How To Reinforce A Floor

But it s usually best to run the sister joist over the entire span.

How to reinforce a floor.

If the floor is sagging bit there is no noticeable snagging in the roof it could just be the floor. Sheathing also can be applied to the bottom of the floor joists instead of or. Step 4 reinforce the floors. How to reinforce an attic floor with sister joists.

When considering this option think about the transition between old floor heights and new floor heights at doorways. Also con sider the loss of headroom. Also remove any blocking or bridging between the joists as applicable. You will have to use a very sturdy piece of wood or some steel plating to reinforce the floor joists.

If the wall will have a doorway place a double 2 6 header above the door s rough opening. We brought in a structural engineer who had us remove the plaster ceiling below and reinforce the entire ceiling with heavy plywood sheets screwed and glued to the joists creating a diaphragm essentially a huge box beam. Floors bounce because the joists are either too small or they span too far. Pull out all insulation and any debris from all of the joist spaces so you can see the full length of each joist including where it meets the exterior walls.

If unsure have a pro come out and inspect it and give you pointers. Either way you can reinforce each joist or specific joists by doubling or tripling them. You may need to add thresholds and cut doors. Clear the joist spaces.

If a crack or sag is isolated to one area the sister joist should extend at least 3 ft. I d suggest looking at the joists under your floor and then get into the attic and check the roof structure looking for sagging or other abnormalities. The floor had started to sag and the plaster ceiling below was cracking. A steel plate can be used the same way.

When the sagging joists are level apply a generous bead of construction. The floor above will be stiffest if you place the wall in the middle of the joists. If you build a wall to support joists be sure to place a stud directly and tightly under each joist. Jacking them up too fast may cause cracks in the walls and floors overhead.