Keep Your Glulam Beautiful: Storage & Handling Tips from the Jobsite to Move-In

A glulam beam leaves our plant in Eugene ready to carry loads for generations. How it looks on install day, though, depends a lot on what happens between our loading dock and your finished ceiling.

Like all wood, glulam responds to its surroundings. As a beam moves from the moisture level it was manufactured at to the moisture level of the building it lives in, the wood gives up or takes on water. When that change happens too fast, small surface cracks called seasoning checks can appear. The good news: a few simple storage and handling habits go a long way toward keeping exposed beams looking their best.

What is a seasoning check?

A seasoning check is a small split that opens along the grain as the outer wood dries faster than the core. How much checking you see depends on a mix of factors: the beam's starting moisture content, the season, how it was stored at the distribution yard and jobsite, and the conditions inside the finished building.

Checks are primarily a cosmetic concern. If they do show up on a beam that's exposed to view, they can be filled with an elastomeric filler to smooth out the appearance. Still, prevention is easier than repair, and it starts the moment the beams arrive on site.

On the jobsite: store it smart

The goal on site is simple: slow, steady moisture change. Here's how to get there.

• Cover it up. Shield beams and columns from direct sun and rain. This matters most in hot, dry weather, when surfaces can dry out fast.

• Get it off the ground. Never let glulam sit directly on soil, fresh concrete, or any damp surface.

• Block it with dry lumber. Set members on dry blocking or skids so air can circulate underneath. For a single beam, place supports roughly a quarter of the beam's length in from each end.

• Keep the wrap on, but slit the bottom. Leave the factory wrapping in place until installation. Cut slits along the underside so trapped water can drain and the beam can breathe.

• Add a second cover. Store wrapped members well off the ground with an extra tarp or roof over them.

• Seal fresh cuts. Any time a beam is cut or trimmed to length, at the yard or on site, apply end sealer to the exposed end grain right away. End grain loses moisture fastest.

After installation: ease into the indoors

Once the beams are up, the risk shifts from weather to heat. A few habits keep the transition gentle.

• Stay covered until the building is closed in. Keep wrapping or protection on as long as practical while the structure is open to the elements.

• Unwrap once enclosed. After the space is closed in, remove the wrapping so the wood can settle into its new environment naturally during construction.

• Skip the space heaters. Don't use temporary heating units to dry glulam quickly.

• Lower humidity gradually. After enclosure, bring indoor relative humidity down slowly rather than all at once.

• Point heat elsewhere. Design permanent heating outlets so warm air is directed away from glulam members.

• Go easy on the first heating season. Avoid sudden temperature swings during the building's first full heating cycle, when the wood is still adjusting.

The best storage plan: less storage

The single most effective step is timing. Coordinate delivery schedules so beams arrive close to when they'll be installed, and spend as little time sitting on site as possible.

Pay extra attention in high-risk climates. Hot, dry summers and wet winters can both drive fast moisture swings. If you can't avoid those conditions, step up your protection during storage and installation.

One honest note: no manufacturer can guarantee that an individual beam will never check, because so much depends on handling, storage, and local climate after it leaves the plant. Following these steps simply gives your glulam the best possible start.

Questions? We're here to help

Whether you're an architect specifying exposed beams, a contractor planning a delivery, or a distributor managing yard inventory, the Zip-O-Laminators team is happy to talk through storage and handling for your project. Reach out before your beams ship and we'll help you plan for a clean install.

These tips are adapted from APA – The Engineered Wood Association's Builder Tips guide, "Keep Glulam Looking Its Best with Proper Storage and Handling" (Form F455C). For the full guide and more technical resources, visit apawood.org.