Floor Structure

• I-Joist Installation

  Feedback from a JLC reader

   
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  Shrink-Resistant Floor Tie Screw

  The SDWF structural wood screw is designed to help compensate for a structure's shrinkage over time

   
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  Beefing Up Attic Joists for Living Space

  I need to convert an attic to livable space with minimal disruption to first-floor habitation.

   

• Expanding a Kitchen (Subscriber content)

  We were wrapping up the latest in a series of renovation projects on a suburban Maryland split-level home when I casually mentioned to the owner that her Thanksgiving family gatherings would be a lot more enjoyable if her small kitchen weren't separated from the dining and living areas by a wall.

   
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  Dealing With Creaky Subflooring

  Q: I was asked to look at a job where the homeowners have issues with loud, creaking floors.

   
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  Tiling Over Plywood Subfloors (Subscriber content)

  For crack-free floors, limit joist deflection and install two layers of 3/4-inch plywood and a thinset membrane.

   
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  A New Interior for an Antique House (Subscriber content)

  Addressing structural issues first made the interior finish work easier.

   

• Q&A: OSB Subfloor Over Decking?

  Q: We're building a four-season addition over an existing raised deck framed with PT lumber. Is it okay to install OSB subfloor sheathing directly over the wood decking, or should the decking be removed first?

   
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  Mud-Bed Showers (Subscriber content)

  Floated mortar walls provide a flat, plumb setting bed over irregular wall framing.

   
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  Drying a Stone Cellar (Subscriber content)

  Letting the water run through keeps this 200-year-old basement dry.

   
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  On the Job

  Timber-frame look for a stick-frame addition; adding a border to a hardwood floor

   
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  Soundproofing A Band Room (Subscriber content)

  Using simple techniques and specialized products, you can block out even live rock ’n ’roll.

   

• Q&A: Fix for Bouncy I-Joists?

  Q: Instead of glue and nails, my framing subcontractor used screws to fasten the sheathing to the I-joists of a new 14-foot-wide addition. While there are no interior walls bearing on the floor system and no excessive notching in the I-joist flanges - and the joists fall well within the APA's...

   
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  Building a Curved Stairway (Subscriber content)

  Simple framed walls support the treads and act as forms for bending the rails and stringers.

   
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  Framing a Curved Porch (Subscriber content)

  separate the winners from the runners-up.

   
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  On the Job

  Rough framing and routers; curved wood gutter

   

• Q&A: A Quick Fix for Squeaky Floors?

  Q. When a floor is covered by wall-to-wall carpeting, is it possible to fix squeaks without taking up the rug to get to the subfloor?

   
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  Plumbing and Straightening Walls (Subscriber content)

  This quick, accurate method prevents problems with the framing and finishes that follow.

   
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  Toolbox

  PLS90E 90-degree layout laser; knives; heavy equipment

   

• Q&A: Exposed I-Joists

  Q: A client has asked me to build a practical outbuilding with a wood floor system. For simplicity's sake, I'd like to place it on a Sonotube foundation and use continuous-span wood I-joists. The bottom of the I-joists will be about 16 to 24 inches off the ground, and the perimeter joists will be...