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Small Cabin Forum / Cabin Construction / Floor beams and joists
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paulz
Member
# Posted: 22 Dec 2011 12:38pm
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For a 14x20 cabin can I get by with 2-20 ft beams with floor joists cantelevered over or should I use 3 beams, one in the center and one directly under each wall? I am milling the lumber, can make the beams and joists any size. Ground is flat, stable, non-freezing climate, probably just go on pier blocks.

Just
Member
# Posted: 22 Dec 2011 01:21pm
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Where I come from a 2 x 10 @ 16 in. centers x 14ft.long passes code.

Anonymous
# Posted: 22 Dec 2011 03:24pm
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My 14x20 sits on three 20 ft 4x6 skids. One in the center and the others one foot in from the outside edge. They rest on a bed of crushed rock.

MtnDon
Member
# Posted: 22 Dec 2011 05:11pm - Edited by: MtnDon
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For floor joists, 2x10 of any of the popular construction lumbers in grade #2 and 16" OC can be used safely to span the entire 14 foot width. No center beam required and no cantilever required if you'd rather have the sidewalls directly over the beams. Cantilever of up to a foot is okay for single story.

For the beams, the size depends on the distance between piers, the species and grade. The distance between piers, and thus the number of piers also depends on the soil bearing capacity.

Quoting: paulz
probably just go on pier blocks.

That does not provide any uplift resistance, as in able to withstand big winds.

Also if you mean to place the beams directly on the blocks the beams should be PT wood (if the bottom face of the beam is closer than 12 inches to the ground. Along that thought, the floor joists should be PT wood if their bottom edge is closer than 18 inches to the ground. Otherwise you risk rotting of everything that the balance of the cabin rests on. And/or you may be providing lunch for termites.

paulz
Member
# Posted: 23 Dec 2011 08:40pm
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Thank you all for the replies.

Good point on the pier blocks, I'd better sink some concrete piers. I am using redwood as it's what I have at my property. Found a neat online span calculator here:

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

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