Marco_Polo/Building Products/Masterformat/06 - Wood - Plastics - Composites/Wood Beams/Structural Approaches.md

• Primary Structural Members at Balconies
  • Wood
    • General
      • Pros
        • Less expensive than steel
        • Warm feeling
      • Cons
        • requires more maintenance--applying an exterior stain/paint every 5 years or so
        • needs to be pressure treated
          • requires dark stain or paint to offset 'green' color
        • exposed top edge (under composite decking) needs metal flashing like this. Only for major beams, not joists.
        • annual termite control
    • Specific Types

      • Glulams (pressure treated)

        • visual examples, here.
        • Pros
          • a nice wood grain look, takes stain well
        • Cons
          • probably as expensive as steel

      • LVL or PSL (pressure treated)

        • visual examples
          • LVLs
          • PSLs
        • Pros
          • Less expensive than glulams
        • Cons
          • Finish is not as nice as a glulam
          • Wood stamps need to be sanded off or dark stain or paint to cover up.
  • Steel
    • Hot dipped Galv. steel
      • Cons
        • More expensive than wood
          • when weighing the cost of staining, metal flashing, and periodic maintenance of wood, the cost difference might be more negligible
      • Pros
        • doesn't need an additional finish other than the HDG
        • no flashing at top edge
        • No termite management