Framing Your House (cont. p. 16)

Things You Should Watch For

● Let the framer know that you expect the lumber to be “culled.”  Noticeably warped pieces should be set aside for return to the supplier.

 

● If yours is a two-story house, wallboard must be loaded upstairs through a window opening, using a mechanical lift.

This means that the framers must leave at least one upstairs window uninstalled, or use a double-hung window which can be removed.

● Depending on the layout of ceiling joists, some rooms may require “deadwood” which allows for proper hanging of wallboard to the ceiling.

Ask your framer to check for proper deadwood before he leaves.

 

● Building codes require stair risers (the height of one step to the next) to be within certain limits.

Review this with your framer.  Stairs must be within code before he leaves the job.  It’s easy to get it right if they’re paying attention.

I’ve heard of building inspectors forcing finished oak stairs to be torn out because of risers being a half-inch out of code.



● The weight of the roof is supported in part by bracing which rests on walls below.

As much as possible, have the roof bracing rest on load-bearing walls which have footings beneath them (your framer can determine this by checking your foundation plan).

Avoid having roof bracing bear directly over a door opening. In time, this extra weight can cause settling of the door frame, causing the door to become unlevel.

 

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