The lightweight and cost-effective wooden girders of engineered beam span tables are the first choice for building owners of residential floor and roof systems. The wide range of sizes and flanges make it easy to determine the right material for your home, whether you are building a production home or a custom plan. Each beam has an improved web with high quality solid wood or flanges. The wide flanges of 40, 60, 65, 80, and 90 series beams widen the adhesive and nailed surfaces of the jacket, saving builders time and money. You can enjoy the benefits of solid level floors and smooth level ceilings.
When used as a part of flooring system, the joints helps to calm the floor for extended periods of time and reduce annoying or costly callbacks. In fact, traditional lumber can shrink, twist, and warp as the natural moisture in the wood evaporates. Unpleasant squeaks may also occur as the floor sags, the nails loosen from the joists, and the floor covering slides up and down on the nails. In contrast, girders are more structurally stable. The wide flange reduces vibration and creates a firmer floor feel. It is made with a lower moisture content, which minimizes the effects of shrinkage, twisting and warping.
The ultimate goal in designing a floor or roof system is end-user safety and satisfaction. The engineered beam span tables used in the spans specified in this manual meet or exceed the minimum standards and safely support the loads applied to them. They are evaluated to adequately meet user expectations.
Besides the tighter deflection limits, several other factors can improve the overall performance of the floor. Narrowing the beam spacing and increasing the under floor thickness reduces the deflection between adjacent beams and increases the load distribution. To increase the rigidity of the floor, it is recommended that the joists are glued before they are nailed or screwed in, rather than simply nailed.
Vibrations can occur in very lightweight floor systems, such as the large empty rooms. The gypsum board ceiling mounted underneath the joists generally damps vibrations, similar to internal partition perpendicular to the joists. If the ceiling is not located under the joist, vibration can be minimized by striking 2×4 continuous nail perpendicular to the underside of the joist in the center of span from one bulkhead to another. If the ceiling is likely to be completed in the future, you can use engineered beam span tables blocking plate instead of 2×4.
