Should You Replace Floor Joists

What you should know signs of floor joist problems.

Should you replace floor joists.

If you are replacing joists in your floor chances are they are visibly damaged. The easiest way to tell that your floor may have joist problems is to simply walk across. If your home is more than 20 years old your floor joists are most likely solid wood 2x8s 2x10s or 2x12s. Generally newer home floor joists are made from 2x8s or new engineered i beams older homes however may have 2x6s instead.

If you don t have any carpentry experience you may want to call a professional carpenter to handle the project. 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. If the bounce and squeak is caused by a broken floor joist sistering or laminating a new joist to the old broken one is a good option. You can notch and bore joists without sacrificing critical strength but you must follow the rules.

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. The inspection 300 to 500 will tell if you have structural problems such as undersized joists that will require professional repairs. 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. Before you replace damaged floor joists you must exterminate the insects or improve the drainage and ventilation so the problem won t reoccur.

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. But larger is not always better when builders are constructing a home or adding a room addition. Replacing a floor joist is a big job. Inspecting joists for issues.

However you can usually remedy sagging problems yourself by sistering new joists alongside the existing ones this also works for stiffening bouncy floors. Remove the floorboard closest to the damage and then use the hole you make exactly to see which ones need replacing. It can be a challenge to maneuver a joist into place over a. Replacing a floor joist incorrectly may weaken the structural integrity of your house putting your safety and your house s value at risk.

Typically floor joists are repaired or replaced working from below in a basement or crawl space. Do not remove any floorboards that are not absolutely required and always start with the most obvious choice. 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.