Should I Use Engineered Lumber For My Stair Stringers?
Yes and no, again this is another
question that's difficult to answer, because I haven't thoroughly tested
this product.
However, I've heard plenty of experienced carpenters, contractors and
construction workers rave about this new product or should I say fairly
new.
I've probably installed over 1,000 stairways before this product was
used for stair stringers. I'm not entirely convinced that this is the
best product for stair stringers and believe it should be tested a few
more years, but remember this is only my personal opinion. I've been in
the business for over 30 years and seen numerous products fail, so
that's why I'm a little wary about this one.
Now for the good news, here are a few claims from one of the
manufacturers of Timberstrand, which is often referred to as laminated
strand lumber and engineered lumber.
1. Consistently Straight, in other words since this product has been
engineered by man, they can produce consistently Straight and accurate
pieces of lumber, where mother nature seems to have a difficult time.
2. Since this lumber is man-made, there's a good chance it isn't going
to shrink like regular
construction standard lumber will. I've seen 2 x
12 shrink down to almost 11 inches, often creating problems for any of
the building structures, it was used in.
I'm not going to continue with the manufacturers claims, because the
rest of them seem a little overrated. You should also check with the
manufacturers of these products, before using them, because they have
product usage specifications that you should familiarize yourself with.
For example, some of these products will need some type of structural
reinforcement under them, if they're going to be used for longer
stairways and cannot be freestanding.
Back To - Building Stair Questions
Back To - Stair Stringer Questions And Answers
Feel free to email us with your questions. (Go to bottom of page and click on contact for email address.)