Captain Planet Foundation -- Zero Energy

LP Engineered Wood Systems

These five products from LP's core offering are stronger, more stable and quicker to install than conventional lumber

The LP Behind the Walls House showcases a variety of structural framing and support systems made of engineered wood and engineered to outperform traditional lumber products. These items deliver superior support, stability and durability, while speeding installation and boosting productivity.

OSB Sheathing, designed for walls and roofs, uses an Advanced ACI® edge-coating to minimize water absorption that can distort the board’s dimensions. “Unlike plywood panels, our OSB Sheathing offers consistent uniformity and rigidity from one board to the next,” says LP’s marketing communications manager George Strakes. “There’s less tendency to warp, buckle, sag or cup, and no knotholes, core voids or delamination.”

Pre-marked nailing lines make LP OSB Sheathing easier to install than plywood. Its skid-resistant surface is 100% top-sanded to reduce flaking.

Finger-Jointed Studs, used for vertical framing, are made from short-length, stud-grade lumber processed to remove defects. Each stud consists of a minimum of two finger joints connected with a water-resistant adhesive. The finger-joint assembly renders the studs more dimensionally stable than conventional solid sawn studs, as well as resistant to warping and twisting.

LPI® Joists, used to support floors and ceilings, feature OSB webs and solid sawn or laminated veneer lumber (LVL) flanges. LPI Joists are light to handle, easy to install and typically have greater load-carrying capacity than traditional lumber.

Like other LP engineered wood products, LVL offers fewer variations in depth and thickness than solid sawn lumber joists, which tend to shrink and warp as they dry. “Our joists are manufactured with consistently low moisture content, so they stay strong and stable,” says John Dawick, LP’s marketing manager for engineered wood products. “That way the floor sheathing remains uniformly flat which significantly reduces the possibility of squeaks.”

Solid Start® Rim Board, a new product designed specifically for use with LPI Joists, makes it easier for builders to cap off an LP floor-support system. Made of a thick, high-grade OSB, Solid Start Rim Board provides high-capacity support to vertical and lateral wall loads.

Gang-Lam® LVL serves two vital applications in the Behind the Walls House. First, it is being used to make headers and floor beams throughout the structure. Produced by combining exterior adhesives and ultrasonically graded veneers, these high-capacity beams offer superior strength and dimensional consistency compared with solid sawn lumber.

The second Behind the Walls House application for Gang-Lam LVL is a new product: stair treads. These need to be flat and demanded a different manufacturing process. Typically all the grain in the veneer sheets used to make LVL runs parallel to the length of the product. For this new application, cross plies were included to make sure the treads remain flat.