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Another Joist Question! pole on 2nd floor….
I’ve been pole-less since I moved into my new house (I used to live in a condo with concrete ceilings so I didn’t have to worry about joists, etc.)
I really miss poling, so today I brought in a home inspection guy and he showed me where the joists are on my ceiling (ceiling of 2nd floor where my bedroom is.) But he said he couldn’t figure out the joists that run on my bedroom’s floor (which would be the ceiling of the first floor). He said it should probably be fine though (and said hopefully the ceilings joists are positioned identically on each floor).
I’m asking this because I know the pole puts pressure on the floor as well as the ceiling, so I don’t want to damage the floor either (since I’m on the second level..).
Also, the floors of houses creak a bit when you walk on them… some areas more than others. Is the pressure from my pole gonna make it worse over time? I don’t want the creaking sounds to become unbearable….
I would appreciate any advice!
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5 Replies
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You should be fine. The main reason you need the pole under a joist is because ceiling material (plaster or drywall) will crack under the pressure without something strong and stable behind it. But floors are made out of plywood with the finished floor (ie. tile, laminate, carpet) on top of that. The plywood is structurally much stronger than drywall or plaster, so it doesn't matter nearly as much.
The reason floors creak is because the plywood warps slightly over time becoming looser in some places. It can be fixed most of the time simply by adding a few more nails into the floor, but of course you'd have to rip up the finished top part. If you ever decide to replace or redo the finished part of your floor, you can add nails then. I don't think my pole has made floor creaking any worse though.
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alright thanks a lot ! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif
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^ what she said. don't worry about the joist on the floor — as long as you know where the ceiling joist is, you're good to go!
in the future, if you like, you can find the ceiling joist yourself by buying an electronic stud finder — they are about $20 and really simple to use. (great for hanging mirrors, towel bars, etc. as well…)
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thanks for your reply. i just put up my pole and had a go on it… seems pretty firm and i feel like the happiest girl in the world again :p
i had bought a stud finder for $40 from Canadian Tire but it didn't work on these ceilings… apparently it only detects within 1.5" or something. tapping didn't seem to work either… this guy had an infrared camera. i know its a total rip off to pay $100 to someone to check your ceilings but oh well… i felt like i couldn't live without my pole anymore & wanted to be on the safe side.
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sheesh! too bad about the stud finder. to be honest, i own 3 (two electronic and one magnetic) and i actually had the same problem in my current apartment for the first time ever. luckily i was able to visually find the seams in the ceiling. glad you got it up!!
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