Types of Wood Used for Board-ups and House Framing
Typically when homes and buildings sustain extensive damage, natural disasters such as floods and severe storms are the culprit but this type of damage can also be caused by fires, vandalism, or accidents. This means that a major disaster can happen anywhere at any time and if a home or building sustains extensive enough damage to weaken the structural integrity of the building, it must be secured immediately with house framing and professional board up services. These services will help secure and protect the frame of a home or building until it can be fully restored or rebuilt.
The importance of board up services cannot be understated as homes and buildings with severe structural damage are vulnerable to even further damage and they are dangerous to inhabit or be near. Reliable board up services can help salvage a home or building and the quality of this service in part depends on the materials and wood used for house framing. The following are the most effective types of house framing materials used for board up services.
- Dimensional Lumber: This type of lumber is saw-cut and is usually made of soft woods such as pine. It has a good compression rate so it can handle a high amount of downward-pressing weight and it is among the least expensive lumber options.
- Engineered Lumber: Engineered lumber is composed of wood, glue, and resin and it can handle more weight than dimensional lumber. There are two types of engineered lumber used for house framing and board up services, laminated veneer lumber (LVL) and I-joists. LVL beams have wood grain running in the same direction which gives them stability to withstand heavy weight and I-joists are even more stable with a bigger surface area for attachment.
- Sheet Goods: Sheet goods are composite woods such as plywood that are installed before the exterior siding. The purpose of sheet goods is to secure the skeleton frame of the house and keep it stabilized.
- Steel Bars and Connectors: These materials are not always used for house framing or board up services but they can be used to connect the boards of wood. This helps increase the strength of the wood boards to provide better protection.
If your home or building sustains serious structural damage that leaves it unstable, make sure to call a professional for board up services. These trained professionals will use the right house framing materials to get your home or building stabilized until it can be fully repaired. Getting your home secured right away can help ensure the possibility of a full restoration after a disaster.