 KenPremium,MVM join:2003-06-16 Brownsburg, IN | reply to Crinky I don't know that anybody really puts out a table showing the maximum weight based on different sizes of dimension lumber. Someone might publish a chart like that, but that isn't how engineers or builders figure things out.
Normally all we care about is what the max span can be. This is based on the size of lumber (2x10) in your case, also the species of wood(pine, cedar, etc) and the grade of that wood (#1 grade vs #2 grade). Also very important is spacing between joists. 16" on center is common, but if the space was framed as an attic they might have used 19.2" or 24" on center. Sometimes 12" on center is used, because you are just a hair to far on your span to use 16" on center. You also have to know what your floor load is going to be. For living spaces inside a home we normally use 40 pounds per square foot live load. I believe decks are also calculated for 40 psf. Attic spaces by the way are usually only built to 10 psf, which is one of the reason why it can be difficult to convert an attic into living space.
Here is the span calculator I use: »www.awc.org/calculators/span/cal···tyle.asp |