Hello to all! I have never posted anything before but I have been reading this site for a couple of years and have really learned a great deal. My background is in framing but I have done a little work in most of the construction trades. Any way I recently started a job as a superintendent and I may be asked to give a framing 101 discussion to the other supers. I really respect the pride that you guys take in your work and with all the colective experience you guys have I am sure you will think of a lot of things that would’t cross my mind if I sat down and tried to through something together in a hurry. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
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Don't sweep the sawdust off the deck.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
What's the end goal of this "discussion" and what is the job description and skill level of the folks you'll be talking to?
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
The goal of the discussion is just to make people more aware. To remind them of things they may have forgotten about. To make them think how can we be building a better house. Theese guys have all been around the block, and come from related trades and backgrounds. Currently each supper is running around 12 to 14 custom houses with lots of change orders (20 to over 100 on some homes) so it easy to get bogged down and loose sight of the goal of building quality homes. We are in the process of reorganizing/adding more suppers, to lessen the load on each supper.
Thanks again for any insight.
Wow, that's a big field and lots of responsibility - seems like these guys need Framing 440 insead of 101.
But given what you said, I'm thinking to remind about the basics, like when you get a change order that moves walls, be sure to take another look at the load paths in bearing assemblies - all the way to foundation. Too often, a pick-up crew returns to facilitate changes and they can sometiomes be less able than the original framers for things like that.
Keeping an eye on the plumbers and HVAC guys who terrorize the framing is a big job too.
And review that fact that web floor trusses or TJIs and Advantech subfloor are big labor savers, but that there are specifics from the manufacturers that sometimes get ignored by the carpenters.
Keep all lumber in direct contact with concrete PT.
use hot dipped galv or SS hardware in contact with PT. The old stuff corrodes too easily with the new formula PT lumber.
Maintain rainscreen drainage with weepholes with masonry veneers
Pay attention to how pans and flashings around windows and doors are installed - or not. ( I was just called to look at a fairly new house where the windows are leaking. The plaster under the sills is ruined. It is obvious that no sill pans were used. There were other sins of faulty installation. had to tell him that the only way to be sure it was right is to remove and re-install all windows - not making for a happy camper)
Additionally, you could ask your local building inspector what things he wpould like to see focus on from your end to attack it on a pro-active basis, improve your quality, and make him your friend.
shucks, I'm fresh out of ideas now...
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I spent a few years superintending a rather large construction company. The crummy framing drove me nuts.......I fired the bosses favorite crew.....the boss fired me.......and I was very happy......cause I had promised my wife I would stabilize myself and never quit.
The problems with framing are varied and continuess....... you gotta pay close attention, know your #### and know the floor plan ( I've actually had guys move closets etc. cause they thought it would be better)
When it rains make a bee-line to all the jobs and see where the water goes. I've measured puddles up to three/four inches deep in the middle of the house........check the carrier beam and the adjusta-posts.......footer pads etc.
Do ALL bearing walls, posts etc. carry to the basement or is the post just sitting between a joist on 3/4 sub-floor.......
Plumb? level?..............you'd be surprised.
Bottom line is that you can take nothing for granted........especially when using three or four different framing crews.
Good luck........I consider this job to be one of the worst/hardest in the business. You are a sandwich between owner and sub..........and all the bitching ends up at your doorstep.
One other thing that drove me nuts was the drainage systems around allotment houses. Footer drains covered with a couple inches of gravel.......smashed and full of tar etc. This stuff is important. WATER must be directed from the get go.
The only thing that comes to mind is when you put the 2nd top plate on a wall, put the nails above the studs. That way when the electrician drills through to pull wires, he won't hit nails.
Crowning studs also comes to mind. I don't see many guys doing that.
Wait - Don't know why I didn't think about bracing right off the bat. When setting trusses, pay attention to bracing. So you don't end up like these 2 guys:
http://www.record-journal.com/articles/2004/08/18/news/news09.txt
If we keep doing what we're doing, we're going to keep getting what we're getting. [Stephen Covey]
Always use a chainsaw to cut trusses.
It is much faster than a recip saw.
A couple of 2x10s will span any big openings you may have to cut in a trussed roof.Mr T
Happiness is a cold wet nose
Life is is never to busy to stop and pet the Doggies!!
My best advice is to avoid, at all costs, ever showing the boss that you can handle warranty work. I got sucked into that trap once, and will shovel manure before that happens again. Builders (especially large volume bldrs) love to let one man handle as much as he can, or maybe a little more. Maybe I just worked for some A- holes and others are better but I'm really happier doing my own thang.
Framing 101 should've been passed long ago, in the helper stages, but you'll probably run into a lota hacks that just drop[ped out and started plumbing. (no offense to any plumbers especially the good ones)
Heres what they look for @ inspection time when we call in inspections. This has nothing to do with quality, I guess that would be framing 202.This is also for my neck of the woods.
Install load blocks,squash blocks,or solid blocking.
Foundation anchor bolts, missing, improper installation, loose nuts.
Shim headers and cripples, strap posts.
Install draft / fire blocking / seal penetrations
Install roof caps / windows / doors /building dried in.
Truss detail must match structure
Missing or incorrect truss connection
Cut damaged or altered TJI or floor joist / raffters
Cut or damaged altered truss (need engineered repair)
I have a question about squash blocks. I have notice on a lot of the houses in this development that the framers are just installing tji blocks in between tji on load bearing walls. I was always under the assumption that when you had a load bearing wall you needed 2x4 squash blocks next to the tji's. What's your take?
it doesn't really matter what any one person's "take" on that is. I have never seen engineered structural lumber sold without instruction sheets. The manufacturers have a vested interest in the succe4ss of the product. Install it their way and you know it is a method rigorously tested. They are specific about squash blocks and how/ where to use them.
Think of any other examples of when it is not a good idea to ignore manufacturers instructions?
Put only ten pound of air in your tires?
Put deisel in your gasoline tank?
Fry your oatmeal instead of boiling it?
Run your circ saw on 240 volts?
stand on that infamous top notastep step of the step ladder?
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Example of a squash blocking would be , I have a double mirco lam on the 2nd floor holding up some trusses (example) I would double post under the mirco to the bottom plate. This gets me to the Tji or rim board in the floor system. I would then have to install two 9 1/4 2x4s @ the floor under the post & under the bottom plate. 1st set of squash blocks then repeat the same in the 1st floor wall system post to bottom plate. Two more 9 1/4 squash blocks under bottom plate to foundation.
This gives a point load all the way to the foundation. The way the building department likes to see it.
Keep in mine the size of the blocking will change with the size of floor system that you use. For other Tji blocking,most every load of Tjis we get, at least one has a small packet along with it that has a great amount of info with it, it is best to read the info & follow the different types of blocking for framing.
We have to do special blocking on the Tjis when we have load bearing, but each case is different, so without knowing what type of load you have it would be hard to answer that question.