In the case of 2x6 joists you can pair them up with additional 2x6 joists by nailing them together side by side.
Is my header 2x6 in the attic.
My calculations tell me assuming 2 southern yellow pine joists which are common in my area that 2x6s 16 inches on center will span 9 feet 9 inches with allowable deflection being the governing factor.
Find your zone on the map and then use the chart to determine the level of insulation you need to properly insulate your attic walls floors and crawlspaces.
This header must carry x pounds per lineal foot.
The first step is the same for sawn and engineered wood materials.
In beam speak you say.
The attic has 2 by 8 s also but it has a plywood floor hatch and a plasterboard ceiling.
Sistering is the process of adding a new joist next to each existing joist.
I have a shopsmith in my garage but only use it in the summer.
My son was in a power wheelchair so i built a new workbench out of the old bases and built a wheelchair ramp in my garage.
Soffits help ventilate the attic via soffit vents screened or perforated vent strips or holes in the soffit panels.
Because i was the only one in the attic this is a great two person job so the person holding the ladder steady can also fetch additional tools and cut the 2 x 6 for the new header to size when it gets to that step and the person in the attic isn t going up and down the ladder a billion times and using my new favorite tool isn t something.
But you can still double the capacity of the existing 2x6s in the attic floor so first let s make sure that s enough for your situation.
Add up all the loads acting on a header or beam and then translate this load into terms of how much load each lineal foot of header or beam will feel.
This translation is the key to any structural sizing.
Achieving greater r values in attics the higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation.
If the attic joists are not adequate one way to strengthen the floor for live loads is to sister the old joists.