Advice on Wrapping Lally Columns

[CamelsHumpCarpentry]

Hi,

I have been fallowing the forum for a while but haven't said much because most of the time, if I have a question someone has already asked it. Well I have been searching for ideas on the forum for wrapping lally columns and haven't turned up much.

I am replacing a load-bearing wall with a Big Beam, 10"x7 1/4". The engineer specified lally columns on for load bearing posts. The house already have some wood posts which have been wrapped in rough pine in the finished basement. Where I am working the trim is clear pine and I want to continue that look. Where am am struggling is in effectively attaching the post cover so that it is sturdy, because I cant nail into the metal and want any fasteners to be concealed to the appearance of a 8 X 8 post. The beam will be wrapped in pine as well. I plan to put dado's in the sides of my beam covers which will hold the bottom 3/4" above the bottom of the sides, allowing for expansion and contraction without compromising the look. My posts will sit up inside that 3/4" recess.

Attached is a picture from a job I completed last fall with a similar detail. In that instance the post was let into the sheetrock which wrapped the LVL beam, wrapped in 5/4 knotty pine and I used pocket screws into the floor and beam. I then plugged the holes with kreg plugs. It worked ok but not so well that I'm not curious for other ideas.

Looking forward to hearing other peoples ideas.

[ericbuggeln]

I am taking pics tonight of one that is being painted today and i will post pics. I didnt reinvent the wheel or anything, just stole ideas from guys here, column catalogs on the net, and books. Mine was wrapped in drywall, but i bumped it out on one side with 3/4 and another sheet of drywall to get it equal on all sides, Eric

[tjbnwi]

Once you construct the post, wrap it with stretch tape.

Drill holes top and bottom that will be covered by trim.

Lock post in place by blocking around the outside of the top and bottom.

Inject minimum expansion foam into the post through the holes you drilled.

Let sit a day. Remove blocking and stretch wrap.

Tom

[Kent Brobeck]

Once you construct the post, wrap it with stretch tape.

Drill holes top and bottom that will be covered by trim.

Lock post in place by blocking around the outside of the top and bottom.

Inject minimum expansion foam into the post through the holes you drilled.

Let sit a day. Remove blocking and stretch wrap.

Tom

Hey that's a far out idea. Thinking out of the box for sure.

I usually will attach plywood to the plate at the top of the column with PL poly and clamps. I do the same on the bottom but I use treated lumber, PL Poly and tap cons. I like to cut the ply to the inside dimensions of the columns. I make 3 or 4 extras. I pl poly the ply to the treated so as to act as backing for the treated so it doesn't split while running the tap cons through it. The upper one I laminate regular lumber to it. You need to cut them into a U and run another from the oposite direction to lock it all up. To review I only use 1 layer of 2x lumber on both the top and bottom and 2 layers of ply.

On the column construction I like to use lap joints. Just let the leading edge sit proud and either use a flush trim bit or just sand it flush. The joint will disappear. I use some of the same plywood blocs to keep the three sided column true during glue up and clamping. I then slide the column over the pipe and attach the other side with glue and clamps. If you don't want any nails showing you could glue it to your backing. Hope this made sense....been a long hard day...

[James Eggert]

Another method is the column brackets. These are available for 3" or 4" columns from Mcfeeleys, and I'm sure other places last time I used them.

They are split brackets which go around the post providing "blocking" at 3-4 places along the post length, which once tightened up stay in place until you screw a covering of drywall or wood sheet products to. If you want a larger post cover, just build it out.

Fast and easy!! And so far I can't find a link anymore!

[ericbuggeln]

The rails are pocket holed to the stiles and the stiles are dominoed to each other. I assembled three frames in the shop, fit it over the column and then attached the last frame with a lot of clamps. Applied molding in the recess. Crown and base were also pre-assembled. Customer is really excited and now feels like they cant live without crown in the entire living space, Eric

[tjbnwi]

Very nice Eric.

Tom

[ericbuggeln]

Thanks Tom, I know its not easy to get a compliment on this forum when most guys could do this in their sleep, but it was the first one Ive ever done and I learned a lot, so thats great, Eric

[kreg McMahon]

That can't be the name of your. Company ? Or is it ?

[CamelsHumpCarpentry]

That can't be the name of your. Company ? Or is it ?

It's not the name of my company.

[CamelsHumpCarpentry]

So here is the job, almost complete. The post is made from 5/4 x 8 which was assembled with biscuits, pocket screws on two corners and screwed and plugged once installed on the remaining corners. The beam is covered in pine as well. Sides are dadoed 1/4" to accept the bottom, which is recessed 3/4" above the bottom of the sides.

We ended up toe screwing the cover on again but did also make brackets out of 5/4 material which fit around the column and could be glued. Easy to make with a hole saw, then cut them in half and screw them back together around the post. If done right the screws pull the bracket tight enough to hold it while the adhesive dries. If we were a little loose, we just put some painters tape on the brackets while the glue dried.

Loved the spray foam idea but didn't have a can handy.

[Gary Katz]

Nice thread!
And THANK YOU ALL for ignoring the you-know-what! Stuff won't fester if you don't scratch it.
Gary

[Hoover]

That can't be the name of your. Company ? Or is it ?

Camels hump is a mountain in central northern vt. From a distance it looks just like a camels hump hence the name. It's a nice place to hike. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camel's_Hump.

[philthegreek]

I know this is late to the game and I have followed this thread for a while but wanted to add my $.02 ;-)
When I have had to wrap lallies, regardless of wether I am going to wrap in sheetrock or panels, it all starts the same.
I figure my structure dimensions have to be. On one dimension I add an 1/8".
I make blanks out of 3/4" plywood and glue them up to get 1 1/2". I then use a hole saw to cut a hole the diameter of the column plus a 1/16". I make three blanks per column, all identical. I run them through the table saw to divide them and then set the seams up with opposing pocket holes. I notch the corners for 1x strapping and then assemble them into cages around the columns (glue the seams between the halves). It gives a nice sturdy foundation for whatever the finish will be. Hope it helps someone ;-)

phil

[Hoover]

I know this is late to the game and I have followed this thread for a while but wanted to add my $.02 ;-)
When I have had to wrap lallies, regardless of wether I am going to wrap in sheetrock or panels, it all starts the same.
I figure my structure dimensions have to be. On one dimension I add an 1/8".
I make blanks out of 3/4" plywood and glue them up to get 1 1/2". I then use a hole saw to cut a hole the diameter of the column plus a 1/16". I make three blanks per column, all identical. I run them through the table saw to divide them and then set the seams up with opposing pocket holes. I notch the corners for 1x strapping and then assemble them into cages around the columns (glue the seams between the halves). It gives a nice sturdy foundation for whatever the finish will be. Hope it helps someone ;-)

phil

This is one of those things where there are many things which would work. Yours is a good one though.