I'm in the process of sistering / scabbing a first-floor - which means I'm in the crawlspace and also dealing with the entire weight of both stories instead of just the 2nd floor. This video was useful - especially the tip about beveling a corner off the sisters to make it easier to hammer them into place. Wish I'd thought of that earlier. A tip not mentioned is that an oscillating tool with a tungsten blade (get a 3-pack) is extremely useful for quickly dealing with bazillions of existing nails and staples sticking through the subfloor and mis-nailed & sticking out of the existing joists. You want to cut those off so they don't interfere with the placement of the sister joists AND to save your head from getting poked in the brain while crawling around with your head up between the joists and under the subfloor.
This video is incredible, the best ceiling reinforcement video I've ever seen. Every homeowner in America would benefit from taking 12 minutes to watch this instead of the crap on TV. Excellent information, to the point, and very clear with helpful video examples and demonstrations. Thank you sir, keep up the good work!
Sorry, but not every homeowner would benefit from this video. Most homeowners don't give a rats ass about how their house was built OR how to fix a problem. They only know how to poke buttons and toss money at it. I grew up in the trades and enjoy working on my house.
This was immensely helpful. We just bought an old farmhouse with some joists we’re concerned about. This was the most thorough and well explained video I’ve come across yet.
I had to work on my back in a tight crawl space for about four days re-enforcing a floor. Cutting full length sisters was not an option do to the tight confines. I was not able to get a full length ridged board under the crawl space so I ripped 3/4 treated plywood and sandwiched the 2x10 joists, glued, screwed, and carriage bolted . It worked like a charm and stiffened the floor up like I wanted.
I do not understand why you don't have millions of views in this video. The form of communication and making the content clear is incredible and very helpful.
You explained everything so perfectly and I feel so confident doing this project. I am a new homeowner and the floor joists are sagging in my kitchen. I am going to contact a specialist for guidance beforehand and I appreciate this video so much thank you.
OK, OK, OK, I'M HOOKED ON THIS CHANNEL!!!!!! ROB KNOWS HIS STUFF. I'M A 64 Y/O LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR THATS BUILT LOTS OF THINGS AND JUST LEARN SO MUCH FROM THIS VIDEO. GOD SPEED TO YA ROB.
Wow Thank you so much! I am a homeowner of a 1950's ranch style with a 2" x 12" x 12 ft termite damaged floor joist. (accessible in the unfinished basement) I'm trying to find someone to come sister it and it has been hard to find help. This video almost makes me want to do it myself. At least when I get someone to look at it I will have all the knowledge you have given me in this excellent video to help choose the right person for my job.Thank You!
As a Roofing Contractor, I like to watch programs on building and carpentry so that I can see what I am missing. The grind of roofing gets old and I sometimes think to myself, hey why not build garages and work your way up to homes. Then I wake up and realize that I love the freedom of being outside and not inside my customers home. Sometimes working inside is like walking on eggshells. You guys do great work and I enjoyed the video. Looking forward to some wood slivers this summer!
This is some of the best information on floor or ceiling repair I have heard of. Thank you from all of us DIYER. You have made our lives alot better my man. Wow!!
Fantastic video! Thorough, easy to understand, pros and cons of different methods, tips for easing the installation, and deliberate use of clearly spoken words relevant to the topic of the video. Thank you!
120ish year old house with logs for most of the framing…rot and termites have done their worst. Now I’m gathering good advice to fix my wife’s dream house. Thanks guys!
I did a 3 story on wheeling island. 5 broken (and I mean BROKEN) floor joists serving the first floor. It had significant sag. I felt that my best option was to Jack every joist on both sides of the break , on every break, simultaneously. The sounds this house made was scary af and had the effect that I was the only one in the house soon after beginning the process. It was tough getting the new 2x12s in but it was a relief when that was done and I didn’t have the house in the basement on me
You can jack a joist by getting rid of the jack, and just making the strong back longer than the distance you need, a block between it and the temporary support plank on the floor can help it slide along. then just tap it into place with a sledge hammer. Unless you are lifting tons of weight it will go real easy, and you can be very precise. This saves the risk of kick back with the jack.
@@ConcordCarpenter if one does everything right the risk of kick back is minimal anyway. I've done the jack way for years, and still do for real heavy lifts. I've just found this method to be quick and easy, and I figured I would share it. Fewer moving parts means fewer trips to the trailer.
I'm a structural engineer- I watched your video because I was curious what you were doing. Most of your video seemed to be sound information. When you are strengthening a joist by adding on pieces of plywood, or even when sistering a joist you should add on pieces as long as you can make them, otherwise you can have problems where the shorter piece ends, it won't transfer its share of the bending stress back into the main joist. When you are working around plumbing penetrations you could rip the joist, put 2 notches in it, and fit one piece above the pipe and one piece below the pipe, then connect those pieces to the joist with more screws. For a notch at the top or at the bottom of a joist you would have to sister on both sides of the joist with shallower pieces. As for jacking up pieces of wood- a joist can take a permanent set over the years due to load and you may not be able to get all of that out by jacking up the joist before reinforcing it so be careful with that.
Being a structural engineer means nothing tbh, I just had an engineer draw up a repair for a truss on the bottom chord, he has me infill, has me sister sister each side with the 2x4 extending 2 foot past the infill on each side. Nail pattern is on a zig zag every 3 inch. That’s all fine ig, then he has me rip 3 qtr plywood to sister on the top and the bottom of all that with nails on 3 inch. That was just last week, they let anyone become an engineer and half of em just make sh! t up and leave zero detail on the drawling.
@@Billybob-go8hn He's not just making sh- up. APA, SBCA, BCSI, MiTek, they all have design procedures for repairing wood trusses and gussets. It's not rocket science.
@@Loonypapa you obviously have never built a house in your life. The bottom chord is pulling, why would you need to over kill with plywood on the top and bottom. I’ve dealt with engineers like this guy, I just go to another guy with some sense. Nothing in this video was done wrong, he is a book smart engineer worth nothing. I’d love to see his crappy drawlings.
@@Loonypapa one day you’ll learn every project is different and not everything always works. That’s why engineers should have mandatory on site training.
Thanks, Rob!! We have an old barn here in Maine. We host live music events and need this structural work done to help with bouncy floors. This is great information and I appreciate you sharing your tricks of the trade!
As an electrician that does all manner of home remodeling/repairs/additions, fishing wires without strapping is nearly impossible without doing some kind of damage to finished ceilings. There is simply no way to gain access or fish a wire anywhere that is useful. I install tons of wafer lights in existing homes, and with strapping, I can put them just about anywhere.
Ah I was wondering on that. A 3/4" centre-bore won't weaken the joist, but you'll need to cut the full length of drywall to run new cable. Strapping would be a nice straight channel you could easily fish through, and wafer lights don't even need you to mount a box.
Great video. I've watched a lot of your videos, and I've been consistently impressed with how clearly you organize your content and explain the details. Also, I've seen a lot of your videos on tool reviews, which are very well done. There are a lot of people on RUclips who review tools. When I see that you also make content on how to sister joists in very old buildings when you run across all kinds of tricky site-specific situations, I can tell that you're not just a RUclips creator but also a guy who has worked for a long time as an actual carpenter who had to figure out solutions to fix issues with old homes. Great work all around. I've lived in old houses with both sagging and creaky floors, and I know that the old floor that you sistered with LVLs is going to be quiet and much more level than it was before you started. I think all the people living in that house for the next hundred years will be very happy with the results!
I have been scouring the internet for direction on the best way to salvage the floor in my over 100 year old home. Your video was perfect. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
This just gave me clear information about what I am wanting to do in our over 100+ year old farm house (we are uncertain of the actual year built but it has old cabin like beams on the outside walls and some supports in the under "basement crawl space" )
I see a lot of grateful folks in your field...but I just wanted to thank you for helping those of us > not in this field < comprehend things with your concise explanation! Our 35+- year old house was built on a Friday at 5pm and had liberal exercising of "open" spaces. Our office and one of our sitting rooms sit on top of a finished "open concept" basement and have more bounce than we can tolerate. I have been looking for such thorough explanation of the problem and what proper solutions look like.
This is a great video. I've never heard anyone talk about this - and probably the reason is that it is a much bigger and more expensive job to tear up the whole floor and redo it. I think I might be able to use this at some point, and there are many great ideas here. Thank you do an honest, clear and helpful video.
👏 I’m a Carpenter and do mostly concrete formwork . currently redoing my bathroom and ran into some rotted flooring and ran into your videos and will say that I love how thorough your vids are 👌 thanx for the content
i only itended to watch the first 4-5 mins for entertainment purpose, ended up watching the whole thing and learned something new! incredible presentation, was hooked without feeling wrestless.
I've recently tiled my bathroom. Room is much heavier than what it was.... I've seen no movement or damage to the joist (plasterboard is off on the ceiling downstairs)... But I've had this horrid feeling whenever I bath that I'm going to fall through the floor 😂 thanks for the vid, will be sistering the joist soon enough!
Thank you for this. I've spent a few months just soaking up all the information i can about how to fix up our building. Still trying to get a structural engineer. this video helps a lot!
Thank you very much for taking the time to share your hard earned knowledge. It’s very generous and many people benefit from it and appreciate it. I also really appreciated the slow careful explanation paired with well lit video. With my hearing difficulties I had no trouble tracking the explanation
Rob Thank you for your detailed explaining. It helps many to understand how or why things are done a certain way. Look forward to other videos of yours. Nate
Excellent information taken directly from experience. The info I trust always come from those who have done it and have the ability to explain it simply. If you can’t do that it means you only have a superficial understanding. So thank you for giving the direction I need to go. Cheers
New subscriber here. I recently found some damage due to water and termites. Took care of the problems but now I need to get the plywood and also the sill and joists replaced. When I have a structural engineer check it at least I have some idea of what he’s talking about. Thanx for a great video
I have a 120+ year-old basement that needs joint sistering and replacing of the blocking. Most of the joists are full of more than a century of holes from plumbing and electrical installations, and the blocking is shrunken 1/2"x1/2" pieces that are barely held in piece by 1" nails that barely touch the joists at all. Thanks so much for showing how to do this. It's a great help!
Always fun finding what crazy past homeowners have done in old houses. Have a room in my house with the ceiling 10in joists notched down to only 4in left for an upstairs bathroom.
Same here had "professionals" do our bathroom years ago and they have cut one of the joists nearly in half for pipes and wasn't even used for pipes in the end
This really depends upon the span length which in this video seems about maximum. Otherwise you might need to increase the board width like upgrading 2 by 8's to 2 by 10's. No one wants a center floor post. If it is in the basement however consider adding them, this increases structural integrity substantially. You might consider blocking on the ends if room permits, doing these will help improve earthquake survive ability Often in Missouri I have seen a metal I-been added later to get rid of sagging. Always make sure that the crown of the board goes UP to meet the downward force. Quality work inspires custom fitting and finished mastery, as you have done here. Also you do not have to pull all metal off the old joists, sometimes cutting them off flush works well.
I lived in an old Victorian house (2nd floor) and had to put in a support beam under my dining room floor. Three 2x10s didn't do it. I wound up installing a 3/8 x 9" steel flitch plate in that beam. That took the bounce out of it.
Take into consideration what is above the joists also before jacking them up especially if there is floor tiling as it will crack the tiles and mortar if they aren't already which can lead to whole bathroom remodel that wasn't in the budget or time.
7 1/4 lvl good choice . We would have NOT overcut the notched joist ends , better to use a jigsaw to finish that cut and not weaken the joists. Also glue the new joist to the existing. And add a rim board under the new floor joists bolted to the foundation or even better a wall on both sides if possible to carry the load , since the notch only leaves about 4” on the sill.
Actually the best option in this case is to fully block the stud bay and let it rest on that blocking. Especially with an LVL. LVL's require a minimum bearing area.
@@Loonypapa both excellent options - especially if we were building a new floor system. A rim underneath was not viable here. Here we were sistering and reinforcing the existing floor. We added way more than enough strength.
Thanks man, that was really great instruction! I am strengthening beam that has had part of it cut off and was searching for info on how to correctly do it. Your video helped more that asking from reddit. And I must say, as an electrician, when in the end you talked about helping probable wiring in the future I almost had a tear to my eye :D It is unfortunately so common that on site every man thinks about himself and getting work done fast and to get quicly away with money. We are building houses that may last generations, it's good to help each other and to look into future so others after us can be proud to see what we have done and appreciate our foresight.
Southern Carpenter here: I've never seen that strapping technique in a ceiling, so I guess it might be a Northeastern thing! Thanks for all the very clear and straightforward tips and the excellent and extremely professional presentation.
Very informative and useful info, after reading some of the comments it appears that’s there are many different yet effective ways to achieve the same desired outcome. Happy Building 💪🏽
New sub! First time I ever subscribed after watching only one video. You kept me engaged! I just bought a 100 yo home and I'm considering to take on the remodel myself, WHAT?! I have 0 experience but I am a hands on learner that think that if one person can do it, so can I. 😀 Thank you!
Very Informative. I have a old Farm House I need to sister my 2nd floor joists and I will definitely use these methods to accomplish my job. Thanks for posting.
A contractor tip in Fine Homebuilding magazine showed a method of jacking the floor with a 2x4 backstrap across the joists and the using jack screws at 3 even locations to provide tension and level the floor upstairs. At even space you use Simpson strapping thats 2” wide and .026” thick galvanized steel with pre drilled holes in it so you use #8 TICO nails and start at one end up joist on the side top and and the middle fold over and go up the other side to the top of the other end. Do this for 3 or 4 evenly spaced joists. He said he had excellent results and you maintain ability for lighting, insulation and other sound deadening products in between the joist bays. I”m looking at using this method to fix my bouncy upstairs floors in my 1962 split level that used bare minimum 6 x 8 joists for the span. I’ve already used 2x6 dry wood blocking method under my main bedroom over the garage with good results. The blocking is ok in the garage area as I won’t be doing any heavy soundproofing like I will in the basement. I’ve searched YT and haven’t found anyone posting up any pics or vids of this method and the results.
Good and comprehensive. I'm hesitant to put in strapping, as 3/4" centre-bored joists comfortably fit 3 NM cables, keep them well clear of any future screws, and I don't believe significantly weakens the joist.
115-yr old farmhouse: Getting ready to repair a notched joist at both ends. The ends slip into a carrier beam, about 8x8. Both ends have split at the notch. I will be sistering both sides of the joist by jacking up the center, glue and screw the sisterings, then attach the sister + joist using a custom joist hanger with 3/8" lags screwed into the carrier beam. The joists in this house are old, and dry. Would blocking still be a benefit to add through the rest of the floor joists? I hadn't planned on sistering all the joists at this point as the remaining joists haven't split. Thank you for your assistance.
I’m leveling the trusses in the attic I. I built a beam inside across and using H2/5 hanggers and fishing line for a guide I’m ready to put the 1/4 inch finish plywood ceiling.
I've got exactly this problem and haven't been able to find a local contractor (high demand in my area). Your video is terrific and you explain the process so well I think I can tackle this job myself. Thanks for this!
My house is a balloon frame built with old barn beams by the original owner back in the '50s. The first-floor joists are 6" round "trees" flattened on the top. The centre walls weren't stacked on the main beam, so I have a major drop (2"-3") between the beam and the wall and the outside wall and inside wall because the wall is the support for the second floor. Even the openings for the basement and upstairs stairways didn't have any support or proper headers. I have wanted to redo the main floor joists for a while and this video has pretty much laid out what I had planned. The only difference is that I am going to remove the existing "trees", one at a time as I add the new joists and I will be going 16" on centre instead of the roughly 24" that is there now. The second floor is somewhat better, having old-style beams of a true 2" x 5", but they are on about 30" centres, so I will be adding new joists between them.
Good video! I stumbled upon this looking for something else.Glad to see you emphasize bearing points, nailing/fastening patterns, and bridging and or blocking. They all have to work together to maintain structural integrity. My only other thought is to not over cut your notch at the plate and or bearing point and sometimes add a hanger to the bottom of your sister joist if possible. Great video!!!
Great advice my 100yr old house used 2x8 joists (16" centers) and they sag plus they bounce from lack of blocking. Im going to use your 3/4 plywood method, blocking and strapping. Should take out a lot of the bounce when walking on floor above
Good video ! I've got to do it on my old house but beam are rather like halt tree(the side are round).... beginning to do research of the best way to do it....
good tips. I've seen people sister joist with regular and wet lumber lol. Not really a good idea. Also I prefer a good solid cross bridging over blocking. However in this case I feel the blocking is good.
I appreciate the help and explanations. I was currently working with a predrilled and used section of a joist to install a ceiling fan... well. I screwed in one screw, and it led to a crack to the placeholder screw hole for the saddle box.... im getting second opinions on strengthening this spot and how to before this fan goes up before next summer!!
We straightened and solidified an old dining room floor by first fastening the center points of new 2x10s an inch or so lower than the tops of the old joists from down in the basement. Our new 2x10s were cut shy of the bearing plate so when we applied glue and bent the ends up into place this put an upward thrust on each old joist and we fastened it there. We used a slightly long jack post and kicked or wedged the ends up into position. The floor was super solid, no bounce and miraculously level.
Good stuff! I’m a DIYer mentored by generations of kin, neighbors and peers that were either raised by or lived through The Depression. You fancy. Stay safe. Water wins.
In an installation I had where there was limited access, I found spanning the full 14 foot length of both sides of a sagging beam with half inch osb, staggering the joints on opposing sides of the joist, and using construction adhesive in combination with structural screws, made a 2x10 joist feel as strong, or stronger, than a 2x10 joist over just an 8 foot span.
Somebody give this man an award for effective communication. Explaining succinctly is a real talent and this guy has it..
Thx
At the same time, he is incapable of returning emails about a simple job. Weird phenomenon.
@@hotmetalslugs😂😂😂
I'm in the process of sistering / scabbing a first-floor - which means I'm in the crawlspace and also dealing with the entire weight of both stories instead of just the 2nd floor. This video was useful - especially the tip about beveling a corner off the sisters to make it easier to hammer them into place. Wish I'd thought of that earlier. A tip not mentioned is that an oscillating tool with a tungsten blade (get a 3-pack) is extremely useful for quickly dealing with bazillions of existing nails and staples sticking through the subfloor and mis-nailed & sticking out of the existing joists. You want to cut those off so they don't interfere with the placement of the sister joists AND to save your head from getting poked in the brain while crawling around with your head up between the joists and under the subfloor.
This video is incredible, the best ceiling reinforcement video I've ever seen. Every homeowner in America would benefit from taking 12 minutes to watch this instead of the crap on TV. Excellent information, to the point, and very clear with helpful video examples and demonstrations. Thank you sir, keep up the good work!
Thx
Sorry, but not every homeowner would benefit from this video. Most homeowners don't give a rats ass about how their house was built OR how to fix a problem. They only know how to poke buttons and toss money at it. I grew up in the trades and enjoy working on my house.
If this content was on cable TV I might actually watch it
This was immensely helpful. We just bought an old farmhouse with some joists we’re concerned about. This was the most thorough and well explained video I’ve come across yet.
Holy cow! Best RUclips instructional ever made! Every question I had about my 1930s floor joist was answered in 11 minutes. Brilliant.
I had to work on my back in a tight crawl space for about four days re-enforcing a floor. Cutting full length sisters was not an option do to the tight confines. I was not able to get a full length ridged board under the crawl space so I ripped 3/4 treated plywood and sandwiched the 2x10 joists, glued, screwed, and carriage bolted . It worked like a charm and stiffened the floor up like I wanted.
THIS is one of best presentations you've ever done.
I do not understand why you don't have millions of views in this video. The form of communication and making the content clear is incredible and very helpful.
I wish I knew what the secret sauce was my friend. Thanks for the nice comment.
You explained everything so perfectly and I feel so confident doing this project. I am a new homeowner and the floor joists are sagging in my kitchen. I am going to contact a specialist for guidance beforehand and I appreciate this video so much thank you.
Great tip on the 25 degree bevel. Thanks, Rob…
OK, OK, OK, I'M HOOKED ON THIS CHANNEL!!!!!! ROB KNOWS HIS STUFF. I'M A 64 Y/O LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR THATS BUILT LOTS OF THINGS AND JUST LEARN SO MUCH FROM THIS VIDEO. GOD SPEED TO YA ROB.
Thx brother
Wow! Thanks
As a recently retired carpenter, it's very refreshing to see someone building to best practices, bravo!
Wow Thank you so much! I am a homeowner of a 1950's ranch style with a 2" x 12" x 12 ft termite damaged floor joist. (accessible in the unfinished basement) I'm trying to find someone to come sister it and it has been hard to find help. This video almost makes me want to do it myself. At least when I get someone to look at it I will have all the knowledge you have given me in this excellent video to help choose the right person for my job.Thank You!
Great video!! I've lost sleep worried that my house is condemned. Now I have a solution!! Many thanks for sharing.
As a Roofing Contractor, I like to watch programs on building and carpentry so that I can see what I am missing. The grind of roofing gets old and I sometimes think to myself, hey why not build garages and work your way up to homes. Then I wake up and realize that I love the freedom of being outside and not inside my customers home. Sometimes working inside is like walking on eggshells. You guys do great work and I enjoyed the video. Looking forward to some wood slivers this summer!
If you wanna mix it up id recommend get into pole barn buildings .that carpentry is outside and fun youd like it
I am a carpenter and enjoy learning new ideas to fix things. I have a open mind and always learning knew thing's
This is some of the best information on floor or ceiling repair I have heard of. Thank you from all of us DIYER. You have made our lives alot better my man. Wow!!
Thanks Levy
Fantastic video! Thorough, easy to understand, pros and cons of different methods, tips for easing the installation, and deliberate use of clearly spoken words relevant to the topic of the video. Thank you!
@@ArmoredTech thanks for the compliment
The single most helpful video I have ever seen on old home construction. Thank you!
120ish year old house with logs for most of the framing…rot and termites have done their worst. Now I’m gathering good advice to fix my wife’s dream house. Thanks guys!
I did a 3 story on wheeling island. 5 broken (and I mean BROKEN) floor joists serving the first floor. It had significant sag. I felt that my best option was to Jack every joist on both sides of the break , on every break, simultaneously. The sounds this house made was scary af and had the effect that I was the only one in the house soon after beginning the process. It was tough getting the new 2x12s in but it was a relief when that was done and I didn’t have the house in the basement on me
You can jack a joist by getting rid of the jack, and just making the strong back longer than the distance you need, a block between it and the temporary support plank on the floor can help it slide along. then just tap it into place with a sledge hammer. Unless you are lifting tons of weight it will go real easy, and you can be very precise. This saves the risk of kick back with the jack.
If there’s not a lot of weight on the floor, your risk of kickback is minimal
@@ConcordCarpenter if one does everything right the risk of kick back is minimal anyway. I've done the jack way for years, and still do for real heavy lifts. I've just found this method to be quick and easy, and I figured I would share it. Fewer moving parts means fewer trips to the trailer.
I agree with many that this is one of the best you tube videos i have seen as DIYer.
@@KristinSeaver thx
You did an excellent presentation by any measure. You make sense, speak clearly and a perfect pace! Thank you. Next, Flitch plates.
I'm a structural engineer- I watched your video because I was curious what you were doing. Most of your video seemed to be sound information. When you are strengthening a joist by adding on pieces of plywood, or even when sistering a joist you should add on pieces as long as you can make them, otherwise you can have problems where the shorter piece ends, it won't transfer its share of the bending stress back into the main joist. When you are working around plumbing penetrations you could rip the joist, put 2 notches in it, and fit one piece above the pipe and one piece below the pipe, then connect those pieces to the joist with more screws. For a notch at the top or at the bottom of a joist you would have to sister on both sides of the joist with shallower pieces. As for jacking up pieces of wood- a joist can take a permanent set over the years due to load and you may not be able to get all of that out by jacking up the joist before reinforcing it so be careful with that.
Being a structural engineer means nothing tbh, I just had an engineer draw up a repair for a truss on the bottom chord, he has me infill, has me sister sister each side with the 2x4 extending 2 foot past the infill on each side. Nail pattern is on a zig zag every 3 inch. That’s all fine ig, then he has me rip 3 qtr plywood to sister on the top and the bottom of all that with nails on 3 inch. That was just last week, they let anyone become an engineer and half of em just make sh! t up and leave zero detail on the drawling.
@@Billybob-go8hn He's not just making sh- up. APA, SBCA, BCSI, MiTek, they all have design procedures for repairing wood trusses and gussets. It's not rocket science.
@@Loonypapa you obviously have never built a house in your life. The bottom chord is pulling, why would you need to over kill with plywood on the top and bottom. I’ve dealt with engineers like this guy, I just go to another guy with some sense. Nothing in this video was done wrong, he is a book smart engineer worth nothing. I’d love to see his crappy drawlings.
@@Loonypapa one day you’ll learn every project is different and not everything always works. That’s why engineers should have mandatory on site training.
@@Billybob-go8hn Unfortunately not all engineers are equal but I have the experience and the education to know what I'm doing.
Thanks, Rob!! We have an old barn here in Maine. We host live music events and need this structural work done to help with bouncy floors. This is great information and I appreciate you sharing your tricks of the trade!
@@ContinuumArtsCollective really glad it helped. You might want to ask a S.E to evaluate if your a public venue
As an electrician that does all manner of home remodeling/repairs/additions, fishing wires without strapping is nearly impossible without doing some kind of damage to finished ceilings. There is simply no way to gain access or fish a wire anywhere that is useful. I install tons of wafer lights in existing homes, and with strapping, I can put them just about anywhere.
Ah I was wondering on that. A 3/4" centre-bore won't weaken the joist, but you'll need to cut the full length of drywall to run new cable. Strapping would be a nice straight channel you could easily fish through, and wafer lights don't even need you to mount a box.
Great video. I've watched a lot of your videos, and I've been consistently impressed with how clearly you organize your content and explain the details.
Also, I've seen a lot of your videos on tool reviews, which are very well done. There are a lot of people on RUclips who review tools. When I see that you also make content on how to sister joists in very old buildings when you run across all kinds of tricky site-specific situations, I can tell that you're not just a RUclips creator but also a guy who has worked for a long time as an actual carpenter who had to figure out solutions to fix issues with old homes.
Great work all around. I've lived in old houses with both sagging and creaky floors, and I know that the old floor that you sistered with LVLs is going to be quiet and much more level than it was before you started. I think all the people living in that house for the next hundred years will be very happy with the results!
I can't imagine the number of people who will be helped by the information presented here. So many tips and rules! Worth repeated views!
I have been scouring the internet for direction on the best way to salvage the floor in my over 100 year old home.
Your video was perfect. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
This just gave me clear information about what I am wanting to do in our over 100+ year old farm house (we are uncertain of the actual year built but it has old cabin like beams on the outside walls and some supports in the under "basement crawl space" )
I see a lot of grateful folks in your field...but I just wanted to thank you for helping those of us > not in this field < comprehend things with your concise explanation! Our 35+- year old house was built on a Friday at 5pm and had liberal exercising of "open" spaces. Our office and one of our sitting rooms sit on top of a finished "open concept" basement and have more bounce than we can tolerate. I have been looking for such thorough explanation of the problem and what proper solutions look like.
This is a great video. I've never heard anyone talk about this - and probably the reason is that it is a much bigger and more expensive job to tear up the whole floor and redo it. I think I might be able to use this at some point, and there are many great ideas here. Thank you do an honest, clear and helpful video.
👏 I’m a Carpenter and do mostly concrete formwork . currently redoing my bathroom and ran into some rotted flooring and ran into your videos and will say that I love how thorough your vids are 👌 thanx for the content
This is honestly one of the most informative videos I've ever seen on RUclips to learn about something I had no freakin clue how to address. Thanks!
Glad it helped please subscribe
i only itended to watch the first 4-5 mins for entertainment purpose, ended up watching the whole thing and learned something new! incredible presentation, was hooked without feeling wrestless.
This is vital and very helpful information! Thank you for posting this.
Glad you like it, thanks for commenting
I bought a house and I needed to learn basic home work. This video is gold. Thanks for sharing.
I've recently tiled my bathroom. Room is much heavier than what it was.... I've seen no movement or damage to the joist (plasterboard is off on the ceiling downstairs)... But I've had this horrid feeling whenever I bath that I'm going to fall through the floor 😂 thanks for the vid, will be sistering the joist soon enough!
Best video for sister beams on RUclips IMHO! Thank you for the information.
Thank you for this. I've spent a few months just soaking up all the information i can about how to fix up our building. Still trying to get a structural engineer. this video helps a lot!
Thank you very much for taking the time to share your hard earned knowledge. It’s very generous and many people benefit from it and appreciate it.
I also really appreciated the slow careful explanation paired with well lit video. With my hearing difficulties I had no trouble tracking the explanation
Rob Thank you for your detailed explaining. It helps many to understand how or why things are done a certain way. Look forward to other videos of yours.
Nate
Excellent information taken directly from experience. The info I trust always come from those who have done it and have the ability to explain it simply. If you can’t do that it means you only have a superficial understanding. So thank you for giving the direction I need to go. Cheers
New subscriber here. I recently found some damage due to water and termites. Took care of the problems but now I need to get the plywood and also the sill and joists replaced. When I have a structural engineer check it at least I have some idea of what he’s talking about. Thanx for a great video
I have a 120+ year-old basement that needs joint sistering and replacing of the blocking. Most of the joists are full of more than a century of holes from plumbing and electrical installations, and the blocking is shrunken 1/2"x1/2" pieces that are barely held in piece by 1" nails that barely touch the joists at all. Thanks so much for showing how to do this. It's a great help!
Are you doing it yourself or hiring help? I'd love to hear more because I have the exact same situation.
Excellent video. I did a job like this last year and I did pick up some tips that would have helped. Thanks for the video.
Great video. I probably have PTSD from that very enthusiastic presentation, but great stuff!
Always fun finding what crazy past homeowners have done in old houses. Have a room in my house with the ceiling 10in joists notched down to only 4in left for an upstairs bathroom.
classic
The man who built my house father in law worked at the local dump, it shows...
Blocking in those notches where possible, helps.
Same here had "professionals" do our bathroom years ago and they have cut one of the joists nearly in half for pipes and wasn't even used for pipes in the end
Extremely informative to a novice! Thank you for sharing!
This really depends upon the span length which in this video seems about maximum. Otherwise you might need to increase the board width like upgrading 2 by 8's to 2 by 10's. No one wants a center floor post. If it is in the basement however consider adding them, this increases structural integrity substantially. You might consider blocking on the ends if room permits, doing these will help improve earthquake survive ability Often in Missouri I have seen a metal I-been added later to get rid of sagging. Always make sure that the crown of the board goes UP to meet the downward force. Quality work inspires custom fitting and finished mastery, as you have done here. Also you do not have to pull all metal off the old joists, sometimes cutting them off flush works well.
thx
I lived in an old Victorian house (2nd floor) and had to put in a support beam under my dining room floor. Three 2x10s didn't do it. I wound up installing a 3/8 x 9" steel flitch plate in that beam. That took the bounce out of it.
Thanks Rob. This is a subject that is not really covered. Great Info!
Take into consideration what is above the joists also before jacking them up especially if there is floor tiling as it will crack the tiles and mortar if they aren't already which can lead to whole bathroom remodel that wasn't in the budget or time.
Great vid, bro! You are a gifted speaker, and the info is nice and dense. No fluff. Great job!
thanks
7 1/4 lvl good choice . We would have NOT overcut the notched joist ends , better to use a jigsaw to finish that cut and not weaken the joists.
Also glue the new joist to the existing. And add a rim board under the new floor joists bolted to the foundation or even better a wall on both sides if possible to carry the load , since the notch only leaves about 4” on the sill.
Actually the best option in this case is to fully block the stud bay and let it rest on that blocking. Especially with an LVL. LVL's require a minimum bearing area.
@@Loonypapa both excellent options - especially if we were building a new floor system. A rim underneath was not viable here. Here we were sistering and reinforcing the existing floor. We added way more than enough strength.
Liked the part on strapping the ceiling for future wiring. Never gave that a thought. 👍
Thanks man, that was really great instruction! I am strengthening beam that has had part of it cut off and was searching for info on how to correctly do it. Your video helped more that asking from reddit. And I must say, as an electrician, when in the end you talked about helping probable wiring in the future I almost had a tear to my eye :D It is unfortunately so common that on site every man thinks about himself and getting work done fast and to get quicly away with money. We are building houses that may last generations, it's good to help each other and to look into future so others after us can be proud to see what we have done and appreciate our foresight.
@@Henry_R amen brother - glad this helped you
Well done. Very helpful. Any additional tips for accomplishing this in crawl spaces?
Southern Carpenter here: I've never seen that strapping technique in a ceiling, so I guess it might be a Northeastern thing! Thanks for all the very clear and straightforward tips and the excellent and extremely professional presentation.
Yes its totally a NE thing
Thank you fpr taking the time to do this video. Very informative and has helped me with my project.
Very informative and useful info, after reading some of the comments it appears that’s there are many different yet effective ways to achieve the same desired outcome. Happy Building 💪🏽
Great video! I use structural steel L's with carriage bolts. It retains the height of the ceiling a bit more expensive but it works.
New sub! First time I ever subscribed after watching only one video. You kept me engaged! I just bought a 100 yo home and I'm considering to take on the remodel myself, WHAT?! I have 0 experience but I am a hands on learner that think that if one person can do it, so can I. 😀 Thank you!
Thanks and welcome!
Very Informative. I have a old Farm House I need to sister my 2nd floor joists and I will definitely use these methods to accomplish my job. Thanks for posting.
Good luck
Here in flyover county I use metal strapping to reduce sound wave transfer.
A contractor tip in Fine Homebuilding magazine showed a method of jacking the floor with a 2x4 backstrap across the joists and the using jack screws at 3 even locations to provide tension and level the floor upstairs. At even space you use Simpson strapping thats 2” wide and .026” thick galvanized steel with pre drilled holes in it so you use #8 TICO nails and start at one end up joist on the side top and and the middle fold over and go up the other side to the top of the other end. Do this for 3 or 4 evenly spaced joists. He said he had excellent results and you maintain ability for lighting, insulation and other sound deadening products in between the joist bays. I”m looking at using this method to fix my bouncy upstairs floors in my 1962 split level that used bare minimum 6 x 8 joists for the span. I’ve already used 2x6 dry wood blocking method under my main bedroom over the garage with good results. The blocking is ok in the garage area as I won’t be doing any heavy soundproofing like I will in the basement. I’ve searched YT and haven’t found anyone posting up any pics or vids of this method and the results.
Nice work, Rob. Great detail. Level V Flat…Always a tough choice.
Good and comprehensive. I'm hesitant to put in strapping, as 3/4" centre-bored joists comfortably fit 3 NM cables, keep them well clear of any future screws, and I don't believe significantly weakens the joist.
Great video and good info. Have a safe trip this week.
Amazing to see REAL CARPENTERS... love it!
115-yr old farmhouse: Getting ready to repair a notched joist at both ends. The ends slip into a carrier beam, about 8x8. Both ends have split at the notch. I will be sistering both sides of the joist by jacking up the center, glue and screw the sisterings, then attach the sister + joist using a custom joist hanger with 3/8" lags screwed into the carrier beam. The joists in this house are old, and dry. Would blocking still be a benefit to add through the rest of the floor joists? I hadn't planned on sistering all the joists at this point as the remaining joists haven't split. Thank you for your assistance.
I’m leveling the trusses in the attic I. I built a beam inside across and using H2/5 hanggers and fishing line for a guide I’m ready to put the 1/4 inch finish plywood ceiling.
Ok. That was awesome! Thank you. I'll join as soon as I can.
VARY good information for my project. It's hard to get good information these days. Thank-You.
I've got exactly this problem and haven't been able to find a local contractor (high demand in my area). Your video is terrific and you explain the process so well I think I can tackle this job myself. Thanks for this!
Glad it helped!
Great video! Everything was explained very well. You also got straight into it. Great information in a short video.
Excellent pro-tips, that sets your channel apart, many thanks.
@@wordimobi5765 thx!
I'm not a pro or even in the industry, but this was a very informative video. Nice job.
My house is a balloon frame built with old barn beams by the original owner back in the '50s. The first-floor joists are 6" round "trees" flattened on the top. The centre walls weren't stacked on the main beam, so I have a major drop (2"-3") between the beam and the wall and the outside wall and inside wall because the wall is the support for the second floor. Even the openings for the basement and upstairs stairways didn't have any support or proper headers.
I have wanted to redo the main floor joists for a while and this video has pretty much laid out what I had planned. The only difference is that I am going to remove the existing "trees", one at a time as I add the new joists and I will be going 16" on centre instead of the roughly 24" that is there now.
The second floor is somewhat better, having old-style beams of a true 2" x 5", but they are on about 30" centres, so I will be adding new joists between them.
That beveling trick is a good idea.
Good video! I stumbled upon this looking for something else.Glad to see you emphasize bearing points, nailing/fastening patterns, and bridging and or blocking. They all have to work together to maintain structural integrity. My only other thought is to not over cut your notch at the plate and or bearing point and sometimes add a hanger to the bottom of your sister joist if possible. Great video!!!
Thx
Thank you for this! So much extremely helpful information here
This is exactly the information I need. You have confirmed the method I planned on using to repair my shed floor. Thanks!
I wish I was the painter on that job!
The windows look like a good time
Thanks for the vid, the loft space in my garage is sagging quite a bit and has since I've moved in.
Thank you this is the best video, I’ve seen in a while, I appreciate the detail
Great advice my 100yr old house used 2x8 joists (16" centers) and they sag plus they bounce from lack of blocking. Im going to use your 3/4 plywood method, blocking and strapping. Should take out a lot of the bounce when walking on floor above
Use as long length plywood as possible
thanks for your video I am planing to reinforce the floor in my house ,, very clear simple information perfect...all the best
Good video ! I've got to do it on my old house but beam are rather like halt tree(the side are round).... beginning to do research of the best way to do it....
Wow this video is insanely helpful. Top notch communication, thanks man!
@@shaquileoatmeal7365 thanks please consider subscribing
good tips. I've seen people sister joist with regular and wet lumber lol. Not really a good idea. Also I prefer a good solid cross bridging over blocking. However in this case I feel the blocking is good.
Never did the strapping not a bad idea extra bracing as well as shim
I appreciate the help and explanations. I was currently working with a predrilled and used section of a joist to install a ceiling fan... well. I screwed in one screw, and it led to a crack to the placeholder screw hole for the saddle box.... im getting second opinions on strengthening this spot and how to before this fan goes up before next summer!!
So glad I discovered your channel. Great information, right on time!! Many thanks!! 😄
We straightened and solidified an old dining room floor by first fastening the center points of new 2x10s an inch or so lower than the tops of the old joists from down in the basement. Our new 2x10s were cut shy of the bearing plate so when we applied glue and bent the ends up into place this put an upward thrust on each old joist and we fastened it there. We used a slightly long jack post and kicked or wedged the ends up into position. The floor was super solid, no bounce and miraculously level.
Thanks for explaining 👍👍
Good stuff! I’m a DIYer mentored by generations of kin, neighbors and peers that were either raised by or lived through The Depression. You fancy. Stay safe. Water wins.
In an installation I had where there was limited access, I found spanning the full 14 foot length of both sides of a sagging beam with half inch osb, staggering the joints on opposing sides of the joist, and using construction adhesive in combination with structural screws, made a 2x10 joist feel as strong, or stronger, than a 2x10 joist over just an 8 foot span.
I’m doing this with my deck, this is exactly what I needed