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Yes, joists are considered structural, as they support the flooring or roofing above them and help distribute the load to the beams, which, in turn, distribute that load to weight-bearing walls or foundational supports directly below them. Joists not only help distribute the load evenly to your beams, but they also provide direct support to the subfloor in flooring systems, which helps reduce creaking and the risk of uneven flooring.

Cupping and bowing are both types of wood warping, but they affect the board in different ways. Cupping happens when the edges of a board curl upward or downward, creating a concave or convex shape across its width. Conversely, bowing is when the board curves along its length, forming a gentle arc. 

There are approximately 5.33 board feet in a 2x4. You can use the board foot calculator in this article to easily find the answer. A 2x4 is 2 inches of thickness by 4 inches of width, so you need to find the length, with 8 feet being the most common. You’d use the calculator here to multiply 2 times 4 times 8, and then divide by 12, arriving at a total of 5.33 board feet. 

Most of the time, you’ll want to use screws on your subfloor rather than nails. Nails can actually weaken plywood, whereas screws can easily penetrate without damage. They also form a more secure connection because of their shape, preventing squeaky floors and tightly holding the subfloor in place. That said, some contractors do prefer nails depending on the type of floor covering because they allow for more flexibility.