What Is an Exterior Rough Finish?

Floor

• Rough framing a house's floors consists of fastening the joists, usually 2-by-10-inch boards, to the foundation, then placing a subfloor on top of the joists. A common spacing is 24 inches from the center of one joist to the center of the next one. The subflooring, or sheathing, usually consists of 4-by-8-inch pieces of plywood, either 5/8-inch or 3/4-inch thick, placed perpendicular to the joists, then glued and nailed into place. The floor can now receive the final finishing material.

Walls

• Framing the corners constitutes a critical part of creating solid exterior walls. The corners should consist of at least three studs for strength and durability. You nail the wall studs into the top and bottom plates using 16d nails and space the studs 16 inches apart on center. The front and back exterior walls, usually the longest, get framed first. Framing as many walls as you can on the subfloor, then putting them upright, is the most efficient method of construction. Plywood sheathing goes over the rough walls, preparing them for the exterior siding.

Roofs

• Most home roofs have one of two types of rough framing: stick framing, which uses rafters, or trusses. Trusses, triangular-shaped wooden braces, need spacing 16 inches on center, while rafters can accept a spacing of 16 inches on center or 19.2 inches on center. Once the rafter or truss framework is in place, plywood sheathing goes on top of it. Keeping the nails flush against the plywood surface rather driving them deep into the wood strengthens the connection.

Tips

• Every rough frame must conform to the local building code, but exceeding the code's requirements gives an even more solid and durable structure. For example, using 2-by-12-inch boards rather than the 2-by-10-inch boards strengthens the joist framework for the floor. Although a typical code allows a 24-inch spacing for floor joists, you can space them 16 inches apart for a tighter frame. Apply the adhesive for the floor sheathing just before setting the plywood in place. Letting the adhesive sit for too long can result in a weaker floor structure that will eventually start squeaking.