Framing Techniques for Garages

Building Codes

• In the United States, building code enforcement is done on a local or regional level. Municipalities have authority (with limitations) to develop or adopt their own building codes. Most municipalities have adopted codes that resemble the Uniform Building Code (UBC) of the United States or the International Building Code (IBC). In most jurisdictions of the United States, a building permit is required to build a garage, and the garage's construction (with or without a permit) is subject to building codes.

Code Specifications

• Building codes, where applied to traditional framing, sometimes called "stick framing", give detailed guidelines including nail schedules, specifications for door, window and garage door headers, configurations for exterior door openings, and minimum span between framing bays. Nail schedules specify how many nails and in what configurations they need to be used in various applications. For example, when attaching exterior plywood to a garage, the nailing schedule will dictate how many inches apart a nail should be on the perimeter of the plywood and in the "field", which is inside the perimeter. Header, door and window installation all use standard techniques, which may or may not be detailed on blueprints. One of the most important specifications is the maximum distance between framing members.

Truss Roofs

• Because exterior garages come in standard widths of single and double, standard and oversize, roof trusses to span standard widths are commonly used. Installing roof trusses replaces the need for custom and labor-intensive rafters. It is also a very different technique. The trusses are often set on top of the garage walls with a crane, although three people can probably lift small roof trusses onto a garage. Trusses are then laid out equidistant from one another, like studs, and fastened to the top plate of the wall. A temporary stringer is installed toward the peak of the trusses to space them appropriately.

Insulation

• Exterior walls on most houses are constructed of 2-by-6 studs. Exterior walls do not use thicker studs solely due to strength; they use them because they create a deeper well between wall bays. This deeper well is usually required to achieve the minimum "R value" required for insulation. Garage walls may not be insulated at all because they are not intended for habitation. Or, they may have less insulation than required in habitated structures. Therefore, exterior garage walls are sometimes constructed of 2-by-4 studs.