This article is part of our ongoing home construction specification plan series.
Assembling a Home Construction Specification Plan — Spec Plan D: House Framing
Once your home’s foundation has been laid, it is now time to work on the framing. As you might imagine, this step in the home construction process is critical therefore only the services of an expert builder should be utilized. If the framing isn’t done right, the entire house may not stand the test of time.
Most homes are framed with wood, but steel is catching on. Steel is more expensive than wood, but it is being touted by some as a “green” alternative in that steel cannot rot, while wood framing might eventually have to be replaced. Old home materials eventually find their way to the garbage dump at least those materials which cannot be recycled. Thus the “green” designation for steel which can be recycled.
Regardless of the materials used for home framing, you’ll want to make sure that the “skeleton” supporting the body of your house is a solid one. Let’s take a look at the essentials of proper home framing.
Framing The Home With Wood
When choosing wood for your home framing, your construction team will be using wooden beams, floor joists, wall studs, roof rafters and other components to build the frame. Your local building codes employ specific engineering requirements which determine how the parts are sized and connected to ensure that the structure is a solid one.
Choosing A Superior Grade Of Lumber
Even if local building codes do not require a superior grade of lumber you may want to consider choosing lumber that goes beyond code minimums. The stronger the home, the more likely it will stand up under severe conditions.
Which Walls Bear The Load?
When the home is being framed, you’ll want to understand which walls are load bearing and which ones are not. If you have in mind a possible future home renovation project, can that center wall be removed without buckling the floors or causing windows and doors to stick? Or worse: a load bearing wall that hasn’t been reinforced could cause the roof to sag or even lead to a collapse of part of the house.
Home Footing, Wider Than The Foundation
The home’s footing (in conjunction with the foundation) delivers loads from the house down to solid ground. To spread out loads, the footing is wider than the home’s foundation.
Forming A Triangle
Roof rafters are compressed by the weight of the roofing materials which pull ceiling joists from each end, placing them under tension. The end result is a triangle which moves roof loads out to the rafter ends where the weight is upheld by the supporting walls.
Your Personal Oversight
Of course, during the home framing process you will need to be on hand to inspect the walls, roofing, etc. to ensure that they are spaced properly for plumbing, HVAC, electrical, and more. Home framing is an important part of the home construction process and is one step you will want to personally make certain is accomplished problem free.
end of post idea for home improvement
view and analyze home improvement ideas at our LetsRenovate center
Helpful article? Leave us a quick comment below.
And please give this article a rating and/or share it within your social networks.