House Framing Details You Don't Want to Overlook

The secret to a solid, well built home lies in the house framing details. Framing creates the structure of the house-its bones. A precisely framed house will allow the finish work to be accurate as well. Plumb walls and square rooms are often the result of attention to detail in the framing process.

• Pay Attention To These House Framing Details
• Have it inspected. Proper framing is crucial to the structural integrity of a building; it is not a small time home improvement project.. Any municipality that enforces a building code will require a framing inspection. Failing to have this inspection completed is not only illegal, it will also void your homeowner's insurance.
• Everything's connected. Framing gets its strength from the connected nature of its design. Just as studs aren't secure until the top and bottom header are attached, the four walls of a room don't become secure until roof member or second floor joists are added. Make sure all framing work in progress is fully supported by braces until securely attached to other parts of the structure.
• Thick can be good. Although 2" x 4" wood is commonly used for interior framing, 2" x 6" stock will create thicker walls that allow for better sound insulation and create more elbowroom for pipes and ductwork.
• Going up! Exterior walls are typically constructed on the ground and then lifted into place. A framed wall will be made up of vertical studs (spaced 16" on center) attached to horizontal top and bottom plates. Window and door openings require additional horizontal elements called headers.
• Made from scratch. Interior walls can't be pre-constructed because they will wedge against the ceiling joists when lifted into position. Walls that are created in place are often called "stick built" walls.
• Anatomy of a hole. Window and door openings use a header (an additional horizontal member to carry the weight of elements above) at the top of the opening. Trimmers (vertical members at both ends of the header) are used to support the header. Trimmers are attached to king studs that mark the side of the opening. For windows, an additional horizontal element (the sill) is added. The sill will typically have short studs underneath it called cripple studs.
• Good wood. When selecting wood for framing, avoid boards that are warped or twisted. These types of boards will create problems when it comes time to finish the walls with drywall. Boards with moderate to slight imperfection can always be cut down for bracing or use as cripple studs (short studs used between headers and top and bottom plates).