The first time I used wood I-joists was in a floor system set
into a shelf in the foundation wall. We wanted to avoid using
sawn lumber, which might shrink and cause problems, and
engineered lumber fit the bill. We learned a lot about wood
I-joists on that job — and
spent a lot of unbudgeted
time doing it. But in the end,
the dimensional stability of
wood I-joists and their resistance
to deflection convinced
us to keep using them.
Wood I-joists take some
getting used to. While they
perform better than sawn
lumber in most cases, wood
I-joists require special attention
in handling, cutting, fastening,
and bracing. Here are
some of the things we've
learned in five years