What is a joist?
Jump to navigation Jump to search. A joist is a horizontal structural member used in framing to span an open space, often between beams that subsequently transfer loads to vertical members.
Can you use metal bridging for floor joist bays?
The use of metal bridging without nails or solid 2×2 or 2×3 lumber is best. This way, you’ll be able to avoid obstructions within the joist bays and not run the risk of creating a “hump” in your floor from a block that dries out at a different rate than the joist.
How many runs per joist bay for hydronic system?
(One run per joist bay) for our hydronic radiant system. He claims this is standard but everything I've been able to find suggests 12" max and 8" being typical for this sort of install.
How much tubing do I need for my joist bays?
Another technique involves measuring the lengths of your joist bays and counting how many bays it will take to use up a 200-ft. roll. If the number is six, for example, start at bay number three and feed 100 ft. of tubing one direction and 100 ft in the opposite direction. Our brass adaptors can be very handy also.
What is the purpose of a joist?
Floor joists are horizontal structural members that span an open space, often between beams, which subsequently transfer the load to vertical structural members. These joists, part of the floor system, carry the weight of everything inside a room, including walls, furniture, appliances, and even people.
Why is it called a joist?
Joist comes from the Old French word giste, "beam supporting a bridge," from the Latin iacere, "to rest." joist that receives the end of a header in floor or roof framing in order to leave an opening for a staircase or chimney etc.
What is difference between beam and joist?
A beam is the main load-bearing structural element of a roof. It supports the weight of joists and other building elements. A joist is a horizontal member that generally runs across a building and is supported by a beam.
What is the difference between a stud and a joist?
You need to find studs in order to securely hang pictures, mirrors, shelves and more on the wall. Joists are the support beams in your floor and ceiling. You need to find these if you want to hang light fixtures, ceiling fans or fix squeaky floors.
Where are joists in a house?
A joist is a structural member that spans horizontally between the foundations of a building, or between walls or structural beams. In combination with other joists it provides support for a ceiling and/or floor.
What is another word for joist?
In this page you can discover 22 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for joist, like: post, soffit, girder, scantling, strip, beam, support, brace, stud, lath and purlin.
What are joists in a house?
joist, ceiling or floor support in building construction. Joists—of timber, steel, or reinforced concrete—are laid in a parallel series across or abutting girders or a bearing wall, to which they are attached, usually by metal supports called joist hangers, or anchors.
What is a joist on a roof?
Joists. Let's start with joists. They are parallel horizontal beams that run across an open space. They join the opposite walls in a building to support both the ceiling below and the floor above. They're usually made from timber, and they come in a variety of widths (usually between 8-12 inches wide).
Are joists load-bearing?
Located between walls, beams, and foundations, floor joists are structures that support floors and most easily identified in a building's basement or attic. Walls that run parallel to joists are not typically load bearing, whereas walls that run perpendicular to the joists are most likely load bearing.
Do walls sit on joists?
3:0724:42Framing - Floor Joists and Walls - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBecause the end wall of the building will sit directly above the and floor joist good constructionMoreBecause the end wall of the building will sit directly above the and floor joist good construction practice calls for it to be doubled to carry this extra weight.
What is a joist wall?
0:101:02Zircon Tip Minute 1: What are Wall Studs and Joists? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipJoists. Are the support beams in your floor and ceiling.MoreJoists. Are the support beams in your floor and ceiling.
How do I find a joist?
Joists can be located by either tapping across the ceiling with a knuckle or with an electronic stud finder. With a knuckle you tap across until a more solid sound is heard – this is a joist or beam. A hollow sound is the space between the joists.
What is a joist in a floor?
A joist is a horizontal structural member used in framing to span an open space, often between beams that subsequent ly transfer loads to vertical members . When incorporated into a floor framing system, joists serve to provide stiffness to the subfloor sheathing, allowing it to function as a horizontal diaphragm.
What is a shortened joist?
Shortened joists are said to be crippled. The term rim joist is rare before the 1940s in America; it forms the edge of a floor. The outermost joist in half timber construction may be of a more durable species than the interior joists. In a barn, loose poles above the drive floor are called a scaffold.
Why do steel joists have load tables?
Many steel joist manufacturers supply load tables in order to allow designers to select the proper joist sizes for their projects. Standard dimensional lumber joists have their limitations due to the limits of what farmed lumber can provide.
What is pugging between joists?
These joists land on a beam. Between some of the joists is a form of pugging used for insulation and air sealing. Image: Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed. Joists can have different joints on either ends such as being tenoned on one end and lodged on the other end.
What is a stairwell with joists called?
Joists left out of an area form an opening called a "well" as in a stairwell or chimney-well. The joists forming the well are the heading joist (header) and trimming joist (trimmer). Trimmers take the name of the feature such as hearth trimmer, stair trimmer, etc. Shortened joists are said to be crippled.
What is a large beam in the ceiling of a room carrying joists called?
Joists which land on a binding joist are called bridging joists. A large beam in the ceiling of a room carrying joists is a summer beam. A ceiling joist may be installed flush with the bottom of the beam or sometimes below the beam.
Do joists need to be stacked?
If the joists land directly above the studs they are stacked. Joists must exhibit the strength to support the anticipated load over a long period of time. In many countries, the fabrication and installation of all framing members including joists must meet building code standards.
What is the last method of joist bays?
The last method is called the “Random Header”. It is often used in situations where uneven joist bays are common. A geodesic dome comes to mind, or perhaps a home with lots of jigs and jags in the floor plan. In cases like these, you simply decide how long you want your circuits to be…..and let the supply and return ends fall wherever they may.
How many lengths of tubing per joist bay?
You’ll end up installing a very high performance floor, with two lengths of tubing per bay, approximately 12″ on center.
How long is a roll of tubing for floor joists?
The exact length of the loops, within the above guidelines, is determined by the situation. Radiant Floor Company generally provides 200 foot rolls of tubing for floor joist applications. This is because manhandling a roll larger than 200 feet can become a hassle.
Can trusses be used instead of floor joists?
Sometimes it’s necessary or desirable to use trusses instead of standard floor joists. If these trusses are installed over an existing ceiling where access from below is impossible, then the tubing can be fastened to the top edge of the truss as illustrated in the photo below.
What Are Rim Joists For?
The main function of a rim joist is to provide support for the other joists. They’re nailed to the end of inside floor joists which creates an outer edge. This keeps the joists upright, level and strong.
Rim Joist Size & Material
Rim joists are usually made of the same material as the other joists. If your framing is wood then they’re generally wood. If they’re steel then the rim is typically also steel.However, in some cases we’ve built a rim out of steel with wood inside joists. This all depends on the architect and engineer and how strong they need the rim joist to be.
Do I Need A Rim Joist?
Yes, if your framing a house or a deck you’ll need a rim joist. They create the edge of your floor framing and close off the open edges.
Can You Drill Through A Rim Joist?
In most cases yes. When you run a pipe, vent or wires to the outside from a basement or crawl space, typically it’s done through the rim. A hole can be drilled through the rim, sheathing and siding to the exterior. As long as the hole isn’t too big it shouldn’t weaken the framing.
Can Rim Joists Be Replaced?
Yes. If a rim is damaged due to weather or insects it can be cut out and replaced. This is done from the outside of the house in sections.
How To Install Rim Joists
The direction floor joists run is determined by the architect or engineer. In general, floor joists run front to back on a rectangular house which is the shortest possible way. Architects try to keep the floor joists as short as possible to prevent flexing. The longer the span, the bigger the joists need to be.
Should You Insulate Rim Joists
In my opinion, the more insulation you can get the better. Insulation not only keeps a house warm in winter but also cool in summer. It helps regulate a consistent temperature which keeps energy costs down.
What is bridging in a joist?
They aren’t the same. Bridging refers to the general act of fastening of strips between joists to deflect loads. Cross-bracing is a type of bridging, specifically referring to using bridging strips in an “x” pattern between joists.
Why do you alternate joists?
Most people choose to alternate their joist blocking because it is much easier and faster to nail than putting it in a straight line. If you are blocking your joists mid-span, then you will draw a center line across every joist. Then the blocking will be fastened in an alternating pattern on either side of that line.
How to make a joist edge?
First, mark a line on the underside of a joist where you will place your row or bridging – your center mark. Then measure the width of your joist. Measure half that length, and make a mark on the joist bottom that distance above the center mark. Then do the same below your center mark. These are your edge marks.
What happens when a joist is not blocked?
When joists are not blocked or bridged, each joist is much more susceptible to movement both up and down and side to side. Installing solid wood blocking with appropriately sized nails will distribute loads across all of the joists, minimizing the movement of the joists directly beneath the load.
How wide should floor joists be?
The IRC does not mandate floor joist bridging unless your floor joists are greater than 12” wide. If so, then bridging should be placed no less than 8’ on center from the next row of bridging.
What is floor joist blocking?
Floor joist blocking refers to solid, lateral supports installed between floor joists to evenly distribute loads placed atop floor joists. Blocking uses lumber the same size as the floor joists and is fastened either in a staggered or straight line mid-span or every 8’ depending on the length of the joist.
What is cross bridging?
Cross bridging is the same idea, except that plywood or smaller pieces of lumber (2×2) are used to make an “X” between each joist in place of a solid piece of lumber. Whichever style of blocking or bridging you choose, both will serve to solidify your floor and reduce wobble and bounce.

Overview
Connections to supporting beams
Joists may join to their supporting beams in many ways: joists resting on top of the supporting beams are said to be "lodged"; dropped in using a butt cog joint (a type of lap joint), half-dovetail butt cog, or a half-dovetail lap joint. Joists may also be tenoned in during the raising with a soffit tenon or a tusk tenon (possibly with a housing). Joists can also be joined by being slipped into mortises after t…
Strength characteristics
Joists must exhibit the strength to support the anticipated load over a long period of time. In many countries, the fabrication and installation of all framing members including joists must meet building code standards. Considering the cross section of a typical joist, the overall depth of the joist is critical in establishing a safe and stable floor or ceiling system. The wider the spacing b…
Types
In traditional timber framing there may be a single set of joists which carry both a floor and ceiling called a single floor (single joist floor, single framed floor) or two sets of joists, one carrying the floor and another carrying the ceiling called a double floor (double framed floor). The term binding joist is sometimes used to describe beams at floor level running perpendicular to the ridge of a gable roo…
See also
• Beam (structure)
• Framing (construction)
• Girder
• Purlin
• Rafter