Information about wooden beams - dimensions and prices

• Use beams versatile
• Wooden beams - types, varieties and terms
  • Lumber
  • construction timber
  • timber
  • Real wood
• Work with wooden beams
• Dimensions of wooden beams
• Pricing - running meters or unit prices per bar
  • Price comparison wood species

Wooden beams are available in the hardware store or in the wood trade in many different versions. The individual products differ in their diameter and length. You get the wood in different qualities for indoor and outdoor use. Put the timbers together according to your needs and let your creativity run wild. You get the wooden beams at reasonable prices and can easily design and edit them.

Wooden beams can be used very diverse. They are perfect for the interior design of houses and apartments, but also for the design of gardens, balconies and terraces. If you are planning to build wood, it is important that you pay attention to the load-bearing capacity of each element. If you want to design a roof, it is very important that the beams can support the construction. Sometimes it is necessary to consult a structural engineer for the calculation of the constructions. Wooden beams are also very suitable for interior design.

Use beams versatile

Wooden beams can be used indoors and outdoors in a variety of ways. Indoors, they are indispensable for the rustic design of large rooms. You can buy the bars in different diameters and give the room a completely new look. If you want to cover the beams with plasterboard or wooden boards to create a wall in the room, the bars disappear underneath. In this case, you can opt for low-priced woods that are not planed or otherwise worked.

However, it looks optically appealing if you install the beams freely in the room. Decorate the wood with a glaze or stain to match the design of the room. If you buy planed wood, you can only provide it with a wood protection. Over time, the bars darken, creating a natural and very attractive structure.

Even outdoors, wood, which is offered in the form of beams, indispensable. Terraces can be designed with a pergola, you can build sheds or carports or a shelter under which you store your firewood. Outdoor sitting areas can be comfortably designed as privacy screens protect privacy in close-knit buildings. If you do not opt ​​for the purchase of a finished kit, you have free choice in the design of the wood elements and can let your creativity run wild.

The raw material is easy to process. Wood can be sanded, painted or cut, and with a clear lacquer, the raw material looks very natural. It is important that you pay attention to the right dimensions when shopping. It is recommended that you outline the planned structure of your project and make a list of the required parts.

Wooden beams - types, varieties and terms

If you want to work with beams, you can choose from different types of wood. The purpose of use is decisive for choosing the right type of wood.

Lumber

As so-called timber only certain woods may be used. These include:

• softwoods
  • pine
  • fir
  • Spruce
  • Douglas
  • larch
• hardwoods
  • beech
  • Oak
  • teak

Lumber is used primarily in the shell, z. B. for the construction of roof structures. Also as auxiliary structures in concrete construction, timbers are used as formwork.

construction timber

Construction timber is refined lumber with defined quality characteristics (DIN 4074) and consists primarily of the above-mentioned softwood. The differences to lumber lie mainly in the surface condition (planed and bevelled) and the wood moisture. Wood moisture is lower in structural wood and minimizes the likelihood of deformation.

timber

As timber in Germany, all woods are called, which have four sides at right angles. The minimum thickness is 4 cm all that lies underneath is either a screed or a wooden slat

Real wood

Real wood looks visually appealing. While the soft, light-colored wood is especially suitable for indoor use, you can also use hardwoods such as teak or acacia outside without any concerns. Pine or spruce wood are not as resistant to moisture. The wood decays with time and then become brittle. Nevertheless, you can use the woods in the garden or on the balcony and terrace. But you have to impregnate the raw wood accordingly. Alternatively, opt for the purchase of beams that have already been impregnated. The boiler pressure method has proven particularly successful.

Work with wooden beams

Targeted planning is very important when using the beams for the design of the garden or your interiors. Basically, you can buy finished items. To build a carport, for example, there are many manufacturers who sell you a set of finished elements. You only need to set up the carport. But if you want to bring in your own creativity, you need good planning. If you have a carport, a large pergola, or any other structure that needs high load-bearing capacity, you can not do the planning without a structural engineer or architect. On the other hand, smaller projects can be planned very well by oneself. Basically, it's an advantage to make a sketch that is drawn to scale. Use this sketch to determine the size relationships and your need for wood. You can then create a bill of materials and know exactly how long each bar must be.

When buying the bars, it can be an advantage if you buy long items and cut them with a saw. Not only can you save a lot of money, you can also easily trim the bars to the size you want. It is important that you remain flexible when buying the wood. DIY stores and woodhandlers often have only the usual sizes in stock. Therefore, preferably determine your total requirement and divide it into the lengths you require. So you can work best and trim the measurements you need.

Dimensions of wooden beams

Wooden beams are rated according to their length and diameter. While you can easily control the length yourself by trimming the beam if necessary or making two small ones from a long beam, the width is dictated by the manufacturer. When buying, orient yourself to the thickness of the wooden beams, which is usually given in centimeters. Very thin bars have dimensions of 2 × 2 cm and are referred to as slats, while strong wooden beams may well be 12 × 12 cm thick.

While you can easily determine the length of the bars yourself by measuring it, it may be necessary to use the calculations of a structural engineer when calculating the load capacity. If you only want to install a lightweight wall, squared timbers of 7 × 7 cm are sufficient and you can determine the load capacity yourself. If, on the other hand, you are planning to build a carport and you do not want to buy a finished kit, it is important that you have your plan secured by a structural engineer or an architect. Otherwise, you take a very big risk in terms of safety.

Pricing - running meters or unit prices per bar

In terms of prices, the wood species sometimes differ very clearly from each other. Light woods are very cheap. You get these woods in the hardware store or in the building materials trade for a few euros per running meter. There are also dealers who calculate their prices not by the meter, but by the purchase of individual wooden beams.

Price comparison wood species

• Slats sawn:
  • Spruce / fir 24 x 48 mm = 0.35 € / m
  • Spruce / fir 24 x 48 mm (impregnated) = 0.45 € / m
  • Douglas fir / larch 30 x 50 mm = 1, 19 € / m
• Vierkantholz:
  • 7 x 7 x 240 cm (pressure-impregnated) = € 3.45 / m
  • 9 x 9 x 210 cm (pressure impregnated) = 5, 23 € / m
• Construction timber
  • Spruce / fir 40 x 60 mm = 1.49 € / m
  • Spruce / fir 80 x 200 mm = 9, 99 € / m
  • Douglas fir 35 x 70 mm = 2, 83 € / m

Basically, you can save money if you make sure that you do not have too much waste in the implementation of your projects. It may be worthwhile to buy short and long bars and combine them. This will help you avoid waste and prevent you from having to throw away valuable wood.

Many hardware stores offer lumber again and again to very favorable conditions. Especially in spring and autumn, when many homeowners want to make changes and renovations, the lumber is on offer. The traders go down with the prices and you can benefit from it. Plan your construction project so that you do not have to make an overly large investment and compare prices on the Internet, but also at the stationary dealers in your area.