Shop Columns

As a leading supplier of top-quality engineered lumber columns, Arlington Coal and Lumber offers an extensive array of structural products for professional builders, project contractors, and DIYers. We provide accurate material take-offs and reliable job site delivery throughout Greater Boston, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and the surrounding New England region. Visit our regional locations: Arlington Coal and Lumber Company, Burlington Lumber Company, Wilmington Builders Supply, Sudbury Lumber Company, Chelmsford Lumber Company, and Hudson Lumber Company.

Unlike traditional solid wood columns, engineered wood columns are manufactured by bonding wood strands or veneers with exterior-grade adhesives under heat and pressure. This process creates a dimensionally stable product with predictable load capacities, eliminating natural timber defects like knots and wane. Common types include:

• Parallam PSL (Parallel Strand Lumber): Manufactured from long, thin wood strands cured under pressure, PSL columns offer exceptional compressive strength. They are the industry standard for supporting heavy point loads in structural basements and serving as carrying beams for long spans.
  
• Glulam (Glued Laminated Timber): Constructed by gluing layers of dimensional lumber together. Glulam columns provide high structural capacities and a premium aesthetic finish, making them perfect for exposed architectural applications in large open-concept structures.
  
• LVL (Laminated Veneer Lumber): Composed of thin wood veneers oriented in the same direction. LVL studs and columns provide excellent dimensional stability and are frequently used for structural wall framing, tall walls, and framing around large windows or doors.
  

Engineered wood columns excel in various load-bearing construction applications:

• Supporting beams and floors: Their high compressive strength allows them to carry heavy roof and floor loads down to the foundation, facilitating open floor plans without intermediate supports.
  
• Structural posts: Serving as reliable vertical supports for porches, decks, and custom pavilions, they remain straight and plumb without bowing or twisting.
  
• Headers over doorways and windows: When utilized horizontally, these engineered materials offer superior shear strength, enabling wider garage door openings and expansive architectural windows.
  
• Renovations and additions: Because they resist shrinking and twisting, they integrate seamlessly with existing framing, ensuring level floors and plumb walls during structural tie-ins.
  

Professional installation tip: When utilizing engineered columns for exterior applications, ensure the product is specifically rated or pressure-treated for exterior exposure. Always elevate columns from direct concrete contact using galvanized or stainless steel post bases (with a 1-in standoff) to prevent moisture wicking and rot.

Arlcoal.com provides competitive pricing and an expert contractor sales team to help you specify the correct column size for your load requirements. You can check out our other engineered lumber options, ranging from beams (Microllam LVL), engineered dimensional lumber (TimberStrand LSL and TimberStrand LSL rim board), to joists (TJI joists, TJI 110, TJI 230, TJI 360, and TJI 560).