Girders And Floor Beams

You may hear the words girder and beam used interchangeably but important differences distinguish the two from one another.

Girders and floor beams.

Wet rot on floor joists girders. 1 place a joist flat atop the girders and. Beam is a flexural member subjected to gravity loadinds while girder is also a fl. For more information on built up wood floor beams or wood ceiling beams also called girders see the girder section of rough framing in woodworking online.

Floor joists or beams provide the below surface support for the wood subfloor of a room. Difference between beam and girder. This video shows the difference between beam and girder with 3d animation. Understanding how a girder is different from a beam is a necessary skill for any builder engineer or construction worker.

Flush beams are built in such a fashion so that the the of the girder ends up the same level as the top of the joists. Drop girders are also the only practical way to repair a week floor system. Now it s time to move on to. This type of girder requires the beam be notched where it rests on the foundation wall.

Some of those options include laminated veneer and strand lumbers i joist and rim boards glulam beams. Beams are horizontal members and one of the most commonly designed elements of structure typically intended to carry distributed loads such as parallel walls or tributary areas of the floor and roof systems. Also called soft rot this fungus is known to break wet wood down into cellulose which will significantly weaken and decompose the material when choosing between replacing and reinforcing joists that have been damaged look carefully at the color of the wood. In buildings that have joists beams and girders the joists carry the direct floor loads transferring these loads to the beams which in turn transfer the loads to girders which transfer the loads to the vertical.

For photos of floor joists with floor beams and posts see the house framing section of our house building blog. Next tutorial section roof framing. Girders are the main horizontal supports of a structure and support smaller beams. In addition we carry a wide selection of lumber and boards.

Generally a girder is heavier than a beam meaning that if either spans a wider gap or carries a heavier load or supports beams. Whenever possible install joists that extend from one edge of the floor to the opposite edge which eliminates lapping the ends of joists at a girder.