The builder of your new home wants to use modern wood I-joists instead of regular solid wood floor joists. Will these products save the builder money and leave you with a flimsy floor? Only if he ...

Dear Pat: I am having a new house built, and the builder is recommending I-joists instead of standard floor joists. I remember reading about some fire problems with them. Are I-joists as strong? -- ...

I-joists are strong, lightweight, "I" shaped engineered wood structural members that meet demanding performance requirements. I-joists are comprised of top and bottom flanges that resist bending and ...

Welcome back to the "Behold the Beam" series of articles. In part three (Firehouse®, September 2010) of the series, we discussed the first five of the 13 common types of beams that firefighters can ...

Q. I'm getting ready to build a large room addition that needs a beam to support the floor joists. I've been told that a wood beam will work, but I've always seen steel I-beams in other houses. Is it ...

Q: I have an older home with a crawlspace foundation. My problem is the floors sag in the living room to the point where it's hard to keep a lamp steady on the end tables. My other problem is there is ...

The best things to use to attach the joist hangers to the beam are structural screws or bolts. Never use roofing nails. (Tim Carter/TNS) Perspective by Tim Carter Q: Tim, I’ve never worked with metal ...

DEAR TIM: I’m getting ready to build a large room addition that needs a beam to support the floor joists. I’ve been told that a wood beam will work, but I’ve always seen steel I-beams in other houses.