Wood Framing Terms

Braces

• Braces are used during initial construction of a house or building. The corners of the frame are braced together with a piece of temporary wood. The brace is nailed into the two walls at the corner to use the weight of each wall against the other. Braces are also nailed from the wall to the floor for support. The brace is usually taken down once other support boards are in place, such as rafters or corner joints.

Studs

• The wall frame is made with studs. The studs are set parallel with each other and perpendicular to the sole plates and connect the horizontal sole plates on top and bottom of the wall frame. The studs are usually a 2 by 4 or 2 by 6 boards depending upon the load the wall will bear. The stud is also used in inside walls for support and structure. All buildings use studs, metal or wood, in framing the building to support it. The studs are well-planned with spaces for windows and doors.

Rafters

• Rafters are the frame of the roof. The rafters are usually 2 by 10 or 2 by 12 boards that bear the load of the roof covering. Rafters are divided into five categories: common, hip, jack, cripple and valley. Each category is a different type of rafter used in building the frame of a roof. The common rafter sits at a 90-degree angle from the top of the wall frame, known as the cap plate, to the ridge board, which is the middle board of the roof.

Joists

• The joists are a series of 2 by 8, 2 by 10, or 2 by 12 boards that frame either the ceiling or the floor of a building. The joist boards are set parallel to each other and perpendicular to the studs in the walls. This type of framing supports the walls, girders and other important parts of the frame. The joist boards are where the ceiling boards and the floor boards are attached to create the full room.