What girder means
A girder is a main beam that carries other beams or joists, usually the large beam running down the middle of a basement or crawl space.
Also called main beam.
Where it matters on a carpentry job
Sagging floors in older houses often trace to a girder with too few posts or rotted ends. Adding a post and footing is a common repair; price the footing, since that is the part people skip.
Work it out
- Free calculator: Framing calculator
- Tools, templates and guides: Free carpentry resources