Residential Framing

University High School

Framed House

Load Bearing vs. Non-Load Bearing

Load Bearing Walls•Exterior walls that carry ceiling, roof, or

upper floor loads to the foundation are called load bearing walls

•Walls in the middle add support•Weather:

▫Wind▫Snow▫Hurricanes▫Etc…

Non-Bearing Walls•Walls help shape a house’s interior finish

▫Defines rooms•Serves as unit for plumbing and electrical

systems•Can be moved

▫Consult building professional

Types of Framing

Platform Framing•Built one level at a time with each floor

providing a platform▫Room to building the next series of walls

•Most commonly used today •Protects better against fire•Cheaper•Easier to fins smaller straight wood

Balloon Framing•Studs run full height from mudsill to the

top plate▫Maximum of 20 feet

•Problem with fires ▫Floor to floor

•Hard to find 20 foot pieces of lumber that is straight

•Way more expensive ($$)

Wall types•Wood

▫Residential walls are wood (cost)•Concrete

▫Commercial•Masonry

▫Both•Metal

▫Both

Wood•Flexible•Economical•Easy to construct

▫Still strong•Most walls are made from 2x4’s

▫Most common stock of wood•Some places require 2x6’s

▫Canada (code)▫Cold

Wall Framing Components

Sole Plate

Stud

Top Plate - Often

Doubled

Header Rough

Opening

Studs•Placed every 16” on center (12”, 16” 24”

O.C.)•Secured to the top plate and sole plate

with a nail gun•Nailed for time•Helps distribute the weight (roof/top

floors)

Stud

Stud

Top Plate/Sole Plate•Exterior walls mostly use double top

plates to support the weight of joist/rafters of a roof

•Complete the frame▫Tie the whole wall together▫All vertical frame members are tied into

them ▫Places for components to be fastened to

them

Top Plate

Sole Plate

Rough Opening (Windows/Doors)•Place for doors/windows to be placed in•Made to the size of the window/door

being placed in •Every opening within a frame requires a

header to support the weight above

Rough Openin

g

Rough Opening

Header•Carry weight bearing down on that

section of the wall•Header size is determined by the width of

opening•Supported by jack studs•Even with all windows/doors

▫ (standard height 6’ 8”)

Header

Header

Jack Studs (Trimmer)•Holds up the ends of the header that’s

bridges the gap•Transfers the load that the header carries

down to the bottom plate and the framing beneath.

King Studs •On both sides of a window/door to support

any weak point▫Runs from the sole plate to the top plate

•Gives another place to fasten components▫Doors/windows▫Ties the rough opening together

King Stud

King Stud

Jack Stud

Jack Stud

Cripple Studs•Smaller 2x4’s that support the weight of

the sill and window•Also placed at the top of a door to meet

the proper height of the wall•Add another place for interior/exterior

components to be fastened to•Placed just like normal studs

▫12”, 16”, 24” O.C.

Cripple Stud

King Stud

King Stud

Jack Stud

Jack Stud

Cripple Stud

Header

Header

Stud

Top Plat

e

Sole Plat

e

Floor Framing

Floor Frame•Joist

▫horizontal supporting members that run from wall to wall wall to beam beam to beam

• These support a ceiling, roof, or floor•Joist Header

▫Support and hold joist in place▫Outside framing

•Girder▫Support beam (unusually an I-beam)▫Runs down the middle of a house

Provides strength to the floor•Plywood

▫Places on top of the joist as the first layer of the floor

•Joist Hangers/Bridging▫metal brackets used to connect joists to the

adjoining headers or support beams

Roof Framing

Gable Roofing Components

•Ridge Board▫runs along the peak of the roof parallel to

the outside walls▫Nailed

•Ceiling Joist ▫two prime functions

tie the walls of a structure or a room together to support the ceiling of the structure, or

room•Rafters

▫Series of sloped structural members that extend from the ridge or hip to the down-slop eave

▫Support the roof deck

•Gable Studs▫members that hold a gable roof in place

•Overhang▫Extends past the exterior walls▫Lets rain run off/other debris▫Place gutters