Level top support wall

[slimj]

Hi,

I am installing some joists and they will be built into brick walls on one side but will rest on a mid span supporting wall.

The wall is 75mm but once clear it will not be level. I thought about slate packers but that cannot be good practice and they could slide out over time etc.

Am I best laying a mortar bed and levelling a 75x22 timber Batten to the top of the wall so it is nice and level to work off?

If so, should I have any additional fixings to the timber or just give it time to set?

Thanks,

Slim

 

[^woody^]

How are slate packers going to slide out? Its not a ship.

Packing is standard practice - slate, timber, supalux etc

The problem with your timber plate suggestion on a mid span wall is that it can be difficult to get it dead level between the two end bearings.

Put the joists in level and then pack the middle

 

[slimj]

Cheers for the reply Woody.

No, it isn't a ship - wish it was though.

The timbers actually span from the external wall to the support wall. Another length of timber then runs from the supporting wall to the other external wall (so 2no. pieces of timber rather than 1no. make up the width). The end baring will built into the external wall and sat on the supporting wall.

I was just concerned that packing under the bearing sat on the supporting wall might work loose.

Do you think a timber plate might work in this scenario - if the plate is level I will only need the packing on the bearing built into the wall? OR stick with packing at both ends?

Cheers, slim

 

[slimj]

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[^woody^]

Oh yes, in that case it's much easier to have a level wall to work off. If you can level the internal wall in the top course then that will allow you to block up between the joists to secure them.

Otherwise, a timber plate is the easiest, with timber blocking to stop them twisting.

Once the joists are on, just spike nail the plate into a few joints. That will be enough