Needs Pictures: 0
Results 1 to 15 of 15
-
21st November 2022, 12:05 PM #1Senior Member
- Join Date
- Aug 2021
- Location
- Sydney
- Posts
- 241
Acceptable variance in joist height for levelling the floor?
Me again!
I've finished putting down the pine joists. Lot of work! But turned out well.
IMG_5260_smaller.jpg
For various reasons I didn't get them all at the same height. I've been running a long straight edge to spot check and I reckon there might be at most 4-5mm variation at some places (haven't checked everywhere yet). I'll be putting 19mm yellow tongue on it. How much is considered acceptable?
If need be I can do the annoying work of gluing some window packers on the top of the joists in areas just to make it co-planar.
-
21st November 2022 12:05 PM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
- Join Date
- Always
- Location
- Advertising world
- Posts
- Many
-
21st November 2022, 01:07 PM #2Senior Member
- Join Date
- Jun 2013
- Location
- Geelong
- Posts
- 428
Your place and you are the tradie, yellow tongue will bend 3-4 mm and you will have dips, that is lows and highs.
I live in the “do it once do it right camp”. I only leave tolerances for landscaping.
i would be using packers, I would also look at placing the packers under your timber, ie loosen off your fixing, pack it to the correct height and tighten.
cheers
-
21st November 2022, 03:49 PM #3
-
21st November 2022, 03:50 PM #4GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Apr 2018
- Location
- Nsw
- Age
- 64
- Posts
- 1,364
That is too far out of spec for my liking if that is between batterns beside each other but if you are talking about across the whole floor is is not so critical
It really is up to you as to what you are happy to live with
-
21st November 2022, 06:47 PM #5Senior Member
- Join Date
- Aug 2021
- Location
- Sydney
- Posts
- 241
Fair enough I’m going to fix it
-
22nd November 2022, 08:54 AM #6Senior Member
- Join Date
- Aug 2021
- Location
- Sydney
- Posts
- 241
Update: mostly fixed. I've got everything to within about 1mm according to the laser. Next step is to run a straight edge and check for anything more than 1mm and do small adjustments.
-
22nd November 2022, 03:00 PM #7GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- May 2003
- Location
- Central Coast, NSW
- Posts
- 3,330
I’m surprised to see there is no equivalent of noggins or blocking between the Timbers. Wouldn’t they play a useful role in stopping twisting etc?
Apologies for unnoticed autocomplete errors.
-
22nd November 2022, 07:46 PM #8GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Apr 2018
- Location
- Nsw
- Age
- 64
- Posts
- 1,364
They are a battern fixed to the slab so no need, in conventional bearers and joists you dont block either. Blocking is best avoided if it is not necessary as it is the most common cause of squeaking. All the manufactured joists are designed not to have blocking fir thus reason and as well as the labour saving aspect
-
23rd November 2022, 07:31 AM #9SENIOR MEMBER
- Join Date
- Feb 2015
- Location
- Hobart
- Age
- 77
- Posts
- 649
-
23rd November 2022, 08:07 AM #10Senior Member
- Join Date
- Aug 2021
- Location
- Sydney
- Posts
- 241
-
23rd November 2022, 11:58 AM #11GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Aug 2011
- Location
- bilpin
- Posts
- 3,559
The timber has no span as the concrete below carries the load. They are not joists in the true sense of the word, they are battens.
-
23rd November 2022, 03:06 PM #12
You seem to have setup the string lines correctly with those 10mm black packers at each end and it looks like you have gone for 300mm centres, so providing each end batten is level using the laser, then all those battens in between just need a 10mm packer under the string line and on top of the batten and then just pack the batten up from underneath the timber until the 10mm black packer touches the string line, however it is most important that you have the string lines nice and tight so there is no sag in the line
-
23rd November 2022, 08:40 PM #13GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- May 2003
- Location
- Central Coast, NSW
- Posts
- 3,330
Hey Lemerv, I’m planning to do something similar myself in a year or two - raising the floor of our garage about 75-100mm and then framing in the walls. Now that you have had the experience, how do you rate this method compared to just topping up the concrete slab with more concrete?
Apologies for unnoticed autocomplete errors.
-
23rd November 2022, 08:57 PM #14Senior Member
- Join Date
- Aug 2021
- Location
- Sydney
- Posts
- 241
Yep string lines were good. But I think I ultimately struggled to work with them effectively. A few things tripped me up:
- When I banged in the hit anchors, they pulled the joists tight against the packers. But that is hard to simulate with the string line as I would need to put all my weight on the joist while also managing the string line. I stuffed up a lot because of that
- I got sloppy and didn’t always check the string line was unobstructed (idiot, I know)
If I did it again I think I would set joists down very carefully about 3000mm apart, then clamp a straight edge on them and use that as the reference to do the joists in between. I know some people said use the laser all the way but I think this could also prove tough with having to put weight on the joist while trying to get a good view angle on the story stick.
I’m sure it’s one of those things that takes practice, but for me the first time is the only time I’m doing it so happens I guess!
-
23rd November 2022, 09:04 PM #15Senior Member
- Join Date
- Aug 2021
- Location
- Sydney
- Posts
- 241
Hey I don’t have experience topping up the concrete so can’t compare. The joists were hard work and tricky to get right. But I got there in the end. I haven’t even laid the yellow tongue yet but I think that will he relatively easy.
From what I researched for concrete top up it would have worked out way more expensive and I wouldn’t have risked doing it myself.
I have almost zero experience with this stuff so I think when the time comes you want to start planning for yours post on here and you’ll get some great advice.
I’m also going to try and find the time to do a write up on here with lots of pics so keep an eye out for that.