How Are Laminate Posts Made?

Mechanical Laminated Post

• The term “mechanical laminate post” describes a timber post assembled using mechanical fasteners. A fastener constitutes any device used to join two or more materials together. Mechanical fasteners used in mechanical laminate posts include screws, nails, bolts, pins and plates with metal teeth on each side that dig into wood. Making a mechanical laminate post entails a process of choosing wood types, cutting wood to specified lengths and shapes and fitting the pieces together with mechanical fasteners to form a single post using a nail gun, drill, hammer or other tool. Mechanical laminate posts are sometimes known as nail-laminated posts.

Glulam

• Glue laminate posts, commonly known by the contraction glulam, contain adhesives, usually types of glue designed specifically for use with structural timber. The type of adhesive used on a glue laminate post depends upon the manufacturer. Titan Timbers, for instance, uses a Phenol Resorcinol adhesive. Glulam manufacturing may entail little more than cutting pieces of wood and gluing them together with an appropriate adhesive, though some manufacturers take further steps. Titan Timbers pressure cures its glulam posts at 120 pounds per square inch. This process presses the adhesive and wood pieces together to ensure a tight and durable bond.

Horizontal and Vertical

• Horizontal and vertical laminate do not describe a laminating process but rather types of designs used in building laminate posts. Horizontal laminate posts exist to resist pressure in lateral directions, while vertical posts exist to resist pressure in vertical directions. According to a publication from the U.S. Forest Service, most mechanical laminate posts fall into the latter category, while most glulam posts fall into the former category. Therefore, if you encounter something known as a vertical laminate post, you know it was constructed using mechanical fasteners, while horizontal laminate posts are constructed using adhesives.

Building Your Own Post

• Building your own laminate post is relatively simple in theory, though it requires a good deal of preparation. First, you need check your local building for wood post requirements. Investigate lumber availability in your area and choose types of wood suited for construction in your climate. An easy way to accomplish this entails talking to a local contractor or carpenter. When purchasing an adhesive, such as fasteners or glues, make sure you get something that works with your lumber. Decide whether you need greater horizontal or vertical resistance from your post before building it.