floors and foundations, structural information?

[blind ear]

Is there a book available to help figure lumber sizes and spaceing for building a conventional floor with sills and joists without having to buy a big stress and loads book? I have a friend building a pole barn and he wants to build living quarters, a house, in the pole barn. Or any other options. Thanks, ear

[cotton jonas]

the best bets is for your buddy to talk with his county building official.
they can tell him if what he wants to do will pass and how he should go about building it.

[superd]

a lot of lumber yards here that service new home contractors also do prints and floor or roof designs and could give you guidelines or drtaw this up for you

[Larry L]

http://www.awc.org/calculators/span/calc/timbercalcstyle.asp


If the above calculator doesn't work for you, Google Lumber Span Tables. You'll need to know the load in pounds per square feet and the grade and species of wood used. Example: a Select Structure grade of Yellow Pine is going to span farther and better than a #2 SPF grade material at the same spacing, same size material. Your area may not have yellow pine but maybe Doug Fir or Hemlock as the framing materials. All have different load carrying capacities. In Texas we have a lot of Yellow Pine but not so much Doug Fir. And if you can find D Fir here it's expensive due to freight.

[charles p]

Error on the short side.  A spongy floor is not what you want.