Floors, Beams & Other Things That Keep You Up
This horizontal structural member, spaced 16″ or 24″ on center in most floors, shares its name with a word that sounds like "hoist", which is fitting since it helps lift and support the floor above.
Joist
This prefabricated joist—whose acronym might remind you of a three‑letter code you’d see on a tech schematic—uses flanges and a thin web for strength.
Engineered joist (TJI)
Made of OSB, plywood, or lumber, this base layer of the floor shares its name with something a submarine might sink beneath when diving deeper.
Subfloor
Running parallel to the joists around a stair opening, its name sounding like someone who gives your bangs a quick tidy‑up.
Stair trimmer
This graspable safety feature of a staircase is much like the horizontal surface passengers hold onto on a busy subway train.
Stair handrail
Formed by fastening multiple pieces of dimensional lumber together—much like assembling your own superhero team—this beam provides additional strength where needed.
Built‑up wood beam
Often made from laminated veneers or strands—layered like a musical supergroup—this engineered member handles major loads.
Engineered beam
This refers to how much of a joist actually rests on its supports—much like the portion of a bookshelf that must sit firmly on its brackets to keep everything from tipping.
Supported joist length
This framing member runs perpendicular to the joists at a stair opening and helps support the cut‑off joists—its name is the same as what you’d call the person or object that leads or ‘heads’ a lineup.
Stair header
Mounted below the balusters, this element sounds like it belongs on a ballet dancer’s foot.
Stair shoerail
These three forms of bracing, which sound like the names of three mischievous elves, prevent joists from twisting and help share loads.
Strapping, cross bridging, and blocking
This recess in a wall that supports a beam shares a name with a basketball maneuver used when driving toward the key.
Beam pocket
Essential for transferring loads, this structural condition has the same name as what you must “bear” during a very long meeting.
Bearing
This board that anchors the upper ends of stair stringers shares its name with something you’d use to record important information or keep track of details.
Stair ledger board
These vertical members supporting the handrail resemble the tiny chess pieces that neatly stand in a row.
Stair baluster
This perimeter board tying joists together shares its name with the part of a wheel that keeps everything spinning smoothly.
Rim joist / rim board
This term describes the unsupported distance covered by a beam, much like a gymnast gracefully traveling across the uneven bars.
Beam / joist span
This framed opening in a floor system—much like the vertical shaft that lets light travel down through a lighthouse—creates the space needed for a staircase.
Stairwell
These triangular steps allow a staircase to change direction—much like the way a path gently curves when it winds around a corner.
Stair winders
This tall post anchoring the stair railing shares its name with a word that rhymes with "jewel" - a fitting hint for something that stands out at the start or end of a staircase.
Stair newel post
This floor extension sticks out beyond the exterior wall—much like the way a diving board reaches out past the edge of a swimming pool.
Floor projection / cantilever
This measurement describes how far a structural member stretches from one end to the other—much like the number a tailor needs before deciding how much fabric to trim.
Beam / joist length
This term refers to standard‑sized lumber like 2×4s and 2×6s—sizes that are named for their rough‑cut dimensions, much like how clothing sizes label what the fabric started as, not what it shrank to.
Dimensional lumber
This projection at the edge of a stair tread extends slightly past the riser—much like the way someone leans forward just enough to look over a ledge.
Stair nosing
Mounted to a wall, this decorative half‑post is like the Kool‑Aid Man bursting through a wall…but only halfway.
Stair half newel post