Timber Framers Guild Forums Tools Timberframe Design floor joist sizes

I've got a chance to get a bunch of 6X6 pine from a barn that will be dissassembled. So I'm wondering if this is big enough for floor joists? I'm thinking probably yes with appropriate spacing. What's typical for floor joists?

All of the tie beams are 36ft long (about 14 of them) plus the posts are probably almost 25 ft (18 of them) and some misc others. Another guy is getting the wide pine siding(darn!)

http://bp0.blogger.com/_8N51k5uX1UU/R4G-I0O-w4I/AAAAAAAAABc/2SSFnNI_qh4/s1600-h/Barn6.jpg

looks like it's in great condition... nice find

6x6 is a bit light for floor joists, I would think of 6x6 as posts/studding and rafters/bracing.

Hi,

I find it difficult to understand why anyone in their right mind would want to tear down a such a wonderful barn as this which appears to be in supperb condition and would easily lend itself to conversion to other uses.

Is it just me ?

Regards

Ken Hume

I'm with you Ken. I wish my old barn looked that nice. What a shame to be parted out like that.

Karl Hines

Absolutely a shame to tear that barn down, it looks perfect just like it is. I cant imagine those timbers being reassembled in new construction being better than the way it looks now. nonetheless Great find. Mark, why would 6x6 be light for joists seems like perfect dimension for joists ? The deflection values?

Unless the spacing is known and the span is known, as well as the intended load, 6x6 could be too small or way too big.....

For a typical first floor load a 6x6 in eastern white pine can span 11' at 24" o.c. The reason why they are rarely used this way is because a rectangular section is much more efficient in a simple load bearing beam. For example 6x6 will fail in bending over a 12' span, but a 4x8 will suffice even though its cross section is 4 sq. inches smaller! (although deflection is a little high).

But perhaps the best reason not to use 6x6's as joists is that they depart from the golden section, unlike the beauty of a 4x6.5, 5x8, or 6x10. And who can argue with fibonaci?

oh and or course, it is a really lovely barn already....

Oh, the barn condition is not perfect by any means. To save it would mean a number of repairs, though not impossible. You see the light in the corner? That corner is missing. The post is gone. Not sure what happened. about 1/3 of the floor you see is bad. Some damage on ends of some posts below and lower portion of siding. This barn is well ventilated currently. It would take a fair amount of work to repair, but as I said, could be done. It does have a very nice feel to it though the head room on the second floor needs to be increased. I'm 5'9 and someone 6 foot would some close to bumping their head on the tie beams. The first floor is dirt/mud floor where animals were once kept. Any post near the ground have some degree of damage or rot. As to their decision to take it down, well they decided that and we have no say in it. At least the materials will be reused and not wasted, unlike our very large family barn that had massive 20Xsomething 50 foot beams that sat out back and rotted after the barn was taken down. That was when I was 13. Had we only known better...
That is correct that I did not give enough information to determine if 6X6 pine were sufficient for a specific application, but I was just asking if they were commonly used in general. Of course for a specific application you'd have to calculate the load on a floor and how close you'd have to space them to acheive deflection within acceptable limits and bending stress with appropriate margin of safety(built into the loading actually).