In order to have a “sunken” jacuzzi, the previous owner cut three floor joists, and dropped the floor down, supporting it from below with a structure comprised mainly of 4×4′s. After removing the structure supporting the “sunken” portion, I enlisted the help of a friend to sister the joists and remove the remaining structure. The span was just over 12 feet, so I bought three 14 foot 2×10′s and we went to work.
No room to maneuver
Given the size of the 2×10′s, and the spacing of the floor joists, and the location of plumbing, we were unable to maneuver the two of the three joists into place, and still span the entire width in one piece. The first comes up just short. One end rests on the top plate of the outside block wall, while the other end stops just before the top plate of the inside block wall.
Joist not quite long enough
The end of this joist will be supported by a stud wall which will be built around the perimeter of the room. It is also unitized to the cut joist with carriage bolts and screws.
The other joist we had to cut into two pieces to get around plumbing. We could have cut the plumbing out of the way and hooked it back up again later. However, we decided that cutting the new joist would be a lot easier Like the other joist, it is unitized with carriage bolts. Furthermore, the joint will be reinforced using a Simpson Strong-Tie mending plate. Finally, when we install a bathroom in this area, the joist will be completely supported by a 2×4 wall running directly underneath it.
Joist cut in half
Busy weeks ahead
I am lucky enough to have the next month off of work, thanks to vacation and personal time. I also have a very ambitious schedule to get a lot of work done on the house. I hope to provide almost daily updates on the progress I am able to make.
