Do sleeper joists need to be level?
The sleeper joists follow the same arrangement and spacing as the main home joists located under the subfloor. However, because the subfloor may have dips or depressions, you have to level out the sleeper joists before attaching them.
What is the purpose of a joist?
Jump to navigation Jump to search. A joist is a horizontal structural member used in framing to span an open space, often between beams that subsequently transfer loads to vertical members. When incorporated into a floor framing system, joists serve to provide stiffness to the subfloor sheathing, allowing it to function as a horizontal diaphragm.
How do you fix an uneven sleeper joist?
Cut the sleeper joists down using a circular saw if needed to create the necessary gap. Place a 4-foot-long level on top of two sleepers so that it is perpendicular to them. Check the center air bubble to determine if the sleepers are even. If the sleepers are uneven, the air bubble will not center.
How far apart do you cut sleeper joists?
Lay the center sleeper joists by placing them all 16 inches apart across the surface of the floor. Ensure that the end of each sleeper leaves a 1/4-inch gap between the side boards. Cut the sleeper joists down using a circular saw if needed to create the necessary gap.
What is a sleeper joist?
Who is Kimberly Johnson?
About this website
What is a sleeper in framing?
What are sleepers? Sleepers are used in framing and placed between the deck surface and the ground or slab below it. A set of sleepers supports the decking and allows moisture and air to flow below it. Decking laid directly over concrete or packed soil will rot quickly.
Can sleepers be used as joists?
Simple answer is yes. But I recommend at least three but preferably four bearers supporting that length of sleeper in order to prevent them springing.
What is a sleeper lumber?
SLEEPER, a term used with many technical applications for a piece of timber, metal, &c., used as a support; in carpentry it is such a piece of timber laid on low cross walls as a plate to receive ground joists; in shipbuilding, a strengthening timber for the bows and stern frame; the most frequent use of the term is ...
What is a sleeper in deck construction?
Sleeper boards sit directly on top of a solid surface to facilitate drainage and allow air to circulate under the decking. They are typically connected to rim joists, but they don't have to be standing on the edges like normal joists.
Can you build a deck with sleepers?
If you're making a raised deck, railway sleepers are an excellent material for building up the platform and creating neat edges for your decking area.
What are sleepers used for?
Traditionally used to lay rail tracks on, railway sleepers are large rectangular sawn pieces of timber that are now used in a variety of landscaping and gardening environments, such as raised beds, lawn and border edging, steps, pathways and retaining walls.
What type of wood is sleeper wood?
Sleepers were imported from mainly Africa, Australia and Malaysia. Sleepers obtained from local sources for maintenance on railway lines are largely Pine and Seligna, both not suited for furniture.
Why are they called sleeper walls?
One particular type of retaining wall is a sleeper retaining wall. These walls used wooden or concrete planks, usually built for use in railroad tracks (parts called sleepers since they simply lay in place and allow for trains to glide along them) to form the structure of the retaining wall.
How deep do sleeper posts need to be?
Holes should be dug at 2010mm centres for 2.0m sleepers and 2410mm for 2.4m sleepers (Note: a similar allowance of 10mm can be used for other lengths). Hole diameter must be at least 450mm for a one metre high retaining wall. For a one metre wall, the post holes must be dug 1100mm deep.
Can deck joists sit on concrete?
Deck beams low to the ground. Requiring the beam to sit directly on the footing, which isn't a problem, if you know what you're doing and how to manage the risks. Deck beams resting directly on concrete footings need to be anchor with “U” shaped post saddles to the footing to prevent uplift.
How do you lay decking on a sleeper?
1:354:53Easy DIY Sleeper Deck & Greenhouse - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipTogether this is simply done by joining one full length sleeper with another cut down to give youMoreTogether this is simply done by joining one full length sleeper with another cut down to give you the required total length Center a sleeper off cut that's at least 500.
Can I lay decking directly on concrete?
Decking boards must NEVER be laid directly on the ground but instead should be fixed to joists of a suitable sub-frame. In most cases we recommend installing your Alpha Composite Decking on a solid concrete base using plastic composite joists.
Can I lay sleepers straight on the ground?
Can you lay railway sleepers on soil? Yes you can. If you're only creating a structure that's one or two sleepers in height you don't necessarily need foundations, which means you can lay your railway sleepers onto the soil.
Can you use treated pine sleepers for decking?
For a bold decking at your property, treated pine sleepers are often used to create a sturdy base.
How far apart should deck sleepers be?
They should be spaced 24 inches on center. The sleepers may be random lengths because the concrete slab will support the full length of the sleeper. This can be a savings because short lengths are often less expensive.
How do you make a sleeper wall?
Retaining walls with vertical sleepers Dig a trench to follow the path of your wall, one third the depth of the sleepers. Line the bottom of the trench with a layer of shingle, followed by a shallow layer of dry postmix concrete, then position your sleepers and backfill with dry postmix.
How To Level Your Floors - Scribing Sleepers The Easy Way
A step by step guide to leveling your floors. There are many ways to achieve the same outcome and this is simply my preferred method. Also, note that this is...
Sleepers over concrete slab - Fine Homebuilding
I need to put down PT 2X4 sleepers over a concrete slab in order to install a HW floor. What is the current ‘best practice’ for doing this (e.g. vapor […]
How to Level a Floor With Sleepers | eHow
Finished living spaces look and feel better when the walls are plumb and the floors are level. While most floors are relatively level, some are purposefully constructed on a grade, such as garage floors or basement floors that slope toward a floor drain.
Floor Joists Over Concrete Slab | DIY Home Improvement Forum
Maybe I'm using the wrong terminology. They call them sleeper joists. Makes sense. One thing I'll say, given the age of the slab and from what I've seen of the rest of the construction, the slab was probably poured right over grade with no vapor barrier or insulation, as shown in the above drawing.
Why do we need sleepers for decks?
The use of sleepers makes building a deck faster and easier. Building a deck from wood requires special considerations due to the effect that moisture has on the material. One way that builders have designed to mitigate the spread of rot involves laying extra pieces of wood called sleepers. Sleepers help homeowners build decks with less effort ...
What are sleepers used for?
Materials. Sleepers come in a variety of materials, but only wood sleepers are regularly used in deck building. Concrete and metal sleepers work well for building retaining walls, but these materials are too hard to attach normal deck boards to for a basic deck.
How big is a wood sleeper?
Treated and untreated wood sleepers come in a range of sizes because nearly any solid piece of lumber larger than 2-by-4 inches can be used in this way, depending on the size of the deck.
Can you use treated lumber on a deck?
However, the chemicals used to make this lumber rot- and insect-resistant pose health problems to anyone who spends a lot of time around it, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Use treated wood for the sleepers only when they can be completely covered with decking to avoid unhealthy exposure to the chemicals.
Can you build a deck without a frame?
This allows builders and homeowners to quickly create a deck without building a full frame to support it. These pieces of lumber also work well to level an uneven area, so the deck lying over it doesn't tilt or slope.
Where is Jessica Kolifrath?
Jessica Kolifrath is a competent copywriter who has been writing professionally since 2008. She is based in the Atlanta area but travels around the Southeastern United States regularly. She currently holds an associate degree in psychology and is pursuing a bachelor's degree in the field.
What are sleepers?
Sleepers are used in framing and placed between the deck surface and the ground or slab below it. A set of sleepers supports the decking and allows moisture and air to flow below it. Decking laid directly over concrete or packed soil will rot quickly. This happens when moisture is trapped between the two materials.
How much space between joists for sleeper?
Sleepers have to maintain the structural elements found in regular framing. Spacing should still be no more than 16″ on centre between joists to ensure framing is still strong enough for the decking material being installed.
Why are spacers installed on the roof of an apartment building?
In this case, spacers will be installed underneath the sleepers to create a barrier between the board and the pooling water.
Why use pressure treated wood?
Using pressure treated wood protects the boards from moisture and rot much better than non-treated wood. But once pressure treated wood has been cut, it opens up and exposes the inside of the board. This is because the treatment only penetrates the top surface of each board an 1/8th of an inch or so. Once each board used in the framing is cut, it ...
Can a deck be lifted off the ground?
With the deck lifted off the ground, there is not much concern around the airflow underneath the deck. Sometimes this is not always possible and the deck has to stay as low as it can. For example on the rooftop of an apartment building, or if there are obstacles restricting how high a deck can be.
Is Boracol a good deck treatment?
Boracol is a great example of this treatment solution. Treating the cut ends of each board is not enough to fully protect the frame though. Depending on the area the deck is being installed, there may be other hazards present. For example the rooftop of an apartment building.
Raise a Floor with Sleeper Joists
I need to raise the floor of a room that is built above a basement to make the floor flush with an adjacent room. The difference in elevation is exactly 3.5 inches (the width of a 2x4). My plan is to remove the subfloor and lay a series of sleeper joists over the existing floor joists that are comprised of 2x8's on 16-inch centers.
Comments (2)
Seems like a lot of effort for no reason and marginal results. The framing would need to be secured to the 2x8's in a manner so they would not squeek and crunch. Just laying them on top makes no sense. especially parallel. The subfloor should stay where it is. Screw it down so it doesnt make noise.
What is a shortened joist?
Shortened joists are said to be crippled. The term rim joist is rare before the 1940s in America; it forms the edge of a floor. The outermost joist in half timber construction may be of a more durable species than the interior joists. In a barn, loose poles above the drive floor are called a scaffold.
What is a single joist floor?
In traditional timber framing there may be a single set of joists which carry both a floor and ceiling called a single floor (single joist floor, single framed floor) or two sets of joists, one carrying the floor and another carrying the ceiling called a double floor (double framed floor). The term binding joist is sometimes used to describe beams at floor level running perpendicular to the ridge of a gable roof and joined to the intermediate posts. Joists which land on a binding joist are called bridging joists. A large beam in the ceiling of a room carrying joists is a summer beam. A ceiling joist may be installed flush with the bottom of the beam or sometimes below the beam. Joists left exposed and visible from below are called "naked flooring" or "articulated" (a modern U.S. term) and were typically planed smooth (wrought) and sometimes chamfered or beaded .
What is a joist in a wall?
A joist is a horizontal structural member used in framing to span an open space, often between be ams that subsequently transfer loads to vertical members. When incorporated into a floor framing system, joists serve to provide stiffness to the subfloor sheathing, allowing it to function as a horizontal diaphragm. Joists are often doubled or tripled, placed side by side, where conditions warrant, such as where wall partitions require support.
Why do steel joists have load tables?
Many steel joist manufacturers supply load tables in order to allow designers to select the proper joist sizes for their projects. Standard dimensional lumber joists have their limitations due to the limits of what farmed lumber can provide.
What is pugging between joists?
These joists land on a beam. Between some of the joists is a form of pugging used for insulation and air sealing. Image: Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed. Joists can have different joints on either ends such as being tenoned on one end and lodged on the other end.
What is a stairwell with joists called?
Joists left out of an area form an opening called a "well" as in a stairwell or chimney-well. The joists forming the well are the heading joist (header) and trimming joist (trimmer). Trimmers take the name of the feature such as hearth trimmer, stair trimmer, etc. Shortened joists are said to be crippled.
What is a large beam in the ceiling of a room carrying joists called?
Joists which land on a binding joist are called bridging joists. A large beam in the ceiling of a room carrying joists is a summer beam. A ceiling joist may be installed flush with the bottom of the beam or sometimes below the beam.
What is a sleeper joist?
Sleeper joists are wooden boards installed on top of an existing subfloor that are typically used as support for hardwood flooring . The sleeper joists follow the same arrangement and spacing as the main home joists located under the subfloor. However, because the subfloor may have dips or depressions, you have to level out the sleeper joists before attaching them. You do this by using wood shims to create a perfectly level surface across the top of the entire joist system.
Who is Kimberly Johnson?
Kimberly Johnson is a freelance writer whose articles have appeared in various online publications including eHow, Suite101 and Examiner. She has a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia and began writing professionally in 2001.
