Under the category of always trying to improve the way I do stuff, I was curious if anyone has a system to their blocking of floor joists?
If I think a floor needs it, I typically will run a single line of blocking all the way across the room (when possible). Usually solid wood blocking or cross “X” wood blocking. Attached pic is ceiling joist, not floor, but show what I typically do. Usually I stick it in somewhere around mid-span. For me, the solid blocking takes longer to install, but I tend to feel it makes things more solid (don’t know if that is true or not). I’ve never used the metal cross blocking/bridging.
Wondering if there is a better way to handle this. How far do the joists span before you would put in more than one blocking per bay (for instance, do you put it every 6′)? Do you always carry the blocking across the whole room, or just between a few of the joists?
jt8
“Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music.” — Angela Moný
Replies
I never allow more than 8' between blocking in a floor, placing it aat midspan.
For cielingss we use strapping, which accomplishes same thing plus more.
sometimes for floors, we use strapping and blocking
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I never allow more than 8' between blocking in a floor, placing it aat midspan.
Do you vary your blocking method or always use the same kind (solid blocking, cross wood, cross metal)?
For cielingss we use strapping, which accomplishes same thing plus more.
On the current project I would have like to use strapping because the ceiling joists are all over the place, but I can't afford to lose any ceiling height, so I just went with blocking. I'll probably pay a premium for the drywaller to fix it.
jt8
"Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music." -- Angela Moný
I use solid blocking nine times out of eightthere are always cut ends of material and the small percentage of bad materiaals that is better to cut up for bloccking, and I consider it the easier way to do the job
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can you explain how and why strapping adds more strenght then blocking between?
I think he means strapping the whole room on tight centers. 16" or 24"
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helps share the load to the ajoining member..Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
wouldn't solid blocking between transfer more load more effienctly then a strap run across the top or bottom?
about the same I suppose...
Blocking / strapping is easier than cross bracing or bridging...
bridging is better.... Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
compare one blocking to 7-8 strapping
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Seems like I've seen a blocking/bridging article somewhere. Can't remember if it was a FHB article or otherwise.
It would be nice is someone did the test to see how the various blocking/bridging compare.
jt8
"Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music." -- Angela Moný
Edited 3/31/2006 4:54 pm by JohnT8
right here on good ol' BT... regular flame war it was ... right next to deck spacing...Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
"For cielingss we use strapping, which accomplishes same thing plus more."I never said it adds more strength.It does the strengthening thing plus it provides all the other advantages of strapping which we've discussed dozens of times
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I believe solid blocking to be the best. It does take a few minutes extra but if done proberly it gives you a nice sound structure.
I use 6' centers max as a guide. I also make sure that it is tight and square. 99.9% of the floors I build are 2x12 No. 1 SPIB on 12 or 16" centers and I've never had a complaint about sagging or noisy floors in about 40 years of nailing.
Plumbers and HVAC guys will moan about all the drilling but like Pappy always said "when a fella quits bitching, bury him cause he's dead."
FWIW, I do it same as your picture. Snap a line in the center and go to town just to each side of it across the whole room (most lots here are 16' wide so it works out pretty good with the 8' code rule).
"A job well done is its own reward. Now would you prefer to make the final payment by cash, check or Master Card?"
John,
Using 2x lumber for floor joists I install blocking or bridging every 8'. That's code around here. Ceiling joists I've never installed solid blocking or bridging before I always install strongback every 8' using a 2x4 flat and a 2x6 on edge.
Using 2x lumber for floor joists I install blocking or bridging every 8'. That's code around here. Ceiling joists I've never installed solid blocking or bridging before I always install strongback every 8' using a 2x4 flat and a 2x6 on edge.
Just out of view in that ceiling pic is a rat run (or at least that is what I call 'em). 2x6 flat with a 2x4 on edge. I needed to run about 6 different wires up there and didn't feel like punching holes in 2x6's that were spanning 16' (not if my fat butt was going to be up there crawling around).
Although only short folks would be walking over there anyway so I probably could have gotten by without. But between the blocking and rat run, it really made makes that ceiling a lot more stable to walk around on.
Some day I should hang out with you, diesel, Mike Smith or the like just to really figure out where extra blocking/etc is needed and when I'm just wasting money. As it is now, I typically err on the side of over engineering. Which costs time and $$.
jt8
"Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music." -- Angela Moný
Framer, where are you that blocking is code? Here in CT, and in Joisey when I worked there, blocking was only required when the width to height ratio of the joists was 1 to 7 or greater. That excused all lumber smaller than 2x14.
That said, I've always blocked. Andy
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