At its core, our home includes many essential parts that keep it together. Behind each wall and beneath the floors is framing—often comprised of wood beams—and this is like the bones of the house. Your floor joists support the home and ensure floors look flat and even. Read on to learn more about what you should know about floor joists as a homeowner.
What Are Floor Joists?
Floor joists are essential to your home’s overall structure, as these horizontal slats of wood are a part of your home’s framing. Builders place these before the subfloor so that the house is structurally sound. These pieces also attach to the bottom of header joists, helping to support walls. Usually, builders use concrete, steel, or wood to construct floor joists. Wood beams can break down or rot due to water damage.
Best Material for Floor Joists
Stainless steel floor joists are often ideal because, unlike wood, they won’t rot or break down if there’s a flood or other water damage. However, many houses have wooden floor joists because they’re more budget friendly. But if these get damaged or break down, repairs are expensive.
The Problem With Wood
Wood floor joists can become problematic because they’re at higher risk of succumbing to damage. How? If you have moisture in your crawl space or basement, the water vapor could cause the joists to rot, making them break more easily.
The Importance of Floor Joists
There’s no denying that floor joists are vital to a properly built home, and a problem with them can impact your house’s overall structure. For example, a broken floor joist could lead to doors sticking or uneven floors within other areas of your home. And this signifies that the structure may no longer be sound.
Repairing Floor Joists
Another thing homeowners should know about floor joists is that fixing them isn’t a home repair to wait on. If your floors appear to be sagging, you notice gaps under the baseboards, or you see otherwise unlevel floors, your floor joists may need a repair. Ignoring weak floor joists can decrease your home’s stability. As your house naturally settles, the problem could become even worse. An expert can repair this by going into your home’s crawl space.
Contact Us
You can count on The Crack Guys for floor joist repair! We’re experts when it comes to fixing foundational problems within your home. As a family-owned company, we take pride in restoring your home to ensure you no longer have to worry. Keep your home in perfect condition!
