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Building a Home Remodeling Design Dilemma

Floor of balcony is 17" thick... how is it framed?

last year

Townhouse built in the 60s-70s, mixed metal and wood framing. The uppermost stairway has vaulted ceiling - so the top floor forms a bit of a balcony over the stairs.
The overhang it forms is 17" thick. I can't imagine the joists are all that wide, so what's going on in all that empty space? What's the usual construction method in this situation - drop the ceiling beneath, or raise the floor above?
(Yes, I realize there's the carpeting, padding, subfloor, etc, and then the drywall on the underside, so I know the entire 17" isn't joist... but even if it were a 12" joist, that still leaves some space unaccounted for!)

Featured Answer

cat_ky

last year

Could be plumbing, wiring, and hvac in there too. It most likely isnt just blank space.

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Comments (12)

PRO
Mark Bischak, Architect
last year
Because some carpenter with a great sense of humor said, "I am going to drive someone nutty and make it bigger than it needs to be."

Why do you ask?
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dan1888
last year
Pics are worth a lot here.
David Cary
last year
16in open joist? Not sure if that was common then.

Do you have HVAC ductwork between floors? That is what takes the room and creates some of the need for the space.
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
last year
Really? We need pics . Post them in a comment here do not start another post .
Lorraine Leroux
last year
Open it up and find out.
3onthetree
last year
Often beams and girders are deeper than floor joists. But we are running blind here.
kamereone
Original Author
last year
kamereone
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
Sorry for lack of image, technical trouble. Houz z doesn' tsee m to like my .phone. Yellow lines are drawn on approximating wherestuds are, based on where I've been able to ID screws in the wallboard. Studfinder has proven inconsistent, likely due to a thick coat of plaster and warping of the wallboard. - which is part of the reason I hesitate to do exploratory surgery, it's going make a mess and won't patch nicely. The vertical line on the header is 16" from the stringer to the left, magnet only found one screw across that entire .face.

Sorry for weird format and spelling, houzz really doesn't seem to like !me!
Lorraine Leroux
last year
The question that needs to be answered is WHY do you need to know? What do you want to do in this area that you need to find out the support system.

It is possible this is a main support beam that goes across the house and makes up part of the stairwell.
3onthetree
last year
last modified: last year
The front of the "balcony" you are referring to is just a solid piece of wood all the way across. Drywall screws are not placed on a stud location. If you are marking the wall studs, I am curious as to what you are doing with the "thickness" of this "balcony."

If you are knocking your head, check the 6'-8" head clearance under this "balcony." Draw a line connecting each front edge of step nosing - then draw a parallel line 6'-8" above that one. The "balcony" should clear this line. If you want more room, it is possible to move the framing.

If I use the spacing of the balusters as a guide (max 4" between) and interpolate the thickness of this "balcony" on the picture, it looks to be a 12" thick floor plane (not 17"), and that includes the vertical bottom rail of the balustrade that may stick up above the floor as well.
PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
last year
That first beam is carrying the load of the staircase so It might have been beefed up to accomplish that.

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