DIY Network

Framing and Walls: Planning and Material Selection From "Be Your Own Contractor" episode DBYC-103

Host Brad Staggs at the site of a home under-construction where wall-framing is underway.

In this episode of DIY's Be Your Own Contractor, we hear from ambitious do-it-yourselfers about their experiences in the installation of framing and walls in their houses. Varieties and materials in framing -- including several non-conventional methods -- are considered, as well as interior wall construction and insulation. In this first segment, planning and selection of framing materials are discussed.

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	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D
	Figure E
	Figure F
	Figure G
	Figure H

Planning and Materials

• According to experienced do-it-yourselfer Alan Sain of Butler, PA, advance planning is critical when it's time to add framing and walls in the building of a house. Alan is an engineer and worked for about two years on the plans for his home before construction began. His floor plans and diagrams (figure A) were so detailed that they showed practically every floor-joist and wall-stud in his house.

• Lynn Underwood of Vail, AZ agrees that a framing plan is necessary to ensure that the house structure incorporates walls that will support all the loads that will be imposed upon them. For example, heavy loads on upper floors may need to be supported by concrete supporting walls and steel crossbeams (figure B).

• Betty King and John Spracklen chose to go with standard 2x4 framing for the bulk of their spacious house in Olmstead, KY (figure C). For the taller sections of the house with 16-foot ceilings, however, 2x6 supports were used for added structural strength.

• The majority of today's house framing is done with wood, and most of the do-it-yourself contractors in this series went with the standard wood framing (figure D). There were some, however, that chose alternative methods and materials.

• Alan Sain used SIPs or structural insulated panels for both the wall and roof structures. SIPs (figure E) are made of rigid foam held between two layers of structural board. Using this material helped enable Alan in the creation of vaulted spaces, practically airtight construction and very solid structure for his custom home.

• Michael Buchtel of Williamsburg, VA utilized ICFs or insulated concrete forms. ICFs are lightweight interlocking foam panels (figure F) that hold poured concrete as it is hardens and remain in place as a functional part of the wall after the concrete is poured. Michael describes them as like "giant Leggo blocks that are filled with concrete."

• Doug Kerr of Los Angeles, CA went with steel framing (figure G) as a result of with four past homes that were damaged extensively by termites. Steel framing is obviously not subject to termite damage, and it is non-combustible so presents less of a fire risk.

• Be aware that finding subcontractors who can work with less conventional framing strategies such as these may be difficult in some areas. Some of our do-it-yourselfers got around this problem by learning the techniques and doing much of the framing work themselves.

• Skip Weahunt states that, despite the difficulties involved, he got personal satisfaction from undertaking the framing work himself. He saved money, but the process of doing it himself was a long one. Michael Buchtel emphasizes that framing a home is both critical and complex (figure H). If you don't have the experience and expertise for this undertaking, this is one job that should definitely be left to professionals. And the expense of hiring contractors for house-framing will likely be much less than dealing with a botched job.
  

In the segment that follows, unconventional framing methods are explored further.