Garage Framing Basics

Starting Walls

• You can build the walls for a garage on the slab and then stand them up after you complete the assembly. The studs for the walls fit in between two large framing members, the top plate and the sill. Sills usually consist of a piece of pressure-treated lumber, as it has a greater susceptibility to moisture and decay due to its placement near the ground. Once upright, the sill connects to the anchor bolts embedded in the foundation slab. You must drill appropriately sized holes into the sill for a secure bond.

Finshing Walls

• After nailing the studs into the frame, you lift the wall into position, making sure that the sill fits onto the anchor bolts. If you have only two people lifting the wall, you can build the wall in sections and toenail them together once they go up. You need to tighten the anchor bolts after the wall goes up to secure them properly. Once the walls are in place, you can add the plywood or oriented strand board, or OSB, sheathing.

Doors

• After the side and back walls have gone up, it's time to frame the garage door. The average single-car garage door measures about 7 feet high and 8 or 9 feet wide. The wood framing, however, should measure 1 1/2 inches wider on each side to leave room for the jambs. A header, which might consist of two boards, such as 2-by-6s, spans the length of the door. The garage door top plate over the header might need two separate pieces of lumber as well. Fasten them together at a stud.

Garage

• Framing the roof typically involves using trusses, triangular frameworks that support the roof deck. Once the trusses go up, you can add the roof decking, which, like the wall sheathing, usually consists of plywood or OSB. Stagger the vertical seams between the different courses of decking to avoid weakening the bond. With the sheathing secure, you finish the roof by installing an underlayment of felt and adding the roof material, such as shingles or shakes.