With the frames in place, the next step is to add the joists. The joists use timber of the same dimensions as the beams, but it doesn’t need to be as high a strength grade as it it will be more lightly loaded.
Joists are cut to the beam spacing, and notched to rest supported on a 50mm x 50mm bearer, which is attached to the side of the beam flush with the bottom edge. This is different from standard construction techniques, in which the joists sit on top of the beams, and means that enough head height is maintained as the beams do not project down from the ceiling.
Joist bearers:
- Select the joist bearers layer
- Drop a new bracing/bearer timber component onto the grid
- Move, rotate and align flush with underside of the beams, with the end of the bearer nearest the external wall aligned to the inner line of the tartan grid – this is so the external wall will be on the grid
- You will need to add more lengths of timber to make up a bearer that runs the complete length of the beam, and cut the last one to size
- Do this on the internal edge of all floor and ceiling beams