Floor Joists Front To Back

If your home is more than 20 years old your floor joists are most likely solid wood 2x8s 2x10s or 2x12s.

Floor joists front to back.

Therefore you should consider. Most of the time the standard way to install hardwood in this area is perpendicular to the door. The floor was normally covered with square edged softwood boards and finished with a lath and plaster ceiling usually 3 coats of lime plaster. You can notch and bore joists without sacrificing critical strength but you must follow the rules.

I suppose there are some general rules about joist layout. This size is no longer acceptable when framing a structure. The joists were trimmed around fireplaces and stair openings as shown in the graphic. The correct direction for laying hardwood floors.

Follow the rules to keep your floor solid. Floor joists installed on second or third or higher levels double as ceiling joists for the level below. On first floors it seems that it might depend on downstairs openings windows and doors. The floor joists under the wood floor hold the sub floor in place.

The notching and boring rules of thumb for solid lumber are shown in fig. In buildings with basements the first level of floor joists serves the same purpose. The direction of the joists can either be party wall to party wall or front to back. While personal preference is a factor the direction in which you run hardwood flooring boards is governed by visual and structural guidelines.