Floor Joists Front To Back

You can notch and bore joists without sacrificing critical strength but you must follow the rules.

Floor joists front to back.

In a semi it seems obvious that ground floor suspended floors should have joists running back to front so that most of the air bricks can be at front and back. This size is no longer acceptable when framing a structure. Floor joists installed on second or third or higher levels double as ceiling joists for the level below. Follow the rules to keep your floor solid.

Therefore you should consider. The floor was normally covered with square edged softwood boards and finished with a lath and plaster ceiling usually 3 coats of lime plaster. The floor joists under the wood floor hold the sub floor in place. The direction of the joists can either be party wall to party wall or front to back.

The joists were trimmed around fireplaces and stair openings as shown in the graphic. I suppose there are some general rules about joist layout. While personal preference is a factor the direction in which you run hardwood flooring boards is governed by visual and structural guidelines. On first floors it seems that it might depend on downstairs openings windows and doors.

If your home is more than 20 years old your floor joists are most likely solid wood 2x8s 2x10s or 2x12s. The correct direction for laying hardwood floors. In the past 2x4s or 2x6s were sometimes used as floor joists. If you are installing hardwood in the front room of your house you should take into consideration where the front door is located.