Do You Have To Remove Subfloor To Replace Floor Joists

Average costs and comments from costhelper s team of professional journalists and community of users.

Do you have to remove subfloor to replace floor joists.

Replacing a foundation floor joist requires protective gear experience with carpentry tools and the ability to work. How much repairing floor joists should cost. Unless the subfloor can be removed you access the joist through a crawl space. Replacing a floor joist incorrectly may weaken the structural integrity of your house putting your safety and your house s value at risk.

If only a few joists are rotted primarily at the bottom they can be repaired using a process known as sistering after the rot is cleaned away and the timber treated to prevent more problems a new joist is laid beside the old one and fastened to it. Do not remove any floorboards that are not absolutely required and always start with the most obvious choice. If you don t have any carpentry experience you may want to call a professional carpenter to handle the project. He removed the subfloor out to the floor joist beyond the damaged area.

It can also become sloped over time. If this is difficult it often is consult your local building inspector about notching the new joists. However you can usually remedy sagging problems yourself by sistering new joists alongside the existing ones this also works for stiffening bouncy floors. Remove the floorboard closest to the damage and then use the hole you make exactly to see which ones need replacing.

Homes with floor joists need a base to provide a surface on which to lay carpet ceramic tile hardwood laminate and or vinyl. Replacing a floor joist is a big job. While it is a good idea to replace rotted material with 2x8s it may require some notching to fit between the sub floor and ledger board. First remove electrical cables pipes and other obstructions.

A shop vac helps to clean out sawdust and other debris in the area under the subfloor. Chad placed a pressure treated 2 6 scab along one of the damaged floor joists to add strength and to provide a solid fastening area. Step 2 mark the old locations. If you are replacing joists in your floor chances are they are visibly damaged.

Make sure to get all of the damaged or moldy. Since it s vital to the stability of your home s floors you should contact a pro for replacements repairs or installations.