This may be a bit off the road for a question but…
My spouse and I are in the very early stages of possibly building a home again…I want a basement that would have no itrritating posts in the middle of the rooms allowing full flexability to use the space as we wish. And her design ideas are driving the up stairs plan…the question is…without a post or interior wall for support, what is the chance that one could span up to 30 feet?
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Replies
Not very good....Best to call an architect.
You can have any span within reason that you want. It just involves more money, some deep steel web beams, and the services of an engineer.
Edited 11/24/2002 10:58:25 AM ET by BEMW
You can get a 30' span with the use of floor trusses, your probably looking at a 24" deep floor joist @24" o/c. with a 55# total load.
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JETdraftsman is right on - 24" deep floor trusses will span that distance easily.
A couple of things to keep in mind, though:
1. Check your local codes first. God knows what they might say about floors.
2. Clear spans that long might have some vibration problems. Don't even think about NOT installing strongbacks. Put the strongbacks at the bottom of the truss, not at the top.
3. If you're planning on using heavy tile, the loading will need to be heavier, and the trusses 16" O.C.
4. Not all truss companies are set up to do 24" deep trusses.
5. Don't accept trusses shallower than 24" deep. If they pull out their span charts and tell you 18" deep trusses will span that far if you put them 12" O.C., slap them upside the head and say "NO".
6. Read the thread I did on floor vibration. If you can't find it, post back and I'll put the link in - I can't find it at the moment.
7. Don't give up on this idea. The house I recently built has 28' clear span floors, and the basement is great.
I want to die peacefully in my sleep like my Grandpa - not screaming and yelling, like the passengers in his car.