LET’S GET FRAMING
Now that we have our foundation poured, we are ready to start framing the house. Just like the skeleton in your body, the frame of the house provides the “bones” and structural support for the home.
Before you start framing, there are a couple of things you need to get done with the engineers and lumber supply companies. You will need to submit your building plans to both structural engineers (the same engineers who designed your foundation from the soils report in most cases) and your lumber supply company. The structural engineers will take the plans and the foundation they designed and give you a wind bracing plan, this can take place at the same time your foundation is engineered. This tells you and your framers where to install the structural sheathing and anchor bolts. Most cities will require you to have a wind bracing inspection to ensure these items are installed according to the engineered plans. The anchor bolts attach the frame to the slab. The structural sheathing helps add more support to the structure so that it doesn’t shift or sway when the thunderstorms roll in from the plains. If you have a 2-story home, the lumber company will design and engineer the floor system that will support the weight of the 2nd story living and storage areas. A key thing to note here is that most attic spaces (typically above the garage) are NOT engineered with a floor system to hold weight, and this is an area where many folks utilize storage space. If you are planning to use your attic space for storage, check with your builder to ensure adequate floor joists for support. The lumber company will also provide you with a framing plan to match the materials they have used for building. Depending upon how busy your supplier is, this process can take anywhere from 2-4 weeks. Once you have the wind bracing plans, frame plans, and the floor system design you are ready to get your lumber pack delivered and start framing.
The framing of the home is fairly straightforward. This is where they will frame the walls, the ceiling joists, and the rafters (roof supports). If you have a 2nd-story, an engineered floor plan will come with your lumber package. The framers will use this plan to install the floor joists and ensure all is done per the engineer specs. There are several different floor systems that can be utilized and each has different benefits, cons, and pricing. Before you can install any masonry or siding on your home’s exterior, you will need to install the wind bracing and have it inspected (if applicable). The inspector will ensure all the anchor bolts are properly installed per code and will check that the wind bracing sheathing is installed per the engineer’s wind bracing plan. Once this inspection is complete, you can begin masonry or siding work on the exterior.
The timeline for getting your framing complete will vary based upon the size of the home, single or 2-story plan, roof pitch, and the size of the actual crew. Once your frame is complete you will be ready to move on to roof decking, cornice work, roof installation, and mechanical rough-ins followed by the frame / mechanical inspection. Next time we will look at what this all means.
