6. Frame - 1

All lumber should be number two or better. Sometimes when the home is being built in the county or where there are no municipality inspections the builder will try to use #3 lumber instead of #2. This will save your builder a few hundred dollars, but you paid for #2 and for a home done right it should be built with #2. 'We Do Right Things Right Because That Is How They Were Meant To Be Done'. You have to watch out for finger jointed studs. Structurally they are fine. Your framer should check to make sure they were glued. Some times (more often they it should happen) they come from the mill and the joints do not have glue in them. Finger jointed studs only have strength when used vertically. They have NO structural value when used horizontally. They can not be used for plate material or bracing. I would not used them for cripples except for when most of the length can be used, i.e. door cripples. Studs on exterior walls should be placed on 16' centers, interior load bearing walls should also be on 16 inch centers. Interior non-load bearing walls can be framed 24" on center, depending on length. 16" and 24" are important measurements because everything, and I mean everything breaks on 24 or 16 inches. On one story homes depending on span, your joist span might be 16" (inch) centers or 24" centers. As you can see there can and will be cost savings by using the 24" on center joist. When going 24" you need to use 5/8" thick drywall for your ceilings. This will help eliminate your drywall from sagging over time from the weight of your blown insulation and gravity. The ideal situation would be to to have your joist on 16" center with 5/8 inch drywall on your ceilings. Some guys will try to go 24" on your joist and hang 1/2" drywall on your ceiling. Do not accept this. You will regret it in one to two years. You should expect the same quality construction in areas with no inspections as you would receive if there were full inspections. If your builder is trying to sell you on the ideal of 'Just AS Good' you need a new builder. Granted there are products that have the same function and are equal in performance, but you can not use a #3 and get #2 results. Five-eights on the ceiling is superior to half-inch. Bottom plate (the wood that is in contact with the concrete slab), should be treated material. Some will try to use 'SILL SEAL' and use untreated materials. If you have zero risk of ever having termites this might be one way of saving a few dollars. If you think you might now, or in the future have the smallest chance of termites treated is the only way to go. Termites are blind and come into the home through dirt tubes which are easy to spot, are through foundation penetrations which aren't so easy, i.e. plumbing and/or electrical. Sill seal is good with treated lumber to make sure you have a tight seal with the slab. When your insulator poly seals the home it will be that much tighter. All exterior walls should have two by twelve headers (2"x12"), interior door header's should be sized to the door. All headers should have a plywood (not OSB) flitch plate in the middle. Stud equals 3-1/2 inches wide. 2-X is 1-1/2 wide. If you double it you get 3 inches so the 1/2 inch flitch gives you the 3-1/2 inches. This also ensures the strength of the header plus ensures that the header is is flush with the studs. Punching a frame and finishing is the most difficult thing on a home. There are a lot of rules. You need strong backs on open end joist. You need rat runs, purlins, wind bracing, joist hangers, deadwood, etc. Your builder should be proficient at this. Along with your foundation this is the most important part of new home construction or remodeling. We all know the home is only as good as it's foundation. I like to say 'The Home is Only as Good as it's Foundation and Frame'. If your frame is tight ( done correctly) everything else becomes a big jig-saw puzzle. Cabinets fit, doors fit, toilets have room, tubs fit. Next we need to talk sub flooring and second floor framing. We also need to discuss I-beams vs Open web trusses.