When nailing blocking in a straight line, you’ll be able to face nail one end of the blocking through the joist. You should use nails when blocking or bridging as they can withstand shear forces much better than screws. They are air-powered, however, so you’ll need an air compressor and a hose, too. You’ll quickly find that swinging a hammer between joists is difficult, particularly if they are spaced at 12” or 16”. When blocking in a straight line, you’ll cut your pieces to length and begin on one end. Ideally, you can block in a straight line, as this provides slightly more stability as the load transfer from the floor above is directed most efficiently through blocking in a straight line. There are a couple of different methods for blocking your joists with solid lumber: alternating and doing it in a straight line. Measurements must be precise or blocks will not fit properly.Plumbing and electrical can make installation difficult.A cheap solution for solving floor movement.When that happens, you get a slight hump from the block that can be pretty annoying. Often the joists dry faster than the blocking simply because they’ve been there longer. Why? The blocking lumber will dry out at a different rate than the joists. Most rely on using the same sized lumber as the joists themselves and fitting them between the joists in a staggered line in the middle of the joist span, fastened with nails.įinally, one of the main problems with solid blocking is that it often causes humps in the floor above, especially if installed after the house is built. There are several different methods in terms of installing blocking. Installing solid wood blocking with appropriately sized nails will distribute loads across all of the joists, minimizing the movement of the joists directly beneath the load. When joists are not blocked or bridged, each joist is much more susceptible to movement both up and down and side to side. Blocking uses lumber the same size as the floor joists and is fastened either in a staggered or straight line mid-span or every 8’ depending on the length of the joist.īlocking is effective in reducing floor wobble. Bridging – Which is Better?įloor joist blocking refers to solid, lateral supports installed between floor joists to evenly distribute loads placed atop floor joists.
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