Joist Blocking

Plumdog_2

Tin benders would smash them out with a battering ram to run thier 6" branch ducts. I think it is more prudent to just drill them for pipes or tubing. The key is a very good sharp bit and an angle drill or hole hog. I think customers appreciate it when you leave as many intact as is practical. They also serve as piping supports but you gotta plan ahead to utilize them to the best advantage.

singh

Looking

for better way to install tubing underfloor .
I had drilled holes thru blocks, but I'm now considering knocking them
out all together and installing joist straps to replace.
Any other ideas?

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Josh_10

I don't know but I'm hoping someone does because I have the same question! I have been feeding tubing from both sides/

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Brad White_105

Depends on the flooring system

Engineered lumber has their own criteria but the older stick framing x-bracing (how tedious was that?) at least lets you snake through. My Susan's house, 1922, (the house, not Susan), has that and the ease with which you can wiggle them tells me that they are not doing too much.

I had an old-time carpenter tell me that bracing or blocking really did nothing provided the sub-floor above was properly secured and the bottoms of the joists were joined at support points. The notion of the joists twisting when so secured even without bracing was far-fetched. The bracing was held with nails driven by a hammer at marginal force... driven in an "s" curve if you were good.

But, I am a softy for redundancy. I would replace any blocking or bracing with the stamped metal "dragon teeth" kind of X-Bracing made by Simpson or others of that type. You can still snake by with tubing and also have some clear opportunity to grind down those nails.

Engineered lumber systems? I do not know. I would ask someone else. This is just my $0.02

singh

Nope , I wish it was the engineered type, Brad.
this would be standard dimensional lumber 2x8
I also heard once sub floor in place the spacers serve no purpose. But I woud not
want to take the chance and knock them out and have floor squeak.

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Brad White_105

Floor squeaks

Generally, floor squeaks are a function of how well the sub-floor is bonded to the joists. I do not know the floor loading but 2x8's do not strike me as being excessive in span especially if 16" OC. Not a lot of room to twist, if you can picture that also.

My inclination would be the dragon teeth to be sure or in the alternate and if the underside of the joists is not in a finished space, lag-bolt a 2x4 across the bottoms of the joists perpendicular to them. I did this in my own house for different reasons. It did make my floor stiffer but that was also a function of putting in a bearing partition below... Full 2" x 8" lumber from the 1870's spanning 22 feet I kid you not... and spacing? Whatever the distance from elbow to wrist it seems. Not indicative but at extremes it worked. Cannot hurt otherwise.

I know you are good and you will do the right thing. Let me know what you finally do, if you do not mind.

Brad

Paul Fredricks_3

I'm no expert but

The blocks are installed so that the boards don't twist before the ends are secured. They also keep the joists straight before the sub flooring is put down. Very difficult to figure out where to screw down the sub floor, and any other flooring over that, if there is a bow in the joist. After that they are essentially useless. I have no problem smashing them out of there with a hand sledge.

mitch_8

I have had to

get some space near the floor joist. The block are to prevent twisting, even after they are secured. A carpenter told be to knock it out and replace it with a 2 x 6, or a 2 x 8 but leave an inch from the top. It will still stop the twisting and give you space. For anything larger, or lower than the subfloor, drill your openings to maintain structural strewgth.

DO NOT remove bracing, the fool that owned my house previous to me did and all my floors are warping, he installed a new doorway in a support wall without proper bracing..god I love remodelling old homes...

my $0.02

Mitch

Eric_25

smaller blocks

the blocks are to prevent joist deflection causing noise under all floors and cracked tile/grout if under a tile floor. We knock them out and re-install blocks one size smaller to allow a 2" space between the subfloor and the block. Works great. If you only need to knock out a couple it is not a problem to leave them out as long as two are not next to each other.

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Josh_10

Now that is a good reply!

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hr

Sometimes

those blocks are placed to provide an edge under the plywood subfloor material, also. Especially if they used a thin, less than 3/4" plywood or wafer board subfloor:)
It also made it easier to install T&G subfloor materials as it kept the edges aligned. There could even be nails into them.


I'd drill them. Having been on a framing crew during high school, I know how much trouble someone went through to install them. Heck it might have been me! It was a commom task for a rookie.

hot rod

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Mike T., Swampeast MO

The "joist straps" e.g. metal bridging lap over the top and bottom of the joists. Impossible to install after any flooring. You could throw it in by attaching to the sides, but it would have ZERO benefit.

singh

Thanks everyone

I also like the knockin' them out and installing smaller block solution.
Drilling a 6" hole so the tubing does not kink while feeding thru is a pain!!
Plus tubing does not sit flush at that spot.



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Rit Roberts_2

joist blocks

What I do is to drill two 1 1/4" holes at the top of the blocking so the upper edge of each hole is just touching the subfloor. Drill the two holes 6-8" apart and then knock out the remaining web. This leaves an oblong hole 1 1/4" by 6" right at the subfloor. This is enough to pull a loop of tubing and saves the labor of threading through two holes.

Gordy

Right answer

Eric is correct.

If you look at bridging, when installed "correctly", helps transfer the load of a single joist to each adjacent joist so they do have a function other than keeping joists straight.

Solid blocking does the same thing, some find bridging is easier to install.

For a 23 year union carpenter it would be like myself taking out every other pipe hanger on your good work, and saying the pipe is still hanging straight don't need them.

Drill blocking that is installed to retard flame spread over partition walls, code in some areas. Inspectors can get finiky about those areas.

Gordy