Prolam Ltd

07/09/2026

Apparently drawing competition winners now requires hard hats 😄

Zachary Underwood and Briton Woodman took on the very serious job of drawing the winners of our Spring Feast merchant competition.

Congratulations to the three winning branches:

- Kaiapoi ITM
- Carters Building Supplies Henderson
- PlaceMakers Mt Maunganui

Thanks to everyone who got involved - and kept the orders cooking over winter 🔥

Enjoy the feast! 🍔

02/09/2026

A well-designed granny flat can add real value to a property - creating space for family, guests, rental income or work.
Now, under the new Granny Flat Building Consent Exemption, stand-alone, single-storey granny flats up to 70m² can be built without going through a full building consent process - as long as all of the exemption conditions are met.

At Prolam, we're working with designers and builders who are thinking 'outside the box' and looking for solutions to make a compact space feel bigger, bring in more light, and add architectural character - all while keeping the structure and construction simple and straightforward.

Think wider openings. Raked ceilings. Exposed timber. Better indoor–outdoor flow.

Read our latest article on granny flat design, glulam and the new NZ rules: https://www.prolamnz.com/about/news/granny-flat-design-in-new-zealand-building-better-with-glulam

31/08/2026

Removing a wall to create a more open living space?

Once a load-bearing wall comes out, the new beam needs to carry the loads above - often across a longer span and within a limited ceiling depth.

That’s where the Prolam PLX20 Beam can help.

Its hybrid glulam-steel construction enables you to span further with a smaller member, and avoid the hassle that comes with steel. Around 40% lighter than an equivalent steel beam, PLX20 can be installed using standard tools and timber connections, with no packing required.

In a Whanganui home, a PLX20 Beam was specified to open up a load bearing wall spanning approximately 5 metres between two living areas, providing the strength required while keeping the beam within the available ceiling space and the construction timber-based.

Discover where PLX20 could work in your next renovation: https://ap1.hubs.ly/H01kK2v0

28/08/2026

Friday Flashback | Mt Maunganui home renovation

From drab and dated to spacious and full of light - this home was given a serious glow-up.

Riini Piahana of Coform Architectural Designs transformed a two-bedroom 80s home into a modern, light-filled space with a dramatic sloped ceiling.

Prolam Glulam Beams helped make it possible - no full roof replacement, no steel, just smart timber design and engineering delivering the strength and span the new design called for.

The result? A striking renovation that made the home feel bigger, brighter and better in every way.

♦️ Engineer:Sullivan Hall Chartered Engineers
♦️ Builder: J&L Build

Check out the BEFORE and AFTER shots!

Read the full case study: https://ap1.hubs.ly/H01kmzg0

27/08/2026

Great to welcome Kelly Taylor, CEO of EPD Australasia, to our Motueka and Upper Moutere sites this week.

Kelly spent time with the team looking at how we make the most of our raw materials - from turning small off-cuts into beehive components to using woodchip to help fuel our kiln - and talking about where we can keep improving.

Our Environmental Product Declarations are an important part of that journey, giving us independently verified data on the environmental impact of our products and a clear benchmark for measuring progress over time. As well as giving our customers confidence that they are choosing products made with care for people and the environment.

Thanks for visiting, Kelly — and for the work you and the EPD Australasia team are doing to help manufacturers communicate environmental performance clearly and credibly.

You can find out more about our sustainability commitment and EPDs here: https://ap1.hubs.ly/H01k9YW0

23/08/2026

New Zealand firefighters are on the ground in the US, supporting the response to the Little Giant Fire in Washington State.
Our Factory Supervisor Mark Wilson is among them.

Living and working in a region where forestry and timber processing are such an important part of the local economy, we understand the devastating impact wildfires can have on communities and livelihoods.

Stay safe, Mark. Our thoughts are with you, your fellow firefighters and everyone affected by the fire.

Fire and Emergency NZ

Today a large contingent of firefighters deployed to the north-west of the United States of America to support the country’s wildfire response.

This Fire and Emergency New Zealand lead deployment is supported by our partner agencies. Of the 57 deployed personnel leaving this week, 43 are from Fire and Emergency, 4 from Department of Conservation, 5 from Forestry Companies and 5 from New Zealand Defence Force.

Each person has been chosen for their specialist skills, the firefighters are experienced working in arduous conditions, including steep terrain and high temperatures in remote areas. The team will be taking on multiple roles from firefighting, helibase managers, logistics, liaison officers and chainsaw specialists provided by DOC and Forestry.

Two other deployments are already on the ground in the US and Canada, with five Incident Management personnel working on fires in Washington State and Oregon and six in British Columbia.

Kia kaha to our people and our American whānau, you have our support ❤️

19/08/2026

Why does one draughtsman keep coming back to glulam?

Bryan Coppersmith or Atlas Architectural Draughting has used Prolam across multiple renovation projects. Every project has presented a different design challenge, but his reasons for choosing our products are always the same.

Longer spans. Bracing solutions for large openings. Timber to timber construction. Easy-to-use specification tools and PS1 documentation for consent. And innovative engineered timber products that keep timber in the plan:

💬 Prolam's product range covers scenarios where other suppliers would leave you going to steel.

When one project called for more than a standard glulam beam, Bryan specified the hybrid glulam-steel Prolam PLX20 Beam to achieve the span and structural support he needed.

Be like Bryan. Discover how Prolam can help solve the structural challenges in your next renovation: https://ap1.hubs.ly/H01hK1H0

17/08/2026

A busy month for

It’s been all systems go this month - with the factory in full swing and our Sales Team out on the road visiting customers and getting amongst it at trade events around the country.

Our latest team get-together was a chance to celebrate the month and our hard-working team.

Congratulations to our latest Values Champions:
Ruth Pequiro, Zubin Karami, Daniel Rodgers and Kamalpreet Kaur.

And a special shout-out to Nathan Goss, who was recognised as a Values Champion and has notched up 3 years with Prolam.

We also marked some more work anniversaries:
Flynn Trewavas - 3 years
Lincoln Smith - 4 years
Dennis Wright - 4 years
Navah Mikaere - 5 years

Give them a hand 👏

12/08/2026

Get the Look: Character home. Contemporary living.

This 1930s–40s home renovation uses four Prolam PLX Portal Frames to create a 30m² semi-enclosed entertaining area that flows seamlessly from the original home to the pool.

Here's the structural solution behind the design:

♦️ Portal One: 4.8m wide x 2.7m high
Supporting large glazed doors connecting the interior and exterior living spaces

♦️ Portals Two & Three: 3.0m wide x 2.4 high
Framing each side of the entertainment area

♦️ Portal Four: 5.9m wide x 3.0m high
Opening up the view to the pool

The non-visual grade PLX Portals and additional timber framing has been clad with weatherboard to match the original home.

♦️Start your design. Log into the Prolam Specifier: https://ap1.hubs.ly/H01fPr70

12/08/2026

Do it once. Do it right.

At a recent trade event, Zac Underwood got talking with a builder who'd recommended Prolam glulam posts for a project, but the owner chose a cheaper solid timber option instead.

Before long, the timber had warped. The builder was called back to remove the posts and replaced them with Prolam.

The upfront product saving hadn’t been significant. But the cost of doing the job twice was.

True story. And it's not the first time we've heard one like it.

Value isn’t just about the price on the quote. It’s about choosing a product that will stay strong, straight and stable for the long term.