Should Floor Beams Be 10 Or 12

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.

Should floor beams be 10 or 12.

Because these floors support the lightest loads they require the fewest support columns and the smallest lvl beams. But larger is not always better when builders are constructing a home or adding a room addition. Recommended beam joist spans for deck framing. The full table shows more lumber sizes.

A live load of 60 pounds per square foot demands more support and shorter spans. It also shows the maximum that the beam can span for various numbers of such pieces of lumber built together this is indicated by 3 ply 4 ply and 5 ply. Live load is weight of furniture wind snow and more. Maximum floor joist span for no.

2 grade of douglas fir are indicated below. You should check with your local building department for construction requirements in your area. 1 psf lb f ft 2 47 88 n m 2. This span table excerpt shows two possible sizes of built up floor beams 2 x 10 and 2 x 12.

The beam is perpendicular to the upstairs joists obviously the beam is at the center of the house 12 foot joist are lapped together right above. A 3 ply with 2 x 10s would mean that three 2 x 10s are. 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. We did not question him on his own house but when we were finished the beam deflected so bad 3 4 that it cracked his sheetrock.

The bigger you make your deck the more you ask of the framing timbers that hold up the deck s structure and the joists and beams that support the. He spec d a triple 2x12 beam with 1 2 osb between the 2x12 s. If a floor needs to support more than common items you may choose to reinforce the floor by spacing joists closer together. Common single floors include second story floors or floors over a basement.

The information included in these charts is derived from the international residential code 2012. Dead load weight of structure and fixed loads 10 lbs ft 2. 1 ft 0 3048 m. One more thing we did a house a while back for a civil engineer.

Douglas fir 2 by 10 joists graded as structural select allows joist spans up to 21 feet for a live load of 30 pounds per square foot when spaced 12 inches apart 19 feet 1 inch for 16 inch spacing and 16 feet 8 inches for 24 inch spacing. Above the beam is open it is a large bedroom about 16x14 cape style house so it has low ceilings on the ends. Joists may be spaced as closely as you like but spacing joists 10 to 12 inches apart should handle almost any home use.