On a pair of spec homes in Wyoming, each a 2,500 square foot residence with a separate 1,200 square foot accessory dwelling unit, the site was in a labor-constrained market: not enough people for the work. So the cross-laminated timber (CLT) elements were coated in the factory before shipping.
The results were excellent. The finish kept the timber from yellowing under UV exposure during assembly, the panels wiped clean, and the crew hours between structure and market dropped. Adding value off-site paid off.
For Mountain West projects, where the crane day may be weeks before the roof is dried in, a factory finish is also protection: the surface you will live with arrives sealed.
Inside the finished shell, one element often gets its own fabrication: the stair.
Adapted with permission from a note by our colleagues at Red Falls Timber Co.
