floor joist sizes
#13835
01/10/08 03:29 PM
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Joined: Jan 2007
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brad_bb
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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?
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Re: floor joist sizes
[Re: brad_bb]
#13841
01/10/08 07:47 PM
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 195
frwinks
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looks like it's in great condition... nice find
there's a thin line between hobby and mental illness
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Re: floor joist sizes
[Re: frwinks]
#13843
01/10/08 11:16 PM
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,124
Mark Davidson
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6x6 is a bit light for floor joists, I would think of 6x6 as posts/studding and rafters/bracing.
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Re: floor joist sizes
[Re: Mark Davidson]
#13847
01/11/08 09:00 AM
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 961
Ken Hume
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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
Looking back to see the way ahead !
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Re: floor joist sizes
[Re: Ken Hume]
#13848
01/11/08 11:19 AM
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 53
kfhines
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I'm with you Ken. I wish my old barn looked that nice. What a shame to be parted out like that.
Karl Hines
"When dictatorship is a fact, revolution becomes a right." Victor Hugo
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Re: floor joist sizes
[Re: ]
#13862
01/11/08 09:36 PM
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Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 242
timber brained
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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?
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Re: floor joist sizes
[Re: Mark Davidson]
#13864
01/11/08 09:54 PM
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,687
Jim Rogers
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6x6 is a bit light for floor joists, I would think of 6x6 as posts/studding and rafters/bracing. 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.....
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
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Re: floor joist sizes
[Re: Jim Rogers]
#13866
01/11/08 10:24 PM
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Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 137
Paul Freeman
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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....
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Re: floor joist sizes
[Re: Jim Rogers]
#13875
01/13/08 06:26 AM
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 603
brad_bb
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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).
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