Choosing a glulam contractor: nine questions

Nine questions, asked on the phone, separate a factory from a broker with a landing page faster than any ranking will.

1. Whose line cuts the beam? A plant names its machine and its town in one sentence. A broker says “our partner factory” and changes the subject.
2. What moisture does the beam leave the press at, and who measures it? The number should be 10–12 %, and someone on site should own a moisture meter.
3. Which adhesive, and are delamination tests run? Any real producer answers immediately; the answer matters less than the speed of it.
4. What is in the estimate at the warm-shell stage, line by line? Compare contractors here, not at “turnkey”.
5. Who pays if a beam arrives out of tolerance? Get the answer before signing, not after the crane is booked.
6. Which foundation do you propose and on what ground survey? A contractor who proposes piles without a survey is guessing with your money.
7. Who adjusts the compensators after the first heating season, and is it in the contract? This is the question that separates a builder from a seller.
8. Can I see a house you finished three years ago? Not a show house — one with owners who have lived through two winters.
9. What is the warranty on, exactly? “The house” is not an answer; structure, tightness and engineering carry different periods.

The replies that worry us are not the wrong numbers — they are the pauses. A company that builds every week has these answers ready.