In my current abode they used floor trusses for both the first and
second floor. From the basement I have easy access (for now) to the
first floor trusses. They are great in that they allow for such a long
span and a very open floor plan. However - there is a fair amount of
bounce in the floors, especially when two kids get a little excited
running around the house. This is especially true in the kitchen area
which has cabinets all around, heavy appliances, island, etc. so I
suspect that this added "normal" load makes them a little more flexible.
Does anyone have any suggestions for how to stiffen or strengthen these
trusses? There is currently one strongback going across the trusses
about mid-span between the supported ends. This isn't something that I
am afraid has been under-engineered to start with. From my reading of
some span tables, etc the spans are well within what they can be for
that size of truss. I'm just looking to reduce the rattling of
glasses/light fixtures, etc when the kids go jumping.
Some ideas I have had are:
1) Add additional strongbacks. How big is useful? Would a 2x6 do much
or do I need a 2x10 or 2x12 before it does any good? Going around
heating ducts and drain lines could prove somewhat a challenge to get
bigger sized material in place.
2) Put in some kinds of cross-bracing between the trusses - like you
normally see for normal joists. Allows for easier maneuvering around
utilities. This of course begs the question - wood or metal.
3) Add plywood gussets on the truss sides where I can. Because of
heating ducts, plumbing, etc, there are some places that I couldn't, but
most places I could. Does it help/hurt to only do this on one side? Do
the extra fasteners into the 2x4's hurt their strength?
4) Do some/any of the above after jacking up the center of the truss by
a small amount (1/4" ??) so that the re-enforcing is taking the load
right away.
Any other brainstorms?
Thanks - Dan
In my experience of actually having to stiffen some undesized floor
trusses (12" deep trusses, spaning ~20')
Adding material (2x6) to the bottom chord was the easiest effective
means to stiffen. Glue & pin nail for best stiffness. slight jacking
would also be helpful. You could just put a temporary post at
midspan..
Cross bracing is not very effective for impact load sharing unless it
its VERY well fit & also glued.
With a 2' truss spacing perhaps the plywood floor deck is part of the
problem? Like a plywood drum.
cheers
Bob
Jim's comment about the value of a continuous tension tie across the
bottom of the blocking is right on the money.
The CBA(?) has a number of research projects about the stiffness /
"feel" of wooden floor systems & has developed criteria for avoiding
springiness.
The tension tie w/ well fit blocking could help develop "two way slab"
behavior in the wooden floor system
cheers
Bob
"J" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Engineering is difficult to do over usenet, but here are some general
> comments.
>
>
> "Dan Oelke" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
snip
> > 2) Put in some kinds of cross-bracing between the trusses - like you
> > normally see for normal joists. Allows for easier maneuvering around
> > utilities. This of course begs the question - wood or metal.
>
> Again, just spreads the load a bit, but doesn't add much in the way of
> strength.
Properly installed X bracing between joists does not add strength but it
does add stiffness, just what the OP wants.
>
> 2) Put in some kinds of cross-bracing between the trusses - like you
> normally see for normal joists. Allows for easier maneuvering around
> utilities. This of course begs the question - wood or metal.
>
I would try the metal cross braces that should lock everything up nice &
tight & be a fairly easy fix. at least on the basement ceiling level.
Teamcasa wrote:
> Ask a competent structural engineer. Any comments made here would made
> without sufficient structural facts.
>
> OTHO, Having had to stiffen a floor in one of our dealerships, I boxed the
> floor trusses with 3/8" plywood, glued and nailed. Made it very stout,
> however I had no obstructions to deal with.
>
> My engineer winced, shrugged his shoulders and walked off shaking his head.
>
> Dave
As an engineer (but not structural) I know that anything discussed here
is not what I am going to base my decision on - BUT it can be a great
way to get ideas and help sort out some of the options. On purpose I
didn't give enough details for anyone to even start making calculations
so that this would be kept more as a brainstorming situation.
Of course - this isn't to add "needed" strength - just to reduce the
flex that is normal in any floor. (save maybe a poured on grade concrete
slab). Because this isn't necessary to keep the building standing I
feel a lot more comfortable with hill-billy style engineering <grin>.
Basically boxing the trusses was one of my ideas - with a few
appropriate cutouts where needed.
Thanks for the input!
Dan
J wrote:
> Engineering is difficult to do over usenet, but here are some general
> comments.
Agreeded - but this is for additions to something that is sufficiently
strong to start with and I'm just looking for ideas. I do tend to
calculate what is needed, double it for my plans, and then double it
again while building such that SWMBO constantly asks why the lumber bill
is so big. <grin>
>>
>>1) Add additional strongbacks. How big is useful? Would a 2x6 do much
>>or do I need a 2x10 or 2x12 before it does any good? Going around
>>heating ducts and drain lines could prove somewhat a challenge to get
>>bigger sized material in place.
>
>
> All this does is spread the load over adjoining trusses. What you have their
> already is probably doing most of the work. Not the biggest bang for the
> buck.
>
>
>
>>2) Put in some kinds of cross-bracing between the trusses - like you
>>normally see for normal joists. Allows for easier maneuvering around
>>utilities. This of course begs the question - wood or metal.
>
>
> Again, just spreads the load a bit, but doesn't add much in the way of
> strength.
Yeah - I know that both of these spread the load - but with trusses at
2' on center I was thinking that being able to spread some of the point
load (kid jumping) across 3 or more trusses such that it helps with the
temporary deflection. BUT this is an area where I am just guessing and
don't have much real world experience. I haven't pulled a string, but I
believe that the trusses have stayed pretty straight - they just bounce
a little more than we like.
>
>>3) Add plywood gussets on the truss sides where I can. Because of
>>heating ducts, plumbing, etc, there are some places that I couldn't, but
>>most places I could. Does it help/hurt to only do this on one side? Do
>>the extra fasteners into the 2x4's hurt their strength?
>
>
> Slapping 1/2 plywood on both sides would stiffen things up immensely. One
> side would probably be OK. The amount of eccentricity created is fairly
> minimal. I'd probably use glue and nail every 6 inches or so. The strength
> of the plywood should more than make up for any issues created by nailing
I wasn't initially thinking of gluing the plywood - but that does make a
lot of sense - Duh! Reduces the number of needed fasteners, and makes
it stronger overall. "just a few nails to hold it while the glue dries"
(Saint Norm).
>>4) Do some/any of the above after jacking up the center of the truss by
>>a small amount (1/4" ??) so that the re-enforcing is taking the load
>>right away.
>
>
> If your floor is deflected without load and you want to fix it, then do
> this. Otherwise there is not much need.
>
>
>>Any other brainstorms?
>
>
> You could double up the bottom chord. This will help somewhat if it is well
> attached.
Hmmmm - not a bad idea. I am planning on putting in a ceiling "sometime
soon" and this would be easy and doable without affecting ceiling height
too much. Going with that idea - what about a 2x running alongside the
truss at the top or bottom, glued & nailed. Kind of like putting
plywood on the side, but with 2x material instead. This would leave
more open-space in the middle of the truss (one of the GREAT things
about trusses) but hopefully stiffen things up some. Even better since
I can probably buy some rough sawn air-dried 2x hemlock pretty
reasonable compared to plywood.
Dan
>
> I watched an old TOH classic where their plumber used strongbacks
> on his own house. 'Twas steel plate bolted through the joists. They
> jacked it up to remove the sag, drilled, bolted, and let 'er down.
Hey - I remember seeing that now that you mention it. (very few of
those that I haven't seen at some point). There were a couple of
structures where they replaced or added a big beam, but I remember them
adding steel alongside existing joints in once case just to stiffen the
floor. Steel was used because you would flex as you put it up into
place and then turned on edge, bolted, etc it would stiffen the joist.
Used 1/8" plate (probably 10ga) if I remember correctly. There was also
an episode where they ripped up the floor (to preserve the ceiling
below) and sistered in glu-lam joists to repair plumber work.
> That or a post or two would go a long way toward reducing dish
> rattling until:
>
> A) you get dem wildarsed kids under control
> OR
> B) they grow up. ;)
Posts are out - space below there is supposed to house my pool table
someday soon.
Getting the kids under control.... yeah sure..... besides what happens
if the "kid" is me sometimes?
Some days it seems like the kids will never be growing up. Besides
about then there are grandkids (just ask my parents)
<grin>
Dan
"Dan Oelke"> wrote
> In my current abode they used floor trusses for both the first and second
> floor. From the basement I have easy access (for now) to the first floor
> trusses. They are great in that they allow for such a long span and a
> very open floor plan. However - there is a fair amount of bounce in the
> floors, especially when two kids get a little excited running around the
> house. This is especially true in the kitchen area which has cabinets all
> around, heavy appliances, island, etc. so I suspect that this added
> "normal" load makes them a little more flexible.
>
> Does anyone have any suggestions for how to stiffen or strengthen these
> trusses?
Sister a 2" x 12" on each side of each floor truss.
Then nail 2 x 12 blocking perpendicular between the trusses at 48" o/c.
This is the expensive way, but the floor will be like concrete when you're
done.
Ask a competent structural engineer. Any comments made here would made
without sufficient structural facts.
OTHO, Having had to stiffen a floor in one of our dealerships, I boxed the
floor trusses with 3/8" plywood, glued and nailed. Made it very stout,
however I had no obstructions to deal with.
My engineer winced, shrugged his shoulders and walked off shaking his head.
Dave
"Dan Oelke" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> In my current abode they used floor trusses for both the first and second
> floor. From the basement I have easy access (for now) to the first floor
> trusses. They are great in that they allow for such a long span and a
> very open floor plan. However - there is a fair amount of bounce in the
> floors, especially when two kids get a little excited running around the
> house. This is especially true in the kitchen area which has cabinets all
> around, heavy appliances, island, etc. so I suspect that this added
> "normal" load makes them a little more flexible.
>
> Does anyone have any suggestions for how to stiffen or strengthen these
> trusses? There is currently one strongback going across the trusses about
> mid-span between the supported ends. This isn't something that I am
> afraid has been under-engineered to start with. From my reading of some
> span tables, etc the spans are well within what they can be for that size
> of truss. I'm just looking to reduce the rattling of glasses/light
> fixtures, etc when the kids go jumping.
>
> Some ideas I have had are:
>
> 1) Add additional strongbacks. How big is useful? Would a 2x6 do much or
> do I need a 2x10 or 2x12 before it does any good? Going around heating
> ducts and drain lines could prove somewhat a challenge to get bigger sized
> material in place.
>
> 2) Put in some kinds of cross-bracing between the trusses - like you
> normally see for normal joists. Allows for easier maneuvering around
> utilities. This of course begs the question - wood or metal.
>
> 3) Add plywood gussets on the truss sides where I can. Because of heating
> ducts, plumbing, etc, there are some places that I couldn't, but most
> places I could. Does it help/hurt to only do this on one side? Do the
> extra fasteners into the 2x4's hurt their strength?
>
> 4) Do some/any of the above after jacking up the center of the truss by a
> small amount (1/4" ??) so that the re-enforcing is taking the load right
> away.
>
> Any other brainstorms?
>
> Thanks - Dan
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If, as you indicated, you need more stiffness, not more strength, then if
you were to rigidly attach (with closely spaced fasteners and glue) plywood
to the bottom chords (i.e., install a plywood ceiling skin) you would
effectively have made a sandwich panel (see, for example
http://www.oneoceankayaks.com/Sandcore.htm) of the entire
floor/truss/ceiling structure and that puppy would NOT deflect --
noticeably. It might also require less plywood than would sheathing the
sides of the trusses. However, your electrician/plumber/HVAC technician
might hate you for destroying access -- drop ceilings in basements are
wonderful things. As a practical matter, I think longshot's suggestion of
X-bracing would buy you much more than has been suggested by others
(consider steel stringer bridge deck design) and, as you yourself noted,
would have negligible effect on utilities access (thinking steel X-bracing).
Disclaimer: Either way, I would strongly suggest that you discuss the
matter with the truss manufacturer and the local building code inspector to
tap into practical experience and avoid unpleasant surprises relating to
issues that you, I and others may not have foreseen (code, fire, moisture,
relative wood shrinkage, critters, etc). If you have doubts concerning the
real qualifications of these two resources then a site visit by a bona fide,
residential, structural engineer might be a good investment.
David Merrill
"Dan Oelke" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> In my current abode they used floor trusses for both the first and
> second floor. From the basement I have easy access (for now) to the
> first floor trusses. They are great in that they allow for such a long
> span and a very open floor plan. However - there is a fair amount of
> bounce in the floors, especially when two kids get a little excited
> running around the house. This is especially true in the kitchen area
> which has cabinets all around, heavy appliances, island, etc. so I
> suspect that this added "normal" load makes them a little more flexible.
>
> Does anyone have any suggestions for how to stiffen or strengthen these
> trusses? There is currently one strongback going across the trusses
> about mid-span between the supported ends. This isn't something that I
> am afraid has been under-engineered to start with. From my reading of
> some span tables, etc the spans are well within what they can be for
> that size of truss. I'm just looking to reduce the rattling of
> glasses/light fixtures, etc when the kids go jumping.
>
> Some ideas I have had are:
>
> 1) Add additional strongbacks. How big is useful? Would a 2x6 do much
> or do I need a 2x10 or 2x12 before it does any good? Going around
> heating ducts and drain lines could prove somewhat a challenge to get
> bigger sized material in place.
>
> 2) Put in some kinds of cross-bracing between the trusses - like you
> normally see for normal joists. Allows for easier maneuvering around
> utilities. This of course begs the question - wood or metal.
>
> 3) Add plywood gussets on the truss sides where I can. Because of
> heating ducts, plumbing, etc, there are some places that I couldn't, but
> most places I could. Does it help/hurt to only do this on one side? Do
> the extra fasteners into the 2x4's hurt their strength?
>
> 4) Do some/any of the above after jacking up the center of the truss by
> a small amount (1/4" ??) so that the re-enforcing is taking the load
> right away.
>
> Any other brainstorms?
>
> Thanks - Dan
On Wed, 16 Mar 2005 11:53:33 -0600, Dan Oelke <[email protected]> wrote:
>Any other brainstorms?
You have access to the ground floor at least from the basement:
Strapping [furring strips] every 12". Ties them all together.
Engineering is difficult to do over usenet, but here are some general
comments.
"Dan Oelke" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> In my current abode they used floor trusses for both the first and
> second floor. From the basement I have easy access (for now) to the
> first floor trusses. They are great in that they allow for such a long
> span and a very open floor plan. However - there is a fair amount of
> bounce in the floors, especially when two kids get a little excited
> running around the house. This is especially true in the kitchen area
> which has cabinets all around, heavy appliances, island, etc. so I
> suspect that this added "normal" load makes them a little more flexible.
>
> Does anyone have any suggestions for how to stiffen or strengthen these
> trusses? There is currently one strongback going across the trusses
> about mid-span between the supported ends. This isn't something that I
> am afraid has been under-engineered to start with. From my reading of
> some span tables, etc the spans are well within what they can be for
> that size of truss. I'm just looking to reduce the rattling of
> glasses/light fixtures, etc when the kids go jumping.
>
> Some ideas I have had are:
>
> 1) Add additional strongbacks. How big is useful? Would a 2x6 do much
> or do I need a 2x10 or 2x12 before it does any good? Going around
> heating ducts and drain lines could prove somewhat a challenge to get
> bigger sized material in place.
All this does is spread the load over adjoining trusses. What you have their
already is probably doing most of the work. Not the biggest bang for the
buck.
> 2) Put in some kinds of cross-bracing between the trusses - like you
> normally see for normal joists. Allows for easier maneuvering around
> utilities. This of course begs the question - wood or metal.
Again, just spreads the load a bit, but doesn't add much in the way of
strength.
> 3) Add plywood gussets on the truss sides where I can. Because of
> heating ducts, plumbing, etc, there are some places that I couldn't, but
> most places I could. Does it help/hurt to only do this on one side? Do
> the extra fasteners into the 2x4's hurt their strength?
Slapping 1/2 plywood on both sides would stiffen things up immensely. One
side would probably be OK. The amount of eccentricity created is fairly
minimal. I'd probably use glue and nail every 6 inches or so. The strength
of the plywood should more than make up for any issues created by nailing
>
> 4) Do some/any of the above after jacking up the center of the truss by
> a small amount (1/4" ??) so that the re-enforcing is taking the load
> right away.
If your floor is deflected without load and you want to fix it, then do
this. Otherwise there is not much need.
> Any other brainstorms?
You could double up the bottom chord. This will help somewhat if it is well
attached.
-j
Dan Oelke wrote:
> J wrote:
>> Engineering is difficult to do over usenet, but here are some general
>> comments.
>
> Agreeded - but this is for additions to something that is sufficiently
> strong to start with and I'm just looking for ideas. I do tend to
> calculate what is needed, double it for my plans, and then double it
> again while building such that SWMBO constantly asks why the lumber bill
> is so big. <grin>
The question that comes to my mind is why exactly the flex is occuring--is
the truss as a whole flexing as a rigid body or is there movement within
the truss? Is it actually the truss itself or is it some other portion of
the structure on which the truss is supported? It is really inadequate
stiffness or is the kid hitting a resonance in the structure?
It's important to know what specifically you're fixing before you try to fix
it.
>>>1) Add additional strongbacks. How big is useful? Would a 2x6 do much
>>>or do I need a 2x10 or 2x12 before it does any good? Going around
>>>heating ducts and drain lines could prove somewhat a challenge to get
>>>bigger sized material in place.
>>
>>
>> All this does is spread the load over adjoining trusses. What you have
>> their already is probably doing most of the work. Not the biggest bang
>> for the buck.
>>
>>
>>
>>>2) Put in some kinds of cross-bracing between the trusses - like you
>>>normally see for normal joists. Allows for easier maneuvering around
>>>utilities. This of course begs the question - wood or metal.
>>
>>
>> Again, just spreads the load a bit, but doesn't add much in the way of
>> strength.
>
> Yeah - I know that both of these spread the load - but with trusses at
> 2' on center I was thinking that being able to spread some of the point
> load (kid jumping) across 3 or more trusses such that it helps with the
> temporary deflection. BUT this is an area where I am just guessing and
> don't have much real world experience. I haven't pulled a string, but I
> believe that the trusses have stayed pretty straight - they just bounce
> a little more than we like.
>
>>
>>>3) Add plywood gussets on the truss sides where I can. Because of
>>>heating ducts, plumbing, etc, there are some places that I couldn't, but
>>>most places I could. Does it help/hurt to only do this on one side? Do
>>>the extra fasteners into the 2x4's hurt their strength?
>>
>>
>> Slapping 1/2 plywood on both sides would stiffen things up immensely. One
>> side would probably be OK. The amount of eccentricity created is fairly
>> minimal. I'd probably use glue and nail every 6 inches or so. The
>> strength of the plywood should more than make up for any issues created
>> by nailing
>
> I wasn't initially thinking of gluing the plywood - but that does make a
> lot of sense - Duh! Reduces the number of needed fasteners, and makes
> it stronger overall. "just a few nails to hold it while the glue dries"
> (Saint Norm).
>
>>>4) Do some/any of the above after jacking up the center of the truss by
>>>a small amount (1/4" ??) so that the re-enforcing is taking the load
>>>right away.
>>
>>
>> If your floor is deflected without load and you want to fix it, then do
>> this. Otherwise there is not much need.
>>
>>
>>>Any other brainstorms?
>>
>>
>> You could double up the bottom chord. This will help somewhat if it is
>> well attached.
>
> Hmmmm - not a bad idea. I am planning on putting in a ceiling "sometime
> soon" and this would be easy and doable without affecting ceiling height
> too much. Going with that idea - what about a 2x running alongside the
> truss at the top or bottom, glued & nailed. Kind of like putting
> plywood on the side, but with 2x material instead. This would leave
> more open-space in the middle of the truss (one of the GREAT things
> about trusses) but hopefully stiffen things up some. Even better since
> I can probably buy some rough sawn air-dried 2x hemlock pretty
> reasonable compared to plywood.
>
> Dan
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)
I strengthened a floor by adding a 2 x 4 to the bottom of some floor joists
in a manner similar to the bottom flange of an "I" beam. I glued it with
construction adhesive and screwed it about every 6-8 inches. I ran the
stiffener from support beam to support beam. Wish I had done the entire
house rather than just the kitchen.
There was a study done several years ago concerning the use of solid vs "X"
brace blocking, and several alternatives. The researchers determined that
the best way to stiffen a floor was to use solid blocking between the
joists, nailed tight, and then to install a very strong continuous strap
pulled tightly across the bottom of the joists directly under the blocking
and nailed in place. The effect is to distribute the load between joists.
The problem found with normal X brace blocking or even solid blocking is
that the tension in the bottom chord of the blocking causes it to pull away
from the joist so that the blocking depends upon the compressive strength of
the blocking installation only. The metal strap pulls everything together
and transfers the tension across the joists. While I know that you indicated
that your abode uses trusses, I'm sure that you could make the idea work.
I think this research came from the Canadian Building Code council (or a
similar Canadian organization), but couldn't seem to Google up anything. I
have probably filed the article away, and will see if I can resurrect it
from the archives later today.
Jim Ray, President
McFeely's Square Drive Screws
www.mcfeelys.com
"Dan Oelke" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> In my current abode they used floor trusses for both the first and
> second floor. From the basement I have easy access (for now) to the
> first floor trusses. They are great in that they allow for such a long
> span and a very open floor plan. However - there is a fair amount of
> bounce in the floors, especially when two kids get a little excited
> running around the house. This is especially true in the kitchen area
> which has cabinets all around, heavy appliances, island, etc. so I
> suspect that this added "normal" load makes them a little more flexible.
>
> Does anyone have any suggestions for how to stiffen or strengthen these
> trusses? There is currently one strongback going across the trusses
> about mid-span between the supported ends. This isn't something that I
> am afraid has been under-engineered to start with. From my reading of
> some span tables, etc the spans are well within what they can be for
> that size of truss. I'm just looking to reduce the rattling of
> glasses/light fixtures, etc when the kids go jumping.
>
> Some ideas I have had are:
>
> 1) Add additional strongbacks. How big is useful? Would a 2x6 do much
> or do I need a 2x10 or 2x12 before it does any good? Going around
> heating ducts and drain lines could prove somewhat a challenge to get
> bigger sized material in place.
>
> 2) Put in some kinds of cross-bracing between the trusses - like you
> normally see for normal joists. Allows for easier maneuvering around
> utilities. This of course begs the question - wood or metal.
>
> 3) Add plywood gussets on the truss sides where I can. Because of
> heating ducts, plumbing, etc, there are some places that I couldn't, but
> most places I could. Does it help/hurt to only do this on one side? Do
> the extra fasteners into the 2x4's hurt their strength?
>
> 4) Do some/any of the above after jacking up the center of the truss by
> a small amount (1/4" ??) so that the re-enforcing is taking the load
> right away.
>
> Any other brainstorms?
>
> Thanks - Dan
On Wed, 16 Mar 2005 11:53:33 -0600, the inscrutable Dan Oelke
<[email protected]> spake:
>
>In my current abode they used floor trusses for both the first and
>second floor. From the basement I have easy access (for now) to the
>first floor trusses. They are great in that they allow for such a long
>span and a very open floor plan. However - there is a fair amount of
>bounce in the floors, especially when two kids get a little excited
>running around the house. This is especially true in the kitchen area
>which has cabinets all around, heavy appliances, island, etc. so I
>suspect that this added "normal" load makes them a little more flexible.
>
>Does anyone have any suggestions for how to stiffen or strengthen these
>trusses? There is currently one strongback going across the trusses
>about mid-span between the supported ends. This isn't something that I
>am afraid has been under-engineered to start with. From my reading of
>some span tables, etc the spans are well within what they can be for
>that size of truss. I'm just looking to reduce the rattling of
>glasses/light fixtures, etc when the kids go jumping.
>
>Some ideas I have had are:
>
>1) Add additional strongbacks. How big is useful? Would a 2x6 do much
>or do I need a 2x10 or 2x12 before it does any good? Going around
>heating ducts and drain lines could prove somewhat a challenge to get
>bigger sized material in place.
I watched an old TOH classic where their plumber used strongbacks
on his own house. 'Twas steel plate bolted through the joists. They
jacked it up to remove the sag, drilled, bolted, and let 'er down.
That or a post or two would go a long way toward reducing dish
rattling until:
A) you get dem wildarsed kids under control
OR
B) they grow up. ;)
-
Yea, though I walk through the valley of Minwax, I shall stain no Cherry.
http://diversify.com
On Wed, 16 Mar 2005 11:53:33 -0600, Dan Oelke <[email protected]> wrote:
>3) Add plywood gussets on the truss sides where I can. Because of
>heating ducts, plumbing, etc, there are some places that I couldn't, but
>most places I could. Does it help/hurt to only do this on one side? Do
>the extra fasteners into the 2x4's hurt their strength?
I would do the above but as has been mentioned you might want to check
with a truss company. I've seen this done on new homes but the
plywood was applied prior to the installation of the trusses and
completely covered one side. This was not required but was requested
by the home owner. The duct work and mechanics then had to cut the
plywood for access.
The truss company allowed this as long as the trusses were covered
from end to end. My guess is that this would transfer the load across
the entire length of the truss and to the bearing points. There were
still places where there was only 2'' of plywood on the top and bottom
of the truss where ductwork passed through. There were also butted
joints every 8'.
If I found that I could do this (from the truss guys) I would probably
use a construction adhesive just to help with any squeaks that I might
create with the added fasteners.
Mike O.
For my shed, the building inspector suggested doubling up every third
joist. Not only does it strengthen the floor, but it makes the
bounciness non-uniform. Unfortunately, you'd have to install these
when you build as they'd need to go the full length of the truss to
get the most benefit.
You could add some small steel I-beams at 1/4 and 3/4 span.
You could spray in polyurethane (structural) foam. This won't add
load strength, but may dampen vibrations.
But to know for sure, you really need a structural engineer to look at
it and figure out what's going to work.
As a test, you could try just bracing some of the trusses at the 1/4
or 3/4 point with a 2x4 to the floor and see if it makes a difference.
Use one 2x4 to brace across a number of trusses, and a second to go
from that brace to the floor, like a "T".
Note that truss joists are *supposed* to have cross-bracing between
them to keep them vertical. They have much less bendy-strength than
solid wood joists. IMHO the easiest way to add them is to cut a bunch
of plywood strips as wide as your trusses are tall, custom cut off
squares to fit between the trusses, and use pocket screws to attach
them at the four corners to the two trusses.
I don't know if that will help with bounciness, though.
FYI our house uses TJ-25 floor joists (manufactured I-joists) for 18
foot clear spans and we don't have much bounce in our floors.