Floor Joist Cross Bracing Spacing

Providing more support and rigidity than cross bracing solid blocking is a reasonable alternative but can be an obstacle for running plumbing pipes and electrical wire between floor joists.

Floor joist cross bracing spacing. In addition to providing lateral support blocking helps transfer weight to adjacent joists so that the floor acts as a unified system. When cross bridging is used wood or metal the upper portion of the bridge is nailed into the top of the floor joist if it is metal. Residential building code requires the use of cross bracing or blocking for floor joists exceeding 2 inches by 12 inches but many homes especially older ones have creaky uneven floors because. While most residential construction uses 2x8 joists with 16 inch spacing there are many other factors you need to consider when determining the proper joist span length.

Normally floor joists are spaced 16 inches apart on center. You should check with your local building department for construction requirements in your area. Building code requires the use of blocking for floor joists that exceed 2 inches in width by 12 inches in depth. Given that 2x8s are actually 1 inches wide it works out to be 14 inches between each joist.

Joist span and spacing is set by your local building code. It is usually 16 or 24 from center to center. It should be placed at eight foot intervals between any floor joists 2x10 or longer. With some structures floor joists are required to be 12 or 24 inches apart on center.

Blocking also needs to be provided at the supporting end of a joist. This means from the center of one upright joist to the center of the next.