building Products. “Using LSL for wall plates and sill plates as a part of a wood framing system can significantly reduce plate shrinkage.”

In typical dried lumber, moisture content may be up to 19 per cent. Over time, the lumber will dry down to the moisture equilibrium of the finished building – typically 8 to 12 per cent – causing the wood to shrink and potentially resulting in misaligned framing, broken window seals, and damaged plumbing.

Using LSL wall plates and sill plates can help eliminate plate shrinkage. “The moisture levels of our product are carefully controlled throughout the manufacturing process, giving all LP SolidGuard and SolidStart LSL products a 7 to 10 per cent moisture content, similar to the moisture equilibrium inside the building, meaning that there’s no moisture level to which our product has to dry down.”

LP SolidGuard LSL is treated with zinc borate for fungal decay and termite resistance. LP SolidGuard LSL framing materials are intended for use in aboveground protected applications such as sill plates, columns, rim board and studs. The product is not intended for ground contact or continuous exposure to weather, nor can it be substituted for treated studs in a permanent wood foundation. The zinc borate is blended into the LSL, eliminating the need for field treatment of cut ends and requires no special handling or disposal as borate is a naturally occurring mineral that is odorless and colorless in wood.

Visit whatIsLSL.com to learn more about LP SolidStart products.

July 11, 2013  By Woodbusiness



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