If you cannot move the tub over, try flipping it the other way around. Hopefully, there are no joists over there that pose a problem. Instead, just feed your wire through the same hole. Even if you need a couple of extra feet of wire, it is worth it. When feed wiring or pipes through existing holes, make sure you avoid combining: Odds are if you are reading this, you already know how to drill a hole. Install the bit in your drill and pull that trigger. However, whenever you are drilling a hole into a floor joist or any other part of your house for that matter, you need to make sure you are being safe and not causing more damage than you need to. At worst you could burst open a water pipe and flood your basement, or even take out an entire electrical circuit, causing thousands of dollars in damages. Always make sure there is nothing behind the joist before you cut. When You Can See DeWALT’s E-Clutch System® is a built-in anti-rotation sensor just below the top handle. It senses and prevents bind-up situations by automatically turning the tool off. Meaning, if the tool were to aggressively or suddenly move to the left or right, it would shut down completely before the drill could swing out of control.

Approved Document A no longer provides guidance on the drilling of solid timber joists, instead guidance is provided by BS EN 1995-1: 2004 (as amended). This guidance does not apply to engineered joists e.g. JJI joists and reference should be made to specific product manufacturers instructions. Further readingAnti-rotation sensor and activation indicator. Reduces speed and power to protect the user when activated Sometimes, rather than drilling a hole, another route may exist. It is always better to staple across a joist and go around it rather than to drill through it unless the way around is ridiculously longer. Still, in the long run, the time difference is typically negligible. But not having to drill a hole is better for your home. Use an Existing Hole First if Possible

TheDeWalt FlexVolt In-Line Stud and Joist Drill is an absolute beast for new construction. When you have the room, I doubt there’s a more powerful, faster option. But you’ll have to decide if the increased power justifies the size over the Super Hawg or even the Makita XAD03for your work. If neither of the first two options exist, take one last look around. Odds are unless this is new constructions, other wires already exist. A previous contractor may have already drilled a hole for his own wire that was bigger than it needed to be. Do not drill another hole, since that will further weaken the joist anyway.

However, the answer is not always clear cut (pun intended). Particularly if you are drilling in old work, which is more often than not the case, the chances of something on the other side of the joist are quite high. Items attached on the other side could include: It is generally accepted, within the construction industry, that when dealing with simply supported1, solid timber joists not greater than 250 mm in depth, adherence to the following guidance means that the effect of notches and holes need not be calculated (see Fig 3). Find out how to repair floor joists by doubling them up. Family Handyman Figure B: Floor Joist Construction: Notching Wood and Boring Rules Engineered I-Beam Rules 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).

Alright, so those other options will not do. You still need to drill a hole through your floor joist. That should be perfectly fine, provided there are only one or two other holes already in its vicinity. Specifically, the hole should fall under the following requirements: Plenty of trial and error plus a healthy dose of engineering and testing have gone into the official rules in the building code. Here we’ll examine the rules. The Timber Research and Development Association ( www.trada.co.uk) is a useful source of information regarding the drilling and notching of timber structural elements. It should be noted that notches or holes should not be cut in roof rafters, other than at supports where the rafter may be birdsmouth3 to a depth not exceeding 0.33 times the rafter depth. Please Note: Every care was taken to ensure the information was correct at the time of publication. Any written guidance provided does not replace the user’s professional judgement. It is the responsibility of the dutyholder or person carrying out the work to ensure compliance with relevant building regulations or applicable technical standards.

You won’t find a more muscular right angle drill than theDeWalt 60V Max In-Line Stud and Joist Drill – it just demolishes holes. But all that strength comes with a cost in size: it can’t fit in tighter spaces. That makes it hard to perform complete repipes in tight spaces like attics. But for new construction, it’s the top dog. DeWalt FlexVolt In-Line Stud and Joist Drill Specifications You can notch and bore joists without sacrificing critical strength, but you must follow the rules. Those rules may sound complicated, but they are really quite simple. Say you need to drill through a floor joist that is 9 inches tall. The hole would need to be within the middle 5 inches of the joist, because of the 2-inch rule on the top and bottom. That also means, because of the one-third rule, that that the hole cannot be wider than 3 inches.

These types of joists are engineered and their structural performance relies upon their integrity not being compromised. If you have a ¼ inch piece of wire, for instance, by all means, use a ½ inch drill bit so feeding the wire through is easy. However, you certainly do not want to make a 1-inch hole in this situation, regardless of how tall the joist is. The bigger the hole, the less opportunity you have in the future to add more holes should they be required on another project. When installing pipework or cabling, floor or ceiling joists may need to be notched or drilled. But this could weaken the floor to such an extent that it becomes structurally unsound. Where larger notches and holes in joists should be and how they should be made Rules for Notches in JoistsHoles should only be drilled on the centre line of the joist. This is where the compressive and tensile load distribution is neutralised The first variable speed range is 0-400 RPM while the second is 0-1320. Chances are that I’ll do most of my work in the low range. The switch has an unusual placement on the bottom of the tool rather than the top. For reasons of structural integrity, there may be restrictions on the dimensions or location of a notch or opening that may be formed in a load bearing element of construction. In some cases the formation of a notch or opening may be completely unacceptable. Where necessary, the advice of a suitably competent person should be obtained. I-Joists and open metal web joists