When planning a home renovation, it is essential to define your goals and objectives, set a budget, prioritize tasks, choose a team wisely, develop a timeline, identify potential challenges and risks, and obtain necessary permits and approvals. This guide provides a breakdown of every step and a budget spreadsheet for a comprehensive home renovation process.
The renovation process typically starts with groundworks such as foundations and drainage, followed by new or modified structures like extensions and conversions. Developing a renovation plan requires thoughtful preparation, research, and creativity. By following these steps, you will be better equipped to manage the project, avoid common pitfalls, and explore options.
To gather design inspiration, consider TV shows, design magazines, and social media platforms like Instagram and Houzz. The whole home renovation process involves a big bell curve, from planning and design to demolition, rebuilding/framing, mechanicals/plumbing/HVAC/electrical, walls, and flooring.
A step-by-step home renovation checklist includes building a detailed plan, setting a budget, hiring contractors, establishing a timeline, meeting with designers, producing final drawings, and applying for access points. Preliminary projects include foundation and structure, roofing, and drywalling and finishes.
By following these steps, you can complete your home renovation project and achieve the most out of your experience. A budget spreadsheet and task checklist can help balance all four components of design, feasibility, function, and budget. The 19-step full home renovation process and timeline includes site preparation and demolition, rough work, drywalling, and finishes.
📹 My 20 Steps To A Perfect Renovation
In this video I’m talking about renovation order and the steps that you need to take to be successful with your project. There are …
How do you draw a renovation plan?
In order to create a floor plan, it is first necessary to determine the project area. The next step is to measure the walls, doors, and other relevant features. Once this has been done, the walls can be scaled using either graph paper or software. At this point, architectural features, utilities, and furniture can be added. Finally, the plan should be reviewed with the homeowner.
What are the 5 stages of home renovation?
Planning, budgeting, demolition, construction, and cleanup are five stages in a home renovation project. Staying involved in each stage, especially when selecting building products, is crucial for staying on track and on budget. Eco-friendly materials and energy-efficient appliances, windows, and lighting can help reduce waste. A 492 square foot remodel added a new master suite to a three-bedroom ranch home, replacing a small rear bedroom.
To stay organized, decide on the project’s size and style, and create a list of “must-have” features and products. Sticking to this list is crucial for staying on budget and on schedule. Even minor changes, like choosing faucets, can cause delays if the product needs to be ordered or doesn’t fit the chosen sink.
How to plan a house renovation?
In planning a significant renovation project, it is essential to adhere to a structured approach. The initial step is to ascertain the financial resources available for the undertaking. This is followed by the identification of a suitable property through a comprehensive search, the completion of a property survey, and the engagement of a designer and architect. Subsequently, the necessary planning permission must be obtained, and a builder must be selected.
What are the 3 main components of any construction project?
The three fundamental elements of scope, schedule, and budget are inextricably linked and of equal significance. They collectively serve to reinforce a central vision through a unified approach.
How do you organize a home renovation?
To organize a renovation plan, follow these steps: create a preliminary design, estimate the budget, and establish a realistic timeline. If your home feels cramped or out of sync with your family’s lifestyle, consider a home renovation. Whether you’re dreaming of double islands, a spa-themed bathroom, or an outdoor kitchen, a home renovation can transform your space into an idyllic sanctuary. However, successful renovation requires thoughtful planning and organization. This guide provides information on planning and organizing a home renovation or remodel. Compare quotes from top-rated contractors.
What is the first step in planning a remodeling or renovation project?
Starting a home remodeling project requires a clear vision of your needs and wants. Look for design ideas from magazines, websites, and pictures of similar projects. Consider traffic patterns, furniture placement, colors, lighting, and how you plan to use the remodeled space. If the remodel involves improving access for someone with limited mobility, consider hiring a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist.
Green home remodeling involves replacing windows and doors, upgrading heating and cooling systems, adding insulation, and other improvements to make the home more energy-efficient, easier to maintain, and comfortable. By doing so, you’ll be better prepared to make the right decision for your home’s renovation.
What comes first when remodeling a house?
The preliminary phase of a residential renovation project entails the demolition and removal of existing elements, which can only be undertaken with the requisite permits.
How do you create a renovation project plan?
A renovation plan should include project objectives, cost estimates, timeline, design details, material selections, permits, regulatory considerations, general contractor information, and special instructions. Unforeseen issues can arise during renovations, but with proper planning, challenges can be mitigated efficiently. Using templates and software can help create a client’s dream home. A contingency plan is essential for unexpected costs and timeline adjustments. A home remodel plan template can be used to renovate different types of rooms, applying basic principles like interior design, project scope, and budgets.
What three basic factors should be considered before starting a remodeling project?
Before starting renovation work, measure the size of your room, ask contractors for references, and declutter as much as possible. Many people have been looking at their walls during the pandemic, leading to plans for home improvements. Before starting work, take some steps to ensure your space is clean and organized. Ask for references from contractors and call them directly to discuss your project. Remember to prioritize your needs and avoid reaching for the toolbox just yet.
📹 All House Framing EXPLAINED…In Just 12 MINUTES! (House Construction/Framing Members)
We consult with homeowners and property investors nationwide on a range of important home-related issues, including: …
I’m a construction manager for a large residential builder for almost 30 years. You nailed it!!! I’m going to make this article “homework” to all my clients so they can understand what I am telling them at the pre drywall walkthrough. Well done. Best of all you kept it very easy to understand and under 15 minutes. Any longer you start to lose your audience.
I helped my Dad build their house when I was in college. I didn’t know anything about building a house then. He just showed us each step and we repeated it. After that, I knew all these terms except the special names of the vertical studs around a window frame. Very good overview. I wish we had YouTube back in the day to give us a good primer. Later I finished my own basement including framing, wiring, plumbing, dry walling, paining, trimming, etc. People would ask how I learned all this stuff. I said, “from my Dad, but it wasn’t like a had a choice at the time.” Now I’m really glad I learned to do this stuff, even though I don’t do it for a living.
Thanks for this great article. I framed houses for a few years when I was (much, much) younger, and while the work was hard and the hours were long, it was some of the most satisfying work I’ve ever done. Just incredibly gratifying to BUILD something that you knew would still be around after you were gone. Honest work. Nothing like it.
I have been modeling my retirement home using SketchUp. Every time I get an update from the architect I put it into the model. We’ve finalized the plans and I’m now modeling it from the ground up, stud by stud. Every time I get to a new piece of construction, I.e. foundation, flooring etc, I research how a carpenter would be building it and incorporate that into the model. It’s a lot of work, considering most of it will be hidden, but I sure am learning a lot about construction techniques. Thank you for all the information provided in this article.
My dad was a building contractor. First started as a licensed electrician to then buildings. I worked with him when he needed me, and a few years out of high school, until I had an offer come along in the automotive industry. I still lived close by and was there when he needed me. In between building homes, we would trim out others. With the exposed framing he would show me the mistakes others had made. Easy to correct ones we made, some major ones we couldnt continue until corrected. It was good to be taught the right way, and then be shown what others had done wrong. That brings home what you are taught and why you do something a certain way. My father had a good reputation. He knew the building codes. You’d be surprised the ones that dont have a clue, and see what they can get away with. The city wanting him to be a building inspector. He told me he refused, because he made way more as a contractor. Those days were some of the happiest days of my life. I still love the smell of cutting lumber. Its funny how your mind works. I can smell the cutting wood, and be instantly taken back.
General Contractor, Contractor, Carpenter here; Your articles & explanations are Superior! Your ability to explain in such simple terms demonstrates your extensive understanding/knowledge of your subjects. It’s refreshing to see someone else with passion & a sincere desire to help & share their knowledge with others.
I’m an apprentice electrician, and I’ve been looking for a article just like for a while now. So handy to actually know the names of framing elements so I can stop saying things like “We need to drill up through that big board above the other slanty one so we can run our wires over to that spot with all the short stubby boards”
I have been teaching architecture for 19 years and I’m always using pictures and lecture to describe the framing members in residential construction. While I love to hear myself talk, I know that I can only hold the students’ attention for so long with my stories (experiences) of time in the construction trade and how each of the members function. This will be my new article for communicating these pieces. THANK YOU! (and my students will unknowingly appreciate it too 🙂 )
I’ll be honest, I’ve always dreamed about building my own house all by myself but knew nothing about carpentry or construction work. This article humbled me into realizing why you either leave some things to the professionals, or you spend ample time learning all about it before you take on them. It’s crazy how far we’ve come in terms of engineering and streamlining things like house building. Most people buy prebuilt houses and for them the actual building process is background jargons they’d rather not know about. This reminds me of buying a prebuilt PC vs building a computer on your own. Sure you need the necessary resources, knowledge, and a bit of leap of faith; but you end up with something far better, far personal, and often times, far cheaper. I actually wanna get into the whole thing of learning all these to find out for myself if you can actually build your own house all by yourself
Good article. I’d be interested in seeing you cover how to repair or add on to a house that has either shifted or wasn’t built squarely. It’s a real challenge to introduce scratch walls done square to a house that isn’t. My boss and I recently have been working on his house that was badly damaged through dryrot and we, essentially, had to knock 40% of it down to the ground and build it back up through a basement, first floor and a new attic/roof. It’s been a blast making it work and my boss knows a lot of amazing tricks to get it done. I’d love to see what you might do in that situation, my friend. Peace.
back in the 60s, my Dad and I built our ranch house and garage. Your article is spot on. I sill remember most of the names, but your article reminds me to take a refresher course. One thing I do remember that we used Full Dimensional lumber. You wont see that type of lumber anywhere today. The house still stands to this day.
I took wood shop when I was in high school in the 70’s. We were taught the “old way” regarding framing. One of our final projects was to build small scale homes using the building technics we were taught during the year. We were allowed to add any additional items to our homes. Some of us added lighting, and of course for me the outside appearance of the home was important. So I gave the fireplace a brick techtured look. Needless to say we got an “A” on our home, as well as the other groups. The shop teacher held a raffle and each group pulled a ticket number out of a hat to see who won the house to take home. Bummer, I didn’t win ours, but it was a fun project. I used those technics when I did update construction on my parents’ home years ago. I wish I would have gone into the trades, but at that time it was difficult to get into apprentice programs. Now, they can’t find enough people for them.
I do handyman stuff when the big contracts are few and far between at my day job. I knew about half of these terms and functions, so I’m extremely glad that I watched this article. I learned as a young guy that there’s ALWAYS something else to learn, and an intelligent person is always on the lookout to grab extra knowledge.
36 year commerical carpenter here, you did a good job for explaining to folks. You’d be surprised at how many “commerical carpenters” don’t know a lot of these, much less how to take advantage of a speed square or lay out a set of stringers with a rafter square. Good job for home owners or those wanting to know some basic stuff!
This was another great article- a lot of material, simply and clearly explained. As a homeowner who has gone through two new home builds, it would be interesting to see a article on common shortcuts framers take that lead to future structural problems. We’ve been burnt with a $75K bill to correct issues in one of those homes. (Great town building inspectors, I know…)
When I was an architecture student way back in the 1960s, we were required to take a shop class in which we learned to use basic woodworking tools to cut lumber down to tiny fractions to create framing members, such as 1/4-inch x1/2-inch studs, which we then assembled into a scale model of a fully framed house — plates, studs, joists, rafters, etc. While it may have seemed like playing with Lincoln logs as a kid at the time, it was an invaluable lesson for designing houses, apartments, and small wood-framed commercial structures, as well as understanding the real work as it developed in the field. Probably not as good as working on a construction site during summer vacations, but it sure helped us to avoid designing things that couldn’t be built by the average carpenter in the field. Plus we could communicate with the workers using the proper terminology and not look like the complete idiots they seemed to think all fledgling architects were.
This articles great, I’m a structural engineer from Scotland, hoping to move to the US sometime over the next couple of years. I’ve followed your articles from a practical hobbyist standpoint for a while now, this though was absolutely fantastic, I’ve designed timber framed buildings for the best part of 5 years now, it’s really interesting to see how they do it in other countries though, particularly the different terms used for the same components.
Great article. I’ve always done the majority of my home improvements, less major electrical, plumbing and structural issues. When I’ve called a contractor out for a quote, 90% of the time the contractor will talk down to me or out bid himself. The contractors that I have hired have all always said, most contractors don’t like the clients understanding the scope of the job because that will typically indicate a micro managing client. They also say, those are the contractors you don’t want anyways because they do subpar work and don’t want to get caught. They say it’s very rare to have female clients that has construction knowledge and that is probably the main issue for me. Oh well, I’ll continue to learn and improve my skills. Thank you for another great article.
I am an engineer and a scientist, I”ve never seen someone explain things the way this guy does. He went straight to the point. He made it look so easy. Even a dummy should be able to understand you. Are there recommended resources to learn carpentry in full? Do you organize training for carpentry or could you please recommend a carpentry school in the US for aspiring Carpenters around Indiana/Ohio axis?
I framed houses for over dozen years and built homes for 2- 1/2 decades. What you’re describing is how we used to build a house back then. All studs, joists, rafters, all called sticks, are lined up from the concrete base/foundation, to the roof structure, or rafters. It always seamed obvious that should be how to make the structure as strong as it could be with these materials, but after 15 years of retirement, I helped a friend build his home and I joined him after the frame was completed and passed the inspections with flying colors. The framer in his area, was considered to be of the best in the area. One of the first things I noticed was there wasn’t a single jack stud in any of the windows or doors. The jack studs are there to hold the headers in place and allow for the weight from above it, to be dispersed to the stick component below it. I was told that the jack studs aren’t necessarily anymore, and alls I could say, is there not needed any less either. There were several other things I wouldn’t have allowed, had t been my house, but I didn’t want to argue an issue that my friend insisted was correct. I’m just wondering when he’ll get enough of a snow load that his windows and doors will start showing a problem?
Being bilingual and gaining building skills on two different continents, naming what we’re working on has always been a hassle. I will watch this again and again, until I’ve got the kings and jacks figured out. Thank you, for providing easy to understand content! I love your website! Now, if you could only do it in Swedish, too…
You have explained my new job as a framer so perfectly… The guys on job sites already, unless they’re good at teaching on the go, don’t really have time to teach new guys like myself all the basics, so I find myself learning slower than I’d like, and slowing them down as a result. This is the first article of yours that I’ve seen, but it’s worth hitting that subscribe button. Thanks so much!! You have pretty much secured me a good career… with a quick 10 minutes of advice.
In the UK, we have truss roofs and wooden floors and noggins similar to this, but we don’t typically have wooden walls, except for internal “false wall” dividers, which aren’t load bearing. Walls are nearly all brick and block and nowadays are double skinned with insulation in between. We also have a non permeable plastic membrane at the base of all the walls that prevents water from soaking up into the brickwork from the foundations. Our major floor beams tend to be steel I-beams or pre-stressed concrete, with timber spanning shorter distances. It’s interesting seeing how different countries have different approaches to building a house. I sometimes wonder why the U.S. doesn’t build more houses out of brick. In my mind, they would be able to better withstand the hurricanes and tornadoes, but maybe brick is more vulnerable in an earthquake as it doesn’t flex like timber? Maybe it comes down to cost of materials?
Been inspecting homes for almost 20 years with a construction background. This article was very well thought out & informative. Would love to send this to all the Realtors & clients who I inspect for in the future. Would make my inspection summary so much easier for them to understand the concepts behind my report. Great article, I enjoy your passion.
Ridge boards were always the scariest part of framing for me, they’re very heavy, and if you drop one they can damage the structure below, or another worker. Almost falling while holding a ridge board on your shoulder and climbing scaffolding that is wobbling is most definitely a come to Jesus experience and can rack a mans nerves.
Ethan, thank you for your work producing quality educational articles. You are a gifted carpenter and an equally gifted teacher. As a retired fire fighter I have studied building construction for years and I appreciate your direct and honest approach to building construction and other topics associated with home repair and carpentry!! Keep up the good work!!
Of all the systems needed in a home, I always found the rough carpentry to be the most fascinating. I had the chance years ago to volunteer to be a framing grunt with a master carpenter as the boss of about 10 of us. The guy was a genius as we framed and sheathed a large addition in a mountain cabin over a long weekend. It was satisfying to see the end product.
Excellent – I’m a DIY’r who built my last 2 homes….. 6000’ and 7500’ respectively ……. I wish these articles were around in 2006 when i built my first home…. Strong work- i am glad you are online as a research to send to some of my younger friends to watch before they start remodeling projects….. makes it easier to talk to them !!! Cheers !!
To add to your excellent summary: in older houses – particularly ranch-style, with shallow roof pitches – the rafters were often tied together with a collar beam. The rafters and the ridge board are – by themselves – not structurally able to resist the downward force of the weight of the roof or the additional weight of snow loads; the downward pressure on the roof surface exerts a lateral, outward force on the fasteners and top plate of the wall that the lower part of the rafter sits on, which can bow out the wall or shear the fastener, leading to roof collapse – like an open scissors standing on its points. To mitigate this, tie beams across about every 3rd or 4th rafter set, located typically 1/3 of the way down from the ridge board to the attic floor joists, join the upper part of the rafters together in a triangulated structure that resists the spreading force. It’s usually up that high so that workers can pass beneath it conveniently when working in the attic. That collar beam is loaded in tension, and reduces the lateral force on the rafter end and top plate of the wall on which the rafter sits. Collar beams eliminate the need for a vertical support member that runs from the attic floor joist upward to the rafter, eliminating the need to reinforce the floor joist below to take the downward load – the absence of which tends to cause the ceiling below to bow downward over time if the vertical support member doesn’t rest on a supporting wall below. Using a collar beam instead allows the rooms below to be more open design, as such supporting walls can be eliminated from the floor plan.
I learned from your article about blocking. I did not know builders did that in the kitchen and bathrooms. I always wondered how cabinets would stay up over time with so much weight in them! 😅 I also did not realize they were used as a fire retardant inside the walls. Most everything else I was familiar with having built a sheds and chicken coops in the past.
Just subbed for the excellent and concise information provided. I am new to construction, started as a painter but now moved to drywall finishing, who knows maybe I’ll try my hand at framing? Its fascinating to develop a deep understanding of how structures are built, which helps me be able conceptualize how each trade fits together to bring a house to life.
how wonderfull, Thank you. I have my own work in building, but on small details. I am, however very interested in building, and a lot of article’s out there are in English. So, terms and the understanding of them, is nice. And its because of your article and work. So, thank you very much. Sincerely yours, Ernst, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
I just recently started working as a firefighter, and in the fire academy, we were warned about wooden roof trusses as if they’re some kind of demon to be feared above all else. What we were told was basically that truss roofs are much more dangerous to work under during a fire, because if any part of the roof is weakened by the fire, the entire roof is likely to collapse. Again, I’m very new, so I don’t have any experience with this personally, but it’s interesting to think about. It’s a similar situation with engineered building materials; my understanding is that things like composite wood can be much stronger and more rigid under optimal circumstances, but the glue that holds the material together burns MUCH hotter, faster, releases far more toxic substances, and weakens far more rapidly with less heat applied.
Great article Ethan, really enjoyed it and found it informative. Interesting to see how you guys approach a build across the pond. Over here in Ireland, as you probably know, we do it slightly different in terms of flooring and foundation. We usually build from the ground up using concrete. But we do have stud walls for internal walls in most of our builds.
Question – I have porch with gable roof (12×16) with 10feet high from ground. Wondering if posts for porch should be exactly “under” the outer wall (parallel to house Wall) or can Gerd/beam (horizontal to support porch) can be placed “right under the outer wall – parallel to house” OR 1 foot inside (towards the house) with helical posts into ground ? Please let me know If I have been able to articulated my question properly for you to under stand precisely. Thank you in advance.
The sheathing comment reminded me of an incident that happened with a company I worked for. We were mostly industrial and commercial and I worked in the electrical side. The company had a project going on at a very old plant and they were doing some demo work on an old metal building. From what I heard, the building was mostly empty. The entire building was being scrapped. At the end of the day they had removed all sheathing off the building. I believe the only things inside were some man-lifts. Everyone was gone and one of our guys heard a loud crash as he was leaving. The entire building had fallen. I believe they said none of the columns were actually anchored down and that sheathing was holding that building up for years. Thankfully no one was inside. Some equipment got wrecked though.
so interresting to see larger houses built by wood; There is a Skandinavian tradition for wooden houses, but it is very rare and traditional. We mostly build houses out of bricks or special cements (aircrete type blocks). We have wooden rafters or trusses on the brick walls, and then typically tiles as roof material. Our part of the world is very moist, so all strcutures have to take this into consideration.
My sister only dates studs. Only ones that are Douglas fer Larch North, and they must have compressive fiber resistance of 1.2 million pounds of compressive fracture resistance. To Her, she is impressed by a studs modular of elasticity. She really gets excited when her stud has a high moment of inertia at the top end of his moment diagram. Grade one of course
I worry about the new joists . How long is the glue that holds the strand board together going to last? It cant be anywhere near as long as plain wood. Ive seen joists that make huge spans in large homes. When they fail, repair looks like it would be really difficult. Do they have a life span rating?
I work as a technologist designing engineered floors and roof trusses. You covered about 90% of all framing, as far as I can tell. I’m surprised you didn’t mention the importance of a continuous rim board around the exterior floor system, or show some illustrations of the different standard shapes of roof trusses, also piggyback trusses. You talked about rafters but completely forgot about collar ties. Bracing is a complex topic but extremely important and I feel you could have went in slightly more depth – like lateral bracing, diagonal bracing, t-bracing, scab bracing, gable end bracing, purlins. While you were discussing beams/headers, I don’t think it would have been too much to explain dropped and flush. Lastly, I think you could have briefly explained about shear walls, plus balloon framing vs. platform framing. Maybe even touch upon heavy timber framing and the superior fire resistance ratings.
Had a few Q’s re subfloors: 1) If you are NOT using tongue & groove plywood but instead standard-edge plywood, do you need to leave a 1/8-inch gap between pieces to allow for expansion?; and, 2) will painting both sides of each panel of plywood before installing onto the joist frame help insure the subfloor’s longevity? I ask the latter as I am building solo but only on weekends when I have time and foresee a long period between subfloor installation and roof completion, meaning the bottom wall plates will be sitting for a long time on the subfloor plywood in possibly months of rain. Won’t the wood get wet & have no chance to dry out, thereby leading to early rot? A big thanks if anyone could share their expertise!
Mud sill, bottom plate, stud, double plate, header, king stud, jack stud, cripple stud, rough sill, ridge board, common rafter, hip rafter, valley rafter, barge rafter, rafter tail, I’m writing this all down from memorizing, so many names 😂😂 I’m a concrete project manager, started from the bottom really, I have framed before not roofing is something that I’ve never done before, so beautiful work though
I started carpentry work on overpases and small bridges. I then went into apartment building and then custom houses. in 1974 I built my house in Silicon valley on 3 acres. The house was 3 000 sq ft I paid 750 for the permit and 500 for engineering the plan was 8 pages it took 2 weeks to get the permit I graded the property and drilled 20 holes for about 3000, to start framing, out of pocket it was about 4000 the total cost of the house was 66 000 I am now about to supervise a similar house on 5 acres. it has taken 6 months to get the plan and it is 25 pages and just to cut the driveway and dig the foundation it is about 175 000 the permit will be 100 000 more and out of pocket to start framing and pour the foundation and drive way will be about 750 000 and this is not a mansion. the total cost will be 3.5 million And the crazy part is you pay property tax on the total cost of the house In CA it will be 30 000 a year or more I don’t believe many wil build their own house in CA.
I bought a house almost 2 years ago. When I was installing an outside shower I discovered there is no plywood sheathing, just insulation board. The front of the house is stone and the sides/back is vinyl siding. The house was built in the late 70s by the former owner who was a professional builder. Does anybody have any input on this? Kind of threw me off as I have never heard of this type of construction method before.
So a joist is a stud laying down on the job? And on a serious note, given the space – the void – created between studs and joists, what lies behind whatever my interior walls are made of is these voids (maybe filled with insulation, pipes, ducts and bugs)? My interior walls have been described as masonry or stucco over drywall or plaster—I have no idea the difference or which is right; when I drill through them, it’s chalky for an inch or so, and then void…no pink insulation or anything obvious to me. I ask because I watched your article about fasteners, and another, and another; and now I wonder about those butterflies that you stick through to the void vs the plastic anchors that just expand in the inch or so chalky area. I better watch your article and the others again.
The I-joist craze creeps me out. I’ve seen a lot of lumber joists that have held up fine for decades, even a hundred + years under harsh conditions. I can’t imagine these engineered ones lasting a fraction of the time. Glued wood chips swell and fall apart when they even smell moister. I bet 30 or 40 years from now lots of these i-joist structures, especially in damp climates like the NW, will face massive failures they wouldn’t have had they been constructed with dimensional lumber.
I am just a diy’er and i have a friend that was working a new home doing low voltage install. Most exterior walls were up but inside it was just framed. It was amazing to see vents and fixtures and to be able to tell where bath, closets and laundry room would be. How the stove was going to be vented. It was quite remarkable as this was a 4000 sq foot home with turrets and a grand entryway. Everyone should have that opportunity and check this type of thing out. It helps understand how a home is made when you start working on your own home.
You did a very good job I knew a lot of this stuff I have a subject for you to cover manufactured homes or Modular homes from a factory suppose to be very high quality and precision built but that structure is subjected to a lot of twisting and shock load when being transported by a Semi Totter truck to the erection site now they insist that this is done cautiously by all professionals but the roads are pretty rough out there and you just don’t know how well trained or caring the driver is when he traverses some really bad roads or R.R. Crossings and the fact that they are so precisely built they are not engineered for the variances of the foundation & erection site the way a traditional board by boared site built home would conform to the different tolerances ??? So what do you say is this a logical concern does it deserve its own tutorial on the laws of differences
Very good knowledge. I wish I could do this kind of work. My uncle is a contractor and he can build an entire house from the ground up. Every time I asked him to teach me, he told me to go to college and work at an office job. He thinks his job is for people who couldn’t go to college. An office job is not my passion.
Excellent explanation. But i am a bit shocked by the lack of quality and durability of these houses. It is all about speed and doing things as cheap as possible. In Europe we build this from brick and/or concrete. Those are houses that last. My own house is over 150 years old. Are US houses a disposable commodity? This doesn’t look very safe. I bet they burn quite beautifully.
I have about 15 years in the painting industry and about 1-2 years in a few other trades although Farming, Electrical and Plumbing are three area I lack. I have someone willing to take me on and help me become a General Contractor so I’m trying to brush up on all construction trades. Yes, I learned a lot from this article. Thanks for such a detailed article.
What even is this?? A clear, concise, absolutely efficient explanation, quickly running all the fundamental basics of framing? This article has absolutely no business being as awesome as it is. TIL like 5 dozen things. I have no reason to know any of this, and I’m bookmarking the article to come back to it later because I know I’ll forget more than half of it. So nicely done.
I’ve been building custom homes for over half a century and have seen a lot of changes in the industry. This article is extremely spot on, and sure, I could add in some comments and point out some improper building practices, but I’ll hold my tongue as what you presented was spot on and earns you an A++ in my book. Oddly enough, as I near 70 years of age, I still find myself loving the work, especially the framing, though I must admit I do not much care for heights anymore.
I always find it humorous that framers dont sheet and nail their wall before lifting their walls. So inefficient. Especially on the second floor. I never saw this 30 years ago. Suddenly, almost everyone has changed their process. Had a little side bet with a contractor next to me that I could beat his 3 framers with just me and a kid I trained. When we were finished they were still on their ladders and scaffolding nailing off their sheeting. We even used clips on our roof sheeting which they didn’t. Back in the day, we even put our windows and wrap on the walls before put them up. No wonder construction is so expensive. All that wasted labor.
I’m a framing apprentice a lot of what you said I’m learning at this very time and you nailed a lot of the terminology that they’re using today I am so happy I seen this article this is awesome you are very very informative when it comes to framing and the terminology of framing HEADERS LOOKOUTS KING STUDS!!! YOU NAILED IT!🙏🏿👑💪🏿🦁♥️💯TEAM POWERS
Home values will continue to fall well beyond a decade. Too many people locked in record low rates, for RECORD HIGH COSTS. Prices only need to decline about -10% for catastrophic results. Risky HELOCS, Airbnb busts, and decade long value declines, combined with commercial real estate in the red, across the board. Foreclosures are only now starting to uptick. Supply is increasing, NATIONALLY. This bottom won’t show until the mid 2030’s at the earliest. -40% when all is said and done. God bless, America.
All the benefits that you assigned to trusses assumes that the truss is in good working condition. I have almost NEVER seen a home where at least 1 or 2 trusses werent compromised or installed wrong. These construction companies that mass produce homes for suburban sprawl do some of the WORST work on the planet. If you are building a new home and can even REMOTELY come close to affording it, hire a proper architect with a crew that does specialized projects. It IS more expensive, but you will probably save the difference by avoiding repairs and water damage in the future.
Amazing article, thanks for making this! Concise but super informative. It really helped that you outlined the function of each piece as you described its term, and then repeated these when that piece is reused (like the joists on floor and then for the next ceiling/floor, and the 2 kinds of headers). This will really help when we’re discussing with the contractor/builder!
Sill gasket was not mentioned but all was very similar to Canadian framing.On my own home,I used 2×8 plates on my exterior walls and used a double R12 or better for insulation.BUT,framing was 2×4 studs offset 8″.Outside 2×4 wall on 2×8 plate and inside 2×4 on same 2×8 plate were offset 8″ OC for a better R value.Part of the reason was after forming my own foundation,I re used all materials to frame(T&G plywood covered with plastic to prevent concrete from adhering,all 2×4 used from forming ).In the end,my heating and cooling costs pay for any extra costs framing.I had so many 2×4,I used them for all interior walls,added pressussure treated plate to basement walls on boottom.,even strapped ceilings with 2×4 which has benefits as well(wiring&vapour barrier).I would overkill for R value because of the benefits in the future any day…but Canadian winters are good reason.Insultion keeps houses much cooler in the hot summers as well.Have a Dandy day my southern buddy.