Floor Joist Blocking Installation

Once the structure is completed the floor sheathing provides lateral support for the top flanges of the i joist.

Floor joist blocking installation. Don t allow your crew to walk on i joists or install subfloor sheathing until all hangers blocking panels and temporary safety bracing strapping are fully installed. Tying the joists together with blocking makes the floor even stronger and stiffer. To install align the block to the marks and through screw or nail one end. Straight line blocking gives the neatest appearance but is the most difficult to install.

Blocking for wall framing are short pieces of 2 by 4 that you install between two joists of the basement ceiling. Engineered i joists can span long distances to make a flat and solid subfloor. Joists must be level and in plane for a flat surface. Walking on joists before all accessories and floor decking are installed i joists are unstable and can roll over if walked on leading to injuries.

Blocking is required at interior support when i joists are applied continuously over interior supports. Skipping the installation of blocking on floor joists can be tempting as the process is somewhat labor intensive. This provides a symmetrical pattern while also making installation simpler since fasteners can be driven into the end of each block through the joists rather than toe nailing. Look for high low uneven joists using a tight string line.

How to make floor joists stronger. After several centuries of service floor joists in older homes may sag or crack. Install temporary bracing or temporary sheathing to prevent i joist from rolling over or buckling. Making professional blocks to make the blocks i cut sections of i joist 1 inches smaller than the space between the joists.

Remove any screws or fasteners that may be protruding from the surface of the joist. Properly install all blocking hangers rim boards and rim joists at tji joist end supports. Long spans of joists in newer homes may wobble or bounce from foot traffic. Safety bracing of 1x4 minimum must be nailed to a braced end wall or sheathed area and to each joist.

However blocking can provide both rigidity and stability to a frame and depending on the size of the joists may even be required by code. So one of the last things that need to be done before sheathing the deck is to fill in with blocking. Use a water management system such as a drip cap or flashing wherever framing meets the home to move moisture away from the home and deck. For this situation the blocking needs to be installed in line to allow the end of the sistered joist to rest on the beam top.

I needed some blocking or this wall was not going up.