This is my first entry to this discussion panel and am looking for some suggestions to a frustrating situation. I am building a 40×80 pole barn and used a new transit that was not calibrated. With my 6×6 posts cut and LVL’s already in place with bolts, I am now out of level from one end to the other and off by 1 1/4″. My trusses are 2′ on center and will sit on top of my LVL’s. What is the best solution to leveling the LVL’s before I set my trusses? Thanks for any advice or suggestions you might give.
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First you need a builders level that you can trust. If you decide to shim the low ones up I would shoot grade (level) about every 10 feet or so on the lvl face. Then snap a line between the grade marks down the beam length. From the high point measure the distance from the top of the beam to the snap line. (lets say it is 6") As you move toward the low end and hold your 6" tape mark on the line and the end of the tape will stick up above the beam. The distance the end of the tape is above the beam is your shim thickness. I would rip blocks the needed thickness for each truss. Glue and screw them down to the lvl. Dont forget hurricane clips. Good luck Bob
i would start with purchasing a water level and then get your bench marks, and string a line. relase the bolt all along your span, then mortise 2x6 on both sides of 6x6 all along that span to make up for the descrepency of the gradual 1 1/4", pilot the holes then screw with grk screws if you can find them, through 2x6 into 6x6 than pull an accurate number from you r line to the 2x6 sticking straight up that has been mortised into the 6x6. get your number then cut. fill in between the 2x6 with similar type wood in between the 2x6" 's or if you want mortise the beam into the 2x6"'s and kind of have a minimal bridle joint. to slide the beam or lintel beam onto the 2x6"'s. with all due respect this message should be posted over at breaktime. there a decent bunch there ,just like here. therevery capable here ,but a little more astute with such things anyhow thats my 2¢ . slainte'
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When building my 55' back porch I used a water lever to set grade. I soldered two spikots on the bottom of gallon cans and ran a water hose between them. Filled them with water then waited a few minutes while they leveled out.
PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)
PlaneWood
Help me, Mike, what the heck is an LVL? I feel like I'm in another universe!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
You are. You are in Knots rather than Breaktime where they all know!
Laminated Veneer Lumber. It is a form of engineered lumber manufactured by, not surprisingly, laminating veneer together to form, typically, large beams. It's kind of like a hunk of plywood shaped like a beam. LVLs are often used as main beams and large headers where steel might have been used 20 years ago.
Otherwise known as glu-lams or something like that? I think I'm with ya now! Thanks.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
forestgirl,LVL is laminated veneer lumber as you know now but not a glu-lam. LVL looks like very thick plywood hence the "veneer" in the name.Glu Lam is like a bunch of 2x4's stacked together with the joints staggered. PSL is parallel Strand Lumber which looks like a big thick piece of OSB. Just a bunch of large wood flakes glued up under much heat and pressure to make a beam of required size.J.P.http://www.jpkfinefurniture.com
Ahhhh, gotcha! Just love adding those acronyms to my vocabulary.
"PSL is parallel Strand Lumber which looks like a big thick piece of OSB." In other words, incredibly ugly, right? :-) Thanks, JP.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Surprisingly it isn't ugly. The strands are parallel, so it has an intersting pattern that some folks find attractive. Not ugly like OSB.
" Not ugly like OSB." This is a good thing. :-)forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
What's "OSB"?
It stands for Oriented Strand Board. Here's a little blurb on it. You'll see sheets of it at the big box stores and lumberyards. Looks like a whole bunch of thin, small pieces of wood mixed with glue and run over by a steam roller. :-) Actually engineered though, with specific instructions about how it's to be oriented when used.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Thanks for that forestgirl.
F.G. This one has been fun when someone asks about the meaning of any acronym: just say it is a SLA= silly little acronym! DukeKenneth Duke Masters
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How many LVL's? are they all off the same? One option is to not wory about it. If it is off the 80' direction no problem, if it is off in the 40' direction...... well unless I was doing it for someone else who cared or I was trying to get in "Fine Barn Building" (heh heh) I wouldnt sweat it. Even if you are hanging sheet rock that amount of taper would change your cuts. However if you really want to do it right (the horses may be upset if their roof is off) we need more info. you said they are "bolted" can you drill out another set of holes 1 1/2" up or down? Or will the holes interfere? did you use steel conectors? If you are using steel connectors in the typical way I would be more inclined to cut the high one/s. you can temporairly jack up the beam and cut the post. Again I doubt it is out enough to matter to anyone but you. At this point If I were you I'd kick something, cuss a few times, smoke a cigarette, blame a tool, then start cutting rafters.
Mike
Conifer -
If you''ve already put the beams in place, you might not want to take them down but I would if it were me. Take the beams down, either calibrate your gun or rent/borrow/otherwise-appropriate a good laser level and shoot level markes on all the posts. Find the shortest post, then measure up on each of the other posts the same distance from the level line, mark the top of the post(s) and cut them off so they're now level. What's an inch & 1/4 less headroom gonna hurt?
Put the roof on it.
When you get done, tell your friends that you are only off an inch and a quarter over 80 ft. and they will assume you are bragging.
Carpenters use square pencils, because they don't ever seem to level anything well enough to allow them to be able to lay a round pencil down with out losing it.
Every measuring tool you buy has a tolerance that it will hold. I would bet your level promises to be within 1 degree or maybe even half a degree. Consider that 1 degree = approx. .017" per inch. Calculate .017" x 960", and you will find that you are indeed within bragging range.
LOL. I like that about the pencil. Good one.
Mike
I stole that part from a lady who was chewing out her Contractor.
How would have she known? Was she in the trades?
MIke
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