Framing Basement Walls
By Mark Donovan

Framing basement walls can be a tricky endeavor. There are a number of different situations and obstacles that complicate the framing. As a result, stick building and improvisation are the key phrases when undertaking basement wall framing.

Perimeter Wall Framing

First, if you are planning to have a warm and comfortable basement, perimeter basement walls should be framed using 2”x4” construction, just like the interior walls. By using 2”x4” studs on the perimeter basement walls insulation can be installed to ensure a warmer room. If warmth is not a priority, and the installation of drywall is still required on the perimeter basement walls, then furring strips can be attached to the perimeter walls instead. Furring strips usually consist of 2”x2”s that are glued and nailed to the concrete basement walls.

Internal Wall Framing

The internal walls can be built on the ground and then simply raised in place, however due to inevitable variations in basement floor heights the walls should be built slightly shorter and then shimmed into place. If this is not done, you may have some difficulty raising the wall as it may get wedged between the floor of the basement and the ceiling/floor joists. Also, if the home is built on clay soil the basement floor may move slightly up and down based on the water content in the ground. If the home is built on clay soil, then you should use L-Shaped steel framing clips to attach to the walls and the first-floor floor joists. These clips will enable the walls to breath (move up and down), but give the support necessary to ensure the wall remains vertical.

When building basement walls there are typically many obstructions (pipes, duct work) that you need to build around. Thus, it is sometimes easier to stick build walls around these types of obstructions.

Stick Build Framing

To stick build walls, first nail a top plate perpendicular to the floor joists. Next, secure a bottom plate to the concrete floor using concrete nails and an adhesive such as Liquid Nails. Make sure you use pressure treated lumber on the bottom plate as it is in contact with the concrete and will wick moisture over time. The top and bottom plates should be parallel to each other. Use a plumb line to ensure they are parallel. Finally install 2’x4” studs every 16” along the plates. Make sure you measure for each stud prior to cutting, as the floor to ceiling distances will vary.

Boxing in Ductwork

Soffits may need to be built if ductwork needs to be boxed in or if planning to install interior lighting. Soffits are not structural and thus can be framed using 2”x2”s. Similar to any wall framing, use two parallel 2”x2” plates and connect them using vertical stud members. Secure a 2”x2” top plate to the floor joists and then stick nail in a 2”x2” stud on both ends of the top plate. Next nail the bottom plate to the two studs to create the basic wall. Finally, install on 16” centers, 2”x2” studs along the entire length of the plates. Pending the situation you may need to build the same framing structure on the other side of the ductwork. Once you have completed the second soffit wall simply install 2” x 2” cross member stud pieces (lookouts) between the two soffit wall sections. You will want to make sure you use a chalk line and a level during this task to ensure the soffit walls remain straight. Again, as the soffit is being stick built, measure every stud prior to cutting.

Framing the Ceiling

If drywall is to be installed on the ceiling then you may need to add effectively a horizontal wall. Basically the same process is done as with building soffits, however 2”x4”s are used for providing clearance for pipes hanging below the floor joists. If there are no pipes or wiring hanging below the floor joists, then 1’x3” strapping may be able to be used. Simply nail them perpendicular to the floor joists on 16” centers.

For more help on finishing your basement, see HomeAdditionPlus.com’s Basement Remodeling Bid sheet. The Basement Remodeling Bid Sheet will help ensure that your basement remodeling project goes smoothly and you get the finished basement you are looking for. In addition, it will help to ensure that finishing your basement will be accomplished on time and on budget.

Over the past 20+ years Mark Donovan has been involved with building homes and additions to homes. His projects have included: building a vacation home, building additions and garages on to existing homes, and finishing unfinished homes. For more home improvement information visit http://www.homeadditionplus.com and http://www.homeaddition.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Donovan

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

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

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.

• 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.
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• 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:

• Carpentry
• Handyman
• Window Installation
• Door Installation
• General Contractor