What Is Floor Joist Deflection

For example a floor joist spanning 20ft 240 inches a deflection limit of 2 3inch for live loads and 1inch for total loads.

What is floor joist deflection.

2 grade of douglas fir are indicated below. For floor joists a live load deflection limit of l 360 and a total load deflection limit of l 240 must be met. In many countries the fabrication and installation of all framing members including joists must meet building code standards. See the image below for an example of joists spaced 16 on center 16 o c.

Floors built in the 1950s or earlier usually feature subfloors of 1x slats fastened diagonally across the joists. Allowable deflection is generally expressed as a fraction of the span in inches. Like the framing members these slats and their connections can weaken over time causing creaks and squeaks and definitely deflecting with the joists. The amount of flex depends on the magnitude of the load applied span of the member and stiffness of the member.

1 psf lb f ft 2 47 88 n m 2. Ft plus any long term deflection due to the weight of the floor. Deflection is the bending or sag caused by loading. Joists must exhibit the strength to support the anticipated load over a long period of time.

Floor joist deflection help you ll get a much stiffer floor by installing bridging between the joists and doubling up on your plywood than by just sistering the joists with 2x4. All structural members will deflect or flex under load. Live load is weight of furniture wind snow and more. Divide the total span of the floor joists in inches by 360 to determine the maximum amount the floor can give in the middleunder a live load of 40 lb sq.

Frequently there is misunderstanding regarding deflection between joists. Considering the cross section of a typical joist the overall depth of the joist is critical in establishing a safe and stable floor or ceiling system. For example the maximum deflection for a joist span of 15 is 15 12 360 1 2. Since the example house we are designing for is 12 feet wide we need to find in the floor joist span table a joist size and centering that can span 12 or wider.

Maximum floor joist span for no. Dead load weight of structure and fixed loads 10 lbs ft 2. The most common cause of deflection in a floor joist system is undersized joists that span too great a distance for their thickness and width. You should also check the ditra specs i seem to remember my tile guy telling me that when you re using natural stone ditra requires a thicker 1 1 8th i think subfloor anyway.

Typically for better performing floors minimal defection is desired. The floor joist spacing is the distance between the centers of any two installed joists. If the span of the joists is 10 feet between supports then the deflection should not be more than 1 3 between the center and the end.