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Framing Tips
One of the most fundamental aspects of a home is how it is framed. Framing
contractors help to ensure the sturctural integrity and saftey of your home.
Keep these things in mind when deciding who to hire as your framing
contractor.
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Often contractors that are qualified to do framing work are also skilled in
other areas of carpentry and will be able to help frame windows, doors, and
cabinets as well as performing building and structural framing.
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A home can be framed with different types of materials. Most commonly
wood, steel, and concrete are used. Disucuss with the contractor
what the strengths and weaknesses are of each, and then make a decision with
what best suits your needs.
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Wood framing is the cheapest and quickest way to approach a project usually.
However, wood prices do fluctuate and wood is prone to rotting and
damage. Also, wood is not always structrually strong enough for
the load that it will need to hold.
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Steel framing is stronger and more durable than wood, but it is also more
expensive and timely to install.
Contractors that do this may also provide the following services:
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Carpentry
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Handyman
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Window Installation
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Door Installation
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General Contractor
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Homebuilding: Raising Walls
By Mike Merisko
You've just taken some plywood, 2x4 studs, 2x12 header material and some house wrap and transformed them into a wall. Its time to take the fruits of your labor and raise that wall off the deck. Having the right steps in place and making the right moves will make this task go smoothly and safely.
There are a couple of procedures that are done during the framing of the wall that play an important part in raising it. Before an exterior wall is framed, a chalk line is snapped on the deck. If it is a 2x4 wall with 1/2" sheathing, this line will be 4 inches off the edge of the deck. After the wall is framed and before any wall sheathing is nailed to it, the edge of the bottom plate is brought to the line. The end of the wall is brought to the edge of the deck. Once the frame is put in place, it is toe nailed with 8d nails on the inside of the bottom plate. Not only do these hold the wall in place when squaring up the wall, but also keep the wall on the line when raising it.
Once the wall is sheathed with plywood, insulation board, foam board and covered with house wrap you are ready to raise it. In preparation to lift the wall one must be able to get their hands under the top plate. Using a straight claw hammer or a prybar under the top plate, lift the wall high enough to slip a 2x4 flat under it. This inch and a half space gives you enough room for your hands.
If your raising a second story wall it is a good idea to nail stopping blocks to the rim joists. One of the last things you want is the wall being pushed off the edge of the deck. These are scrap pieces of lumber nailed the rim joist with 16d nails. Ideally these should be 16 to 18 inches long and nailed the full width of the joist with 4 16d nails. The balance of the board will stick up above the deck. Put these blocks at each end of the wall. On longer walls you may want to add one to the middle.
Before raising the wall, have all of your bracing material on hand. On a windy day you will want to brace the wall in place as soon as possible. Have enough braces (2x4's) to have them nailed on about every 10 feet. You will need blocks to nail to the deck to anchor the braces. These need to be about 20" long and get nailed to the deck through the plywood and into the floor joists with 16d nails. The nails need to go into the joists or there is the risk of the bracing failing in the case of high winds.
Bracing on the ends of the walls can be nailed on before it is raised. Nail one end of a 2x4 (wall stud) about one third of the way down from the top plate, again using 16d nails. Start a nail at the other end of the 2x4 so when the wall is stood up, all one has to do is drive the nail into the rim joist to brace the end of the wall.
With all materials and safeguards in place you can now raise the wall. A good rule of thumb for raising a wall is a set of hands every 8 to 10 feet. This gives everyone a comfortable weight to lift. To save your back, use your legs in the lifting process as much as possible.
Once the wall is raised, nail off the end braces to the rim joists. Next, nail the braces to a stud or window opening about a third of the way down from the top plate, about every 8 to 10 feet apart. Next, nail the blocks to the deck alongside the braces that were just nailed the the wall, being sure to catch the floor joists with the nails. With the wall as close to plumb as possible, nail off the anchor end of the brace to the block on the deck. It is important to use 16d nails for all of these steps.
After the wall is raised and braced, the final step is to nail the bottom plate of the wall to the deck. Push or pull the wall to the chalk line that was snapped on the deck. The 8d toe nails and the stopping blocks should have kept the wall very close to this line. Once the plate is brought to the line, nail it off with 16d nails, being sure to hit either the rim joist or a floor joist. You can now walk away and start another wall.
Remember, homebuilding can be a dangerous and risky occupation or activity. Always exercise caution and safety in all aspects of the construction process.
Mike Merisko (C) 2006
www.sawkerfs.com
About the Author: Mike Merisko has been a carpenter for 27 years. Most of those years were spent in the homebuilding and remodeling industries. He was also in business as a carpentry and general contractor. While that is his forte, he also has experience in bridge building, commercial construction, and exhibit building which is how he earns his living these days. You can browse through articles by him and others at his website http://www.sawkerfs.com or visit his blog at http://www.sawkerfs.blogspot.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Merisko
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Simple Layout And Framing Of Walls
By Mike Merisko
Framing walls is known in construction as rough carpentry. This
has always seemed to me as a contradiction of terms. The framing
holds the skin (drywall, sheathing, siding) and has the buildings
life lines running through it (plumbing, electric, heating, A/C,
telephone, and cable). Like the skeleton is to a body, as are
framed walls to a house.
When laying out walls, care must be taken as to where they are
placed. Finishes that will be applied must be considered in the
mix. If a room is to finish 12' x 12' and the wall finish is 1/2"
drywall, then the rough (there's that word again) dimension
between walls must be 12'1" x12'1".
Wall stud placement must also be considered. They cannot be
placed just anywhere. To understand how important this placement
is, one must know the materials that are applied to the framing.
Most common building materials come in 4 x 8 sheets. These sheets
are usually applied with the 4' horizontal and the 8' vertical.
The most common layout for wall framing is 16" centers. When laid
out and framed correctly, the edge of the drywall or sheathing
will break on the center of the studs in 4' increments.
The first step to laying out a wall is to find 2 straight 2x4s
and cut them to the length of the wall. Your now ready for the
stud layout. If your building perpendicular to an existing wall,
lay the 2x4 plates next to each other and flush the ends. Hook
your tape measure on one of the plates and make your first mark
at 15 and 1/4". This will be the leading edge of your first stud.
This puts the center of the stud at 16". Continue marking the
rest of the wall studs in the same manner. The next one would be
at 31 and 1/4", then 47and1/4", then 63 and 1/4" and so on. This
puts the center of the studs at 32", 48", and 64". Most tape
measures have 16" centers highlighted in a color to make this
easier. Once you have your stud locations marked, use a square
(combination or speed) to draw a line across both plates. Put an
"X" to the right side of this line. This indicates where the stud
goes.
If there are doors, windows or wall intersections in the wall,
these get laid out first. Sixteen inch centers are then laid out.
Door and window openings can be moved so its stud or cripple stud
is on the 16 o.c. layout. This saves or eliminates a stud.
Framing follows the same rules. Frame wall intersections first,
then door and window openings. It can be tough to frame these
items if the wall studs are in the way.
Wall layout is a simple process and once you do it a couple times
you'll see just how easy it is. It will become even more clear
if you also install the drywall or sheathing also. It can be a
nightmare if the layout is wrong and the edges of the material
aren't breaking on the center of the studs.
A certain amount of care and precision must be taken to avoid not
having material breaking on the studs.
(c)2005 Mike Merisko www.sawkerfs.com
Mike Merisko has been a carpenter for 26 years. Most of those years were spent in the homebuilding and remodeling industries. He was also in business as a carpentry and general contractor. While that is his forte, he also has experience in bridge building, commercial construction, and exhibit building which is how he earns his living these days. You can browse through articles by him and others at his website http://www.sawkerfs.com or visit his blog at http://www.sawkerfs.blogspot.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Merisko