Steps to Framing a House

Foundation

• A flat concrete slab or concrete footings form a base for the framed structure. Footings and short concrete pillars provide support for pier and beam floors with the walls set atop the footings. A pressure-treated wooden sill plate is laid along the edges of the slab or on top of the footings and anchored with J bolts forming an outline of the walls. The bottom of the sill plate must be at least 6 inches above the finished grade to prevent rotting.

Floors

• If built on a concrete slab, the slab itself forms the floor of the structure. If built on footings, wooden 2-by-4s, 2-by-6s or 2-by-8s are spaced 12, 16 or 24 inches apart as specified by local building codes. The joists are assembled to create joist bays that sit on top of the footings. These wooden joists form joist bays that are covered by plywood or composite sheathing. Spacing the joists properly ensures that the edges of the sheathing sheets line up with the joists they sit upon. Upper story floors are formed by sitting joint bays on top of the walls below.

Walls

• Walls are added once the first floor is in place. Wall bays are constructed of 2-by-4s or 2-by-6 studs nailed 12, 16 or 24 inches apart between same-sized cap and base boards. Once the bay is complete, carpenters stand it up on top of the base sill and nail the base of the bay into the plate, temporarily propping the frame up with long 2-by-4s. As the wall bays are constructed and raised into position, the ends are nailed together to form solid walls.

Doors and Windows

• Openings in the wall bays for windows and doors are built into the bays before they are raised. Bottom sills and lintels at the top give the openings extra stability to support the upper frame even though the window or door may necessitate removing segments of the supporting studs.

Second Floors

• Second or third floor joist bays are nailed on top of the cap plates on top of the wall bays. A second cap board may be added on top of each wall bay to provide added strength before nailing upper stud wall bays in place. Once the walls are completed, the upper cap boards form the base for the roof structure.

Roof

• The roof assembly of rafters and wall-ties rests atop the upper cap plate at the top of the house's walls. Most modern platform-framed homes use site-built or prefabricated trussed rafters. These large triangular “trusses” are lifted into place, their ends nailed to the tops of the walls. They are joined together by a wooden beam at the ridge that ties together the roof assembly. The roof assembly is then covered with wooden or composite sheathing to form the roof deck and finished with roofing material.

Sheathing

• Plywood or composite sheathing, nailed to the outside of the walls, gives the framework added shear strength and forms the outside walls of the house. Sheathing is usually added last after the house is entirely framed and the roof is shingled to partially protect the sheathing from the weather.

Utility Runs

• Before the finish work begins, runs for plumbing, electricity, phone, cable and other utilities are cut or drilled into the framework.