Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [span-tables]

33 questions
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Can I use the area above my garage for storage?

The ceiling joists in my garage are 2x8 spaced 24" o.c., and span 21'. The roof load appears to be carried by the walls, so the joists seem to only be in place to hold the drywall. I'd like to use the space for light storage (holiday decorations,…
Tester101
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Acceptable joist depth for a second set of ceiling-only joists

Background I'm installing a new ceiling in the kitchen of the bottom unit of a multi-family home. The house is quite old and uses 2x8 (actually 2"x7.5", not 1.5"x7.5", due to era of lumber) over a 12 foot span, which experience more deflection than…
Steve
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What size/type of window header beam do I need?

I'm looking for some help specifying the type and dimensions of a new window header. The biggest complicating issue is that I only have 7.25" of depth to use for the new header. The goal is to double the size of the window opening in a load-bearing,…
mitchf
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Understanding deck spans for beams.

I've been looking at various span charts for decks and I'm still not quite sure how to calculate it all when you take into account not just the joists, but the beams and posts as well. What we currently have: 23' wide deck attached to house with…
DA01
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How far apart should I space rafters for a 13ft patio?

I'm looking to build a patio roof (shed style) and need to span 13ft. I've found several span tables online, some of them with different maximum distances between the rafters. Is it ok to use 2x8s with 24" OC? - I've used this span calculator with…
funtastic
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How to add ceiling joists to 20ft wide garage

I have a 20x32 detached garage. The garage has a hip roof. There are rafter ties that sit on the top plates. I want to insulate the garage which means adding ceiling joists that rest on the top plates and spaced the same distance as the rafters (16"…
cls1989
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2x10 for deck and roof beam span 14’

I am building a 28L x 8D deck with a metal roof off the house. The deck is going to be only 12 inches off the ground. I’m using 2x10-8 pressure treated for floor joists 16 O.C. And Trex. With my 28’ span I want to only use three posts--one on each…
Dale Gentile
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Can a 2x4 span 14' in a greenhouse roof?

I have seven 24 x 13.302 glass panels that I want to use to build a greenhouse. I also have a lot of 2x4x14s and 2x4x8s that I can use. I would like for the greenhouse to be as close to 14x14 as I can get. Can I span 14' with just 2x4x14s for…
Carrie
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Existing joists span max 17.5in OC - Trex composite says max 16" allowed

Does anyone have experience with pushing the limits of joist span for composite decking? My joists are generally 16" OC but a few gaps are up to 17.5" max (one has a short section at 18"). I'm worried that the composite or even 5/4" pressure treated…
chub500
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Header size for enlarged opening...am I reading this correctly?

I'm enlarging an opening for a front door. I'm trying to work out the header size. Please see attached picture for reference. Structure: As the structure of my house doesn't match what is in the code as reference points, I'm taking what I would…
Oldoldhouseguy
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Will a 4x8 swingset beam with 4x6 notches at either end support a 16 foot span?

Non-engineer here, I'm trying to adapt a typical "A-frame swingset design" (like this https://www.instructables.com/id/Free-standing-A-Frame-Swing-Set/) to be a small set of traveling rings for the kids (inspired by these:…
john_fries
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What lower-profile options do I have to replace a triple 2x12 beam?

I am removing a center post on my patio cover to create a clear span of 15'. The current beam is 2 2x8s with three 4x4 posts. I have had a engineer friend calculate the load for the roof (pic attached). His recommendation is to replace the beam with…
Duvall
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Strengthening existing 2x4 joists to create a mini attic

Between the first and second floor of a friend's house he has about 4' of dead space between floors that he wants me to help convert into storage (this is in San Francisco, so every square foot counts!). He got the idea from a similar space in my…
daveola
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Can I Notch a Double 2x12 Floor Joist Down to 2x6 Size (5.5 inches) if I need a 2x8 (7.25) per My Local Span Table

I have a 12' span with a floor joist that is currently 2 2x12's. It was originally a 16'+ span with an attic opening that was 3' wide thus the reason for the double 2x12's. I'm installing an L staircase to the attic (live load, but no bathroom or…
newbie
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joist bridge for hanging porch seating

Want to build and hang a "bed/sofa" 64Lx32W on PT deck w/PT 7x2x10' rafters 16"oc. Spacing of rafters wrong for hanging. I can cut down size of the seating, but it defeats objective. QUESTION: can I place 4 "bridge supports" (for hanging bed @…
Bill
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