Should We Upgrade Floor Joists In New Construction

Tongue and groove edges on many premium floor panels such as weyerhaeuser s edge gold osb panels are designed to self gap.

Should we upgrade floor joists in new construction.

Floor joists are an important part of the supportive structure of a floor. Follow the rules to keep your floor solid. What are the alternatives to i joists. To avoid buckling subfloor panels should be spaced with a 1 8 inch gap at all edges and ends to provide room for naturally occurring expansion.

The good news is we have used all of the options discussed and can give you some insight as to which might fit your new home. Purchase the type of lumber that matches the width of the existing joist. I joists have major advantages in high volume construction with standard layouts. They hold up the weight of a building absorb impacts on the floor and create structural support so that the floor will be stable and secure.

The floor joist spacing is the distance between the centers of any two installed joists. The sister joist is anchored to the old joist with construction adhesive and nails. What are the advantages and disadvantages to using them to support your new floors. Wood i joists with dimension lumber top and bottom chords and osb web.

Joists are installed at a very early stage in the building process and in older. If the floor frame has blocking between the joists new blocking is cut and installed on both sides of the sistered joists. You can notch and bore joists without sacrificing critical strength but you must follow the rules. When you re building new construction you re tasked with making a lot of decisions.

This sample table gives minimum floor joist sizes for joists spaced at 16 inches and 24 inches on center o c for 2 grade lumber with 10 pounds per square foot of dead load and 40 pounds of live load which is typical of normal residential construction. Two types of engineered joists are most frequently used in floor systems today. Should you use i joists for your new home. Open web trusses with wood webbing held together with metal plates.

This is because they are. Measure the width and length of the existing joist. Holes and notches as applicable are then cut in the new joist and the utility lines are threaded through and reconnected. Most new construction uses 2 by 8 lumber for joists although 2 by 6.

Since the example house we are designing for is 12 feet wide we need to find in the floor joist span table a joist size and centering that can span 12 or wider. If you re planning to customize and if you re building a new home you probably are then you have to also factor in the cost of upgrades. The base price of your home is the cost of the structure plus all the standard finishes. True floor joist span calculations can only be made by a structural engineer or contractor.

If your home is more than 20 years old your floor joists are most likely solid wood 2x8s 2x10s or 2x12s.