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As with every other part of the building process, an excellent framing job requires use of the best materials available and the expert installation of them. The scope of this subject defies any short explanation. A few points follow.
Materials
A builder and his carpenters must be committed to the use of only good material. Most of the time builders are at the mercy of the lumber received from their supplier who in turn is at the mercy of whatever shows up from the large mills they purchase from. However, carpenters can and should be instructed to cull out warped and damaged material. The builder must also constantly remind his local lumber yard that only quality material will be accepted ….and then remind them again. It does make a difference.
Carpentry
A framing carpentry crew that is knowledgeable, experienced, and conscientious is critically important, especially on larger, geometrically complex homes. Perhaps the most important framing principles are those which are most basic and are those principles most often abused.
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Leveling – This really starts with foundation walls needing to be level. Carpenters, however, are the ones responsible for leveling up window sill openings (not doing so is why most windows, even the best brands, leak air.), leveling up wall partitions (wall paper that won’t hang straight can be partially traced to this), and interior door openings.
Squaring up – Again, window and door (exterior and interior) openings must be square. By ‘square’ we mean that corner angles which are meant to be 90 degrees are in fact so. Windows not installed square will leak air and water. Wall partitions must also be squared (the other corresponding reason wall paper won’t hang straight).
Fitting – Overall, lumber joined together should fit neatly. Plywood floor sheathing should not have large gaps, wall studs should fit flush between top and bottom plates, structural window and door headers should be cut to fit tight with side supporting studs, rafter tails at the edge of an overhang should leave a straight line when the water gutter is applied, and the list goes on.
I have found that the best carpenters enjoy working on challenging projects, taking pride in what they build and are a part of. They also expect to be compensated accordingly for their experience and skill.
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A word about windows – In general, most all the manufacturers have significantly raised their quality over the past five to seven years in order to remain competitive. That said, there remain differences. There are quality differences, but more so, there are feature differences between the brands. An example would be the mini blinds between glass which only Pella offers. Another example is simulated, true divided lites in a window sash. A number of manufacturers offer this high-end feature, but I would recommend only one brand for this. It’s a window manufacturer that started out in the early 1900’s as a millwork provider. To this day, their woodwork joinery stands out.
Most important, though, is the installation of the window into the framed opening. The best window installed incorrectly, for instance out of level or out of square, or improperly shimmed, is worse than a bargain brand window expertly installed. To this point, we have our finish trim carpenters install all of our windows and doors. I’m a bit of a fanatic on this point but that’s the way it is.
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Roof trusses bearing upon an interior steel beam. Wide open spaces require long spanning steel or engineered lumber.
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Framing a round room.
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Roof rafters on a round room.
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There is no substitute for knowledge and experience.
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Roofing
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Our roofer installing shingles.
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Our standard for roofs is a 30-year dimensional shingle, nailed over 15# asphalt-impregnated felt paper. The felt paper itself is hand-nailed with oversized cap nails to the wood roof sheathing. The proper and careful use of air-powered nail or staple guns to fasten shingles is critical. The head of a nail or staple (and it really should be a nail, whether hand or air driven) should be seated flat against the shingle after being imbedded. If it’s not, and is instead tipped, the lower edge tears the shingle being nailed while the upper edge can eventually wear a hole into the bottom of the overlapping shingle above. This excessive wearing is one of the underlying reasons why shingles become weakened over time and blow off. This is usually not an issue until ten to twenty years later in the life of a house. It’s not the air gun, per se, which is the problem but the angle in which it is held to the roof when being used in rapid-fire fashion. More often than not, it is not pointed normal, or 90 degrees, to the plane of a sloped roof.
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Ice and water shield along the edge of a roof. All roof edges adjacent to spouting gutters receive 36” of ice and water shield. Also, all roof valleys are lined with ice and water shield.
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Ice and water shield differs from asphalt felt paper. Ice and water shield has a plastic-based impervious membrane, is extremely resistant to tearing, and has an adhesive sticky backing which when applied directly to wood sheathing, is nearly impossible to pull up.
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Proceed to Step 5 - Interior Woodwork and Cabinetry
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