Attics Joists Creak And Pop

Think of it like this.

Attics joists creak and pop.

If the attic joists are not adequate one way to strengthen the floor for live loads is to sister the old joists. In older home attics unsettling bangs are more likely to be the sounds of trusses joists rafters and sheathing expanding or contracting as the roof heats up or cools down. Popping is a common way to describe a variety of noises that a house makes and the causes are varied. It can ofter sound as.

Stacking joists is not nearly as stable as sistering which braces the joists against twisting. All attics joists can carry a minimal dead load weight i e 10 pounds per square foot. Further the carpenter may need to add nails or reset them shim shore add joists or rafters rebrace etc any or all of these methods might indeed pull it off and get rid of the unwanted noise. At night attic can sometime make loud creaking and cracking sounds.

In the case of 2x6 joists you can pair them up with additional 2x6 joists by nailing them together side by side. Even a little drill in the wrong place can cause the structure to weaken resulting in annoying bounce and sag you experience every time while crossing the weakened floor. Often minimal live load requirements are four times that of dead loads. If your attic already has insulation it is probably useless for your intended attic remodel.

If your house is giving you the creeps because of popping noises from inside the walls and up in the attic you can probably chalk it up to something other than spirits from beyond the grave. Blocking solves the problem. You can probably walk across the edge of a 2x6 joist but if you stack the joists two high and try to walk across your last name better be wallenda. But live loads are a different matter.

Not so with stacked joists. Brendan foster from louisville roofing contractors is explaining why some attics creak and crack at night. Joists in attics that were never intended for the installation of flooring or conversion to a living space are often 16 inches oc or 24 inches oc. When a load is applied to a joist it creates a tension in the wood along the top edge.