Herringbone struts between joists

[vicky whitworth]

Hello,
I reviewed a Victorian -probably - cottage today with herringbone struts between the joists in an exposed ceiling between the dinning room and the upper bedroom. I understand what the struts are for - and I thought they looked beautiful in a quirky way. Could anyone enlighten me about herringbone struts? Would they be inserted at the time of building or later retro fitted to stop twisting of the joists? I'd love to know more about their history in building construction. Thanks , Vicky

 

[MikeG]

They're redundant with old timber, because old timber is stable, so they are only ever inserted as the floor is being built. I've done hundreds myself, and it's great to be able to pull the twist out of a joist and lock it firmly in position. These days chippies typically use solid blocking instead, utilising the off-cuts from the joists. Strutting was never meant to be on show, so it sounds like a cottage that has been stripped back a little too far.

 

[urowho]

That's interesting. I'd heard they were designed to reduce floor bounce rather than hold joists stable until movement stopped.