I-Beam Joists

[Ben565]

Does anybody have experience of using I-Beam joists ? I thought of using them for an upstairs bedroom ceiling instead of traditional ones. Supposedly much more resistant to warping and twisting.

How do they fit to the sloping roof timbers? same way as traditional joists?

 

[nickjb]

I wanted to use them for my last build but struggled to find a supplier who would give a price list for me to work with. Shall follow this as I might try again.

 

[Ben565]

Seems to be a lot of what not to do's with them, don't drill, don't nail, don't cut, don't fix it here or there... how you meant to fix a ceiling to them ?

Just been looking at something called GLulam, which looks to have all the best parts of a solid timber joist, with none of the downsides. Bet that stuff aint cheap though !

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Just been looking at something called GLulam, which looks to have all the best parts of a solid timber joist, with none of the downsides. Bet that stuff aint cheap though !

Glulam ain't cheap, but it is very handy for extremely long spans and curves, shapes, etc. Doubt you'll see it much in private dwellings in the UK, but it is used a lot in public spaces (public halls, sports centres, swimming pools, schools, etc). Seen more in Scandinavia where much of the housing stock is timber framed

Only ever seen I beam joists used for flat roofs and the like. Can't see why you'd want to use it instead of a truss on a conventional pitched roof. Did one job where it was used beneath a flat roof - ceiling can't be fixed directly, insead we had to lay MF grid beneath and board to that which I'm told is the right way

 

[Ben565]

Yeah an I-beam sounds like it'll be more trouble than it's worth. Glulam would be ideal but prob gonna be well over budget.

Looks like I'll be sticking with the traditional solid wood joists, and pray they don't split,shake,warp,twist too much!

Cheers for the input

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

They are not designed to be used how you want to use them, use normal joists.

 

[pinenot]

Worked with I beams back in the nineties on some, so called upmarket houses. They were simply 1/2" OSB boards glued on edge into slots machined in the centre of CLS whitewood. Quite floppy on their sides until they were fully dwanged (noggined) then they form a torsion box. They market them as silent joists because they don't squeak, a common new build problem and properly dwanged, don't move I.e. seasonal movement etc.
I like your alternative thinking, but why you'd want to use these as ceiling joists/rafters, defeats me...pinenot