General

• Do you sell your products directly to the consumer? How can I buy LP I-Joists and LP LVL beams?
• I need to spec your products for a building project. Who can answer application and specification questions for me?
• The LP SolidStart I-Joists for a building project I am working on have been laying on the site for a couple of weeks. Do I need to be concerned about shrinkage caused by moisture?
• I would like to distress the LP SolidStart LVL product I am using in a project to get an aged, rustic look. Can I do this?
• I am using your design software, and I don’t understand what the compression edge bracing option is. Can you explain this to me?
• Can I rip your LP SolidStart LVL to an odd depth?
• Do I have to use all of the perforated knockout holes per span in an LP SolidStart I-Joist?

General

Do you sell your products directly to the consumer? How can I buy LP I-Joists and LP LVL beams?

Our products are sold through our distribution partners, who in turn sell to the retail sector. To find out where you can purchase LP I-Joists and LVL, please use our dealer and distributor locator.
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I need to spec your products for a building project. Who can answer application and specification questions for me?

Our distributors are available and qualified to answer any technical-related questions you may have regarding LP’s Engineered Wood Products. They can assist in determining appropriate products to use, answering installation questions, or general applications inquiries. For the distributor in your area, please use our dealer and distributor locator.
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The LP SolidStart I-Joists for a building project I am working on have been laying on the site for a couple of weeks. Do I need to be concerned about shrinkage caused by moisture?

In service such as in a residential structure, after 4 to 8 months of drying, all wood elements will reach an equilibrium moisture content of 6% to 10%, depending on the season and location of the structure. Since engineered wood products are very close to this normal equilibrium moisture content as manufactured, and because they are typically shipped in a waterproof protective wrapping, they take on little or no additional moisture and their dimensions vary imperceptibly during this period. This information is based on LP’s current literature and code reports along with information from the Engineered Wood Association (www.apawood.org) and the Forest Products Laboratory (FPL-RN-268, www.fpl.fs.fed.us).
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I would like to distress the LP SolidStart LVL product I am using in a project to get an aged, rustic look. Can I do this?

LP allows distressing as long as non-destructive methods are used and the process is confined to the member surfaces. Distressing of new wood beams is typically done with bead or sand blasting, wire brushing and scoring of the outside faces.
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I am using your design software, and I don’t understand what the compression edge bracing option is. Can you explain this to me?

Often, compression members will require some sort of lateral brace to prevent the member from buckling under load. For example, trusses are normally braced with rows of 2x4’s for top and bottom chord bracing. LP’s code reports stipulate that the top flanges of all joists must be laterally supported at X inches on center. Normally, diaphragm sheathing is attached to the top flange to provide the lateral support.

Prescriptive code requirements for field nailing of the sheathing typically exceeds the requirements as the member is held in line throughout its entire length. The output supplied by our design software provides the minimal requirement.

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Can I rip your LP SolidStart LVL to an odd depth?

LVL manufactured in our mills originally starts out at a depth of 48”. After pressing, the LVL member is ripped down to convenient depths to match our LP SolidStart I-Joists. It is not unusual or forbidden for a contractor to further rip the LVL to suit a situation. Code provisions for solid-sawn lumber in the National Design Specification 1997 (NDS) are applicable to our LP SolidStart LVL. Allowable stresses for custom LVL depths can be calculated with our design software by selecting “odd depth.”
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Do I have to use all of the perforated knockout holes per span in an LP SolidStart I-Joist?

Since the knockouts are already perforated, the net area of the knockouts is not representative of any shear reduction in our LP SolidStart I-Joists. Therefore, perforated knockouts may be ignored when locating web holes. As many knockouts as are located in a span are the number than can be knocked out.
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