Mass timber construction uses engineered wood products to create strong, efficient, and visually striking structures. From custom homes to commercial buildings and community spaces, Woodpecker brings more than 20 years of timber expertise to projects across Western Canada and the U.S.
Mass timber construction uses large prefabricated wood panels and beams to form walls, floors, roofs, and structural systems. Common products include glulam, CLT, DLT, and NLT, each offering unique advantages for strength, span, stability, and architectural design.
Mass timber is valued for its sustainability, efficient installation, structural performance, and natural beauty. Components are often left exposed to showcase the warmth of wood, while pairing easily with steel, glass, and concrete in modern architectural projects.
Mass timber can be used across a wide range of residential, commercial, institutional, and public projects. Glulam beams are ideal for long spans in arenas, atriums, recreation centres, and civic buildings, while CLT, DLT, and NLT panels are commonly used for walls, floors, ceilings, and roofs.
As mass timber continues to grow in popularity, it is changing how mid-rise, commercial, and high-performance wood buildings are designed and built. It offers a durable, efficient, and visually refined alternative to conventional construction.
Common applications include:
Mass timber systems can be used for:
Woodpecker supplies high-quality mass timber components for projects across Western Canada and the U.S. Whether you’re building a custom home, recreation centre, commercial space, or mid-rise structure, our mass timber systems are selected for strength, efficiency, sustainability, and speed on site.
Glulam, or glued-laminated timber, is made by bonding layers of dimensional lumber with durable, non-toxic adhesives. It is commonly used for beams, posts, and long-span structural elements, offering excellent strength, stability, and design flexibility. Glulam can also be curved for distinctive architectural forms and is often left exposed for its natural beauty and strong fire performance.
Cross-laminated timber, or CLT, is made from layers of dimensional lumber stacked at alternating 90-degree angles. This cross-laminated structure gives CLT excellent strength, stability, and multi-directional spanning capacity. CLT panels are commonly used for walls, floors, ceilings, and roof systems in residential, commercial, and institutional buildings.
Dowel-laminated timber, or DLT, is made by stacking dimensional lumber and securing it with friction-fit hardwood dowels. Because it uses no adhesives or nails, DLT is a strong option for projects seeking a low-chemical or all-wood panel system. It is typically used for floors, ceilings, and roof structures, and can be efficiently shaped using CNC fabrication.
Nail-laminated timber, or NLT, is made by placing dimensional lumber on edge and fastening the boards together with nails. NLT panels are often designed in manageable sizes for easier handling and installation. Like DLT, NLT is commonly used for floors, ceilings, and roofs where strength, texture, and efficiency are important.
Mass timber offers practical advantages throughout the life of a building, from faster installation and structural performance to sustainability and occupant comfort.
Mass timber has strong natural fire resistance because large wood members char on the outside while maintaining structural integrity within. In many applications, this allows mass timber to achieve fire ratings comparable to or greater than unprotected steel, making it suitable for exposed use in commercial, industrial, institutional, and residential buildings.
Whether it’s a custom home, public space, or commercial structure, we deliver precision-cut, beautifully finished mass timber framing, ready to install across Western Canada.
From the first sketch to final installation, Woodpecker provides design and engineering support throughout the timber framing process. Working with specialty engineers experienced in heavy timber construction, we help develop practical solutions that support your project’s structure, design intent, and long-term performance.
We source wood fibre directly from sawmills in Alberta and British Columbia and keep a large inventory of rough-sawn timber at our Exshaw facility. This allows the wood to properly acclimate and reduce moisture content before fabrication, helping improve stability and performance.
Timbers are pre-cut and prepared in our 15,000 sq. ft. facility using a combination of CNC technology and skilled hand-cutting. By fabricating components in a controlled shop environment, we improve accuracy, reduce on-site construction time, and help keep installation moving smoothly.
Texture and finish play an important role in the final look and feel of a timber frame. From smooth planed beams to brushed, sanded, stained, or clear-coated surfaces, we help select finishes that suit the project’s style, environment, and performance needs.
Quality control is built into every stage of fabrication. Shop drawings are reviewed before production begins, and each timber component is inspected throughout the process to ensure it meets our standards. Before shipping, pieces are bundled, labelled, and prepared for efficient assembly on site.
Installation requires careful planning to ensure the timber frame is assembled safely, accurately, and efficiently. We coordinate delivery, installation sequencing, and lifting requirements for each project, with options for full installation services or support for your on-site construction team.
From community centres and hotels to mid-rise homes and public buildings, our mass timber construction speaks for itself. We combine CLT, Glulam, DLT, and NLT systems to deliver projects that are beautiful, efficient, and built to last.
Mass timber is a strong, efficient, and sustainable way to build with wood. These FAQs answer common questions about materials, fire performance, span capabilities, and how mass timber can be used in residential and commercial projects across Canada and the US.
