Installation of joist hangers

After doing my best to align the side beams with the existing bridge and keep them level, I bolted them into the existing house framing using 1/2" lag bolts across the bottoms and 3/8" bolts across the top.  My plans called for 3/8" bolts everywhere, but the difference in cost was pennies on the dollar – and since this is earthquake country, I opted to upgrade to stronger bolts.



Once I bolted the perimeter beams to the walls, I penciled vertical lines every 16" to mark where each cross-joist would go.  Then I nailed the Simpson top-flange hangers onto the beams.



Close-up view of how the joists are attached: They slot into the metal hardware. I cut each joist slightly long so that they have to be jammed in tight using a sledge hammer on each end.



Installation of first joists, along with cross-blocking every 48 inches. (I will deal with the window removal and framing for a new, higher window once I have a new floor to stand on!)



Despite my best efforts, nothing is quite perfect. Once into the project I discovered that the existing bridge is not quite level -- either a legacy of sloppy building by the Baldwin Brothers 20 years ago, or natural settling of the house.  Most likely, it was sloppy framing to begin with.  Further, the depth of the existing floor doesn't exactly match the dimensional depth of my new lumber.

To match the new floor with the existing flooring on the bridge –  and to match the drywall of the new dining room ceiling below with the existing drywall beneath the bridge –  I am going to have to make some subtle adjustments. Essentially, I am going to have to slightly shave (saw) the height of each joist as I install it. I have already done the math, and the shaving will vary by about 1/32" increments with each joist.

(This is where the project stands in the last full week of March, 2011. I try to get a little done each morning before I leave for work – even if it's just cutting one joist and hanging it.)