Should You Replace Floor Joists

Replacing a floor joist incorrectly may weaken the structural integrity of your house putting your safety and your house s value at risk.

Should you replace floor joists.

A good look at the floor joists will also help you determine if any need to be replaced. The inspection 300 to 500 will tell if you have structural problems such as undersized joists that will require professional repairs. Step 2 mark the old locations. Replacing a floor joist is a big job.

The extra two inches of vertical distance when a floor is framed with 2 x 10 joists rather than 2 x 12s can be quite important for example. While it is a good idea to replace rotted material with 2x8s it may require some notching to fit between the sub floor and ledger board. Typically floor joists are repaired or replaced working from below in a basement or crawl space. Before you replace damaged floor joists you must exterminate the insects or improve the drainage and ventilation so the problem won t reoccur.

The easiest way to tell that your floor may have joist problems is to simply walk across. You can notch and bore joists without sacrificing critical strength but you must follow the rules. Even in lumber joists severe breaks sagging cracks and twisting require a structural engineer to inspect the area and offer recommendations on repairing the damage. Common sense tells you that large floor joists can carry more load and spacing joists closer together also increases the load bearing capacity of a floor.

However you can usually remedy sagging problems yourself by sistering new joists alongside the existing ones this also works for stiffening bouncy floors. But larger is not always better when builders are constructing a home or adding a room addition. Generally newer home floor joists are made from 2x8s or new engineered i beams older homes however may have 2x6s instead. Do not remove any floorboards that are not absolutely required and always start with the most obvious choice.

Due to their technical nature floor trusses and i joists usually require the assistance of a structural engineer and should not be repaired or replaced by yourself. If you don t have any carpentry experience you may want to call a professional carpenter to handle the project. Remove the floorboard closest to the damage and then use the hole you make exactly to see which ones need replacing. Costs will vary widely depending on the extent and nature of the original problem.

It can be a challenge to maneuver a joist into place over a. If you are replacing joists in your floor chances are they are visibly damaged. If your home is more than 20 years old your floor joists are most likely solid wood 2x8s 2x10s or 2x12s.