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I do stick framing for high end residential projects…never an 8 ft
interior wall, many cathedral ceilings, most living room walls over 12′,
steep sites. Interior wall finishes are often diamond trowel on long
runs. So my question: what are accepted standards for plumb, level,
square, and accumulated deviation from elevation spec
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All I know is PM says it's gotta be better 'n plumb
*thanks mark- sounds a bit subjective- can your PM live with 'elevation creep' so that at ridge [45'+ from foundation, 2 1/2 floors] you are 5/16" over ? neither can mine
*It depends on who the contractor is and how decent he wants to be. Not far from here is a brand new 1.9 million dollar home. Visable to the naked eye mistakes all over it and everyone was smiling and patting each other on the back. several towns over are little starter homes that the framing is so close to perfect it puts a great big smile in your face. I listened to the general chew the butt out of the framing guy because he used shims to take up the low point in a substandard foundation. Bottom line, don't work for jerks life is too short!
*Tell him ou,re allowing for lumber shrinkage, and to check back in a month or two. Unless it's masonry, it'll shrink. Listen to Frenchy, find a new contractor to work for and make sure you tell him why. You sweat the things that matter, not 5/16" in 45', that is well within accepted tolerances for wood frame construction.
*Curtis, I once bid an industrial job for a guy who wanted a form grid set up to an almost impossible tolerance (these guys were plastic mold makers and worked to the .oo1).When he saw my quote, he almost fell off his chair. He wondered why such an astronomical sum. I told him that I intended to meet hi ridiculous tolerances and that is how much it was going to take. He finally pulled his head out of his colon and decided upon reasonable standards. I did the job without incident.I would probably shoot this guy a price of 50, maybe 100 dollars per square foot unless he decided to accept the "normal" standards as set forth in most local codes. And I would forewarn him that 75% of the lumber was going to be constantly sent back, as I would have a full time laborer culling any stock with any variation in it. The labor rate for going back and fixing lumber that dried imperfectly would be in the 100$ per hour range, and strictly on a time and material basis.Ih short, it would be better and cheaper for him to hire Jesus.blue
*Thanks for support- this is a T & M job, so the money is less an issue than those old stand bys- pride, performance, etc. What can be an issue is tying to existing red iron bents[ 10x12 as rafters] set up on two story steel posts-waay up there- and absolutelu no wiggle room- sheath flush to top, drywall flush to bottom- incidently- what do you guys do on out of level foundations- 1/2" max?- I steel shim at each stud- but have read of setting plates in non shrink grout- shim packs just look mega ug
*Curtis,We would shim the mudsill level first with walmonized tapered shims and then fill in underneath with non-shrink grout. Most lumber yards carry it. However, we don't do much framing anymore, so there may be better methods out there these days.Ed. Williams