Photo: Amir Fard

Does drilling holes in joists weaken them?

You can safely drill joists for electrical and plumbing runs without weakening the joists, if you follow the rules. By the DIY experts of The Family Handyman Magazine. Where and how to drill joists for electrical cables or plumbing runs depends on what type of floor framing you have. Keep the hole at least 2 in.

frlco.com - Our Blog - How to Drill Through Floor Joists - Front Range Lumber

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How to correctly position holes in floor joists so they don’t weaken the joist. You can safely drill joists for electrical and plumbing runs without weakening the joists, if you follow the rules. By the DIY experts of The Family Handyman Magazine. Where and how to drill joists for electrical cables or plumbing runs depends on what type of floor framing you have. Keep the hole at least 2 in. from the top and the bottom if it’s a dimensional lumber joist. The hole cannot be larger than one-third the depth of the joist, so the maximum hole size for a 2×12 joist (actual size 1-1/2 x 11-1/4 in.) is 3-3/4 in. diameter—plenty big enough for running cable! You can drill the holes anywhere along the length of the joist (first photo). If you have manufactured I-joists, you can drill holes up to 1-1/2 in. diameter almost anywhere in the web area (the area between the flanges). Just stay 6 in. away from any end or load-bearing wall (second photo). Holes up to 4 in. can be drilled in the middle of the I-joist, away from the ends and load-bearing wall. Keep the distance between adjacent holes at least twice the diameter of the largest hole. For holes larger than 4 in., consult the lumber supplier.

Where to safely drill holes in a floor joist:

Dimensional Lumber

Engineered Lumber

Drill 1-1/2-in. holes anywhere in the web area of engineered I-joists, except within 6 in. of walls and rim joists. We always recommend that you refer to the manufacturer’s instructions for the best, most up-to-date and brand-specific requirements. See our selection of engineered lumber at both our Lakewood and Fort Lupton lumberyards. We sell a complete selection of Glulams, LVLs, LSLs, I-Joists, Parallams, Rimboards and more. Read our comprehensive information on Engineered Wood.

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Should insulation touch the drywall?

They should make good contact with wall and ceiling and nestle snugly against the sub-floor within floor cavities. If the batts don't touch the inside face of the drywall or subfloor, convection coupled with air leakage will seriously undermine their thermal performance.

pro.homeadvisor.com - Fiberglass Insulation - HomeAdvisor Pro

Getting Quality from Fiberglass Insulation

My company specializes in high-quality insulation work, in both new construction and retrofit applications. We also provide energy consulting and energy audits that include testing with a blower door, duct blaster, infrared camera, and other diagnostic tools.Experience has convinced us that blown-in insulation products are the way to go if quality is the top priority. Correctly done, a blown-in job has inherent quality control, making it the simplest and best way to eliminate heat-wasting gaps or voids in exterior walls (see Insulating With Spray Cellulose, 10/01). But blown-in insulation products cost more than fiberglass batts, so most walls today are insulated with batts.Unfortunately, most fiberglass installers don't give much thought to quality. That's not surprising batts are the budget choice to begin with, and when the job goes to the lowest bidder, the only way the installer can make money is to rush through the work. But the results are bad news for the home's thermal performance. The more complicated the wall assembly, the harder it is to get a good fit (see Figure 1). A 6-inch batt may have a measured R-value of 19 at the factory, but a poor installation in an exterior 2x6 wall can degrade the R-value by as much as 40%.It doesn't have to be that way. Given a realistic budget to work with, we've found that we can do high- quality work with fiberglass and still make a profit. The keys are coordination between trades, quality control, and knowing the right details.