Metal Floor Joists Vs Wood

I ve been told that a wood beam will work but i ve always seen steel i beams in other houses.

Metal floor joists vs wood. The idea was and still is to create a better load bearing system to support building structures and to facilitate the open floor plans that became increasingly popular toward the turn of the century. They weigh roughly half what an equivalent wood joist does making them a lot easier to maneuver. Since then this design solution for architects and engineers has evolved to support large floor areas and large roof spaces of up to and over 100 feet wide. Though i joist sales per housing start have increased about 6 over the last two years the trend has slowed considerably.

However most of the increase results from the national builders market share growth. And you don t have to cull through or crown joist material steel joists are flat and consistently dimensioned. Two types of engineered joists are most frequently used in floor systems today. I joists have major advantages in high volume construction with standard layouts.

Steel joists have other advantages over wood. The proprietary design allows totaljoist to be installed similar to wood i joists. The advantages of open web floor trusses are beginning to decelerate the growth of ewp. As steel mining became more practical over the years metal was added to form steel reinforced trusses eventually giving way to steel joists.

Open web trusses with wood webbing held together with metal plates. Both joists and beams can be made with solid and engineered wood and with steel. In the late 1950 s redbuilt s founders invented an innovative composite steel and engineered wood open web truss. Some of the small gain is due to the continuation of the replacement of solid sawn joists.

I m getting ready to build a large room addition that needs a beam to support the floor joists. Some homebuilders also like to use wood i joists or joists made with laminated wood for greater strength and more uniform sizing standard framing lumber has natural inconsistencies. Totaljoist is an easy to install cold formed steel floor joist that offers a robust simplified framing solution compared to traditional wood or steel joists. Wood i joists with dimension lumber top and bottom chords and osb web.

Joists are most commonly solid lumber such as 2 x 6 and larger boards.