Swiss cheese glue lam

mathew stouffer · 09-15-2009, 07:41 PM

Any thoughts on the number of lags through these glue lams. Makes me hungry, loose like swiss cheese.

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**Matt Fellman** · 09-15-2009, 08:16 PM

It's undoubtedly engineered.... there should be some plans available or at least there were at one time. Aside from mentioning the buyer chase down the plans there's nothing I'd say.... unless there was a visible problem with it.

**John Kogel** · 09-15-2009, 08:20 PM

The holes are weak but the bolts are strong, the bolts are strong but the holes are weak.

Yep, we need an engineer to figure this out.

**Jerry Peck** · 09-15-2009, 08:45 PM

Originally Posted by John Kogel

Yep, we need an engineer to figure this out.

I think an engineer already did.

I doubt all those bolts were placed there for cosmetic reasons, I am sure they were specified to be there, in that staggered spacing.

**Scott Patterson** · 09-16-2009, 06:56 AM

Originally Posted by mathew stouffer

Any thoughts on the number of lags through these glue lams. Makes me hungry, loose like swiss cheese.

I would not worry about it.

Ron Bibler · 09-16-2009, 08:15 AM

It looks like they may have over counter sunk the heads.
I would point out over drilling of the beams as a foot note.
any further information required check with plans.

Best

Ron
Santa Rosa California Home Inspection - Exterminating & Thermal Imaging

**Jim Luttrall** · 09-16-2009, 08:40 AM

Unless you have a Sherman tank collection parked over the top of that beam I would not give it a second thought.

A.D. Miller · 09-16-2009, 10:18 AM

Originally Posted by mathew stouffer

Any thoughts on the number of lags through these glue lams. Makes me hungry, loose like swiss cheese.

MS: Very ugly - but hell for stout.

**Jim Robinson** · 09-16-2009, 12:36 PM

Why did they do that? Was there something hanging on the other side? It looks open on both sides in the photo.

Ron Bibler · 09-16-2009, 12:51 PM

I think these beams are supporting an upper roof or a half vaulted roof.

Best

Ron
Santa Rosa California Home Inspection - Exterminating & Thermal Imaging

**Randy Mayo** · 09-18-2009, 08:10 AM

GluLams are usually made in standard widths and from your picture the engineer used two beams. The bolts allow the two beams to act as one beam. Unless you see any significant splitting or sagging I would not comment on that beam.

Richard A Hetzel · 10-03-2009, 03:10 PM

Washers are sometimes countersunk into glu-lams as shown. Typically, they are not, but the consistency of the depths and the accuracy of the drilling suggests it was part of the design. The number of holes is of no consequence, given their function of "laminating" two glu-lams together so they act as one beam. The precision of the spacing also suggests that it was engineered. I see no reason to make any comment at all.