Construction Methods - Wood Framing

Wood Framing

Get the most out of wood frame construction by learning about emerging framing technologies and efficient design and construction techniques.

Innovative Products & Processes - Technology Inventory

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Consider using the products below to take advantage of their potential to provide one or more of the following in the homes you build: Affordability, Energy Efficiency, Quality & Durability, Environmental Performance, and Safety.

Advanced Framing Techniques: Optimum Value Engineering (OVE)

Bamboo - Structural

Engineered Wood Wall Framing

Grid-marked Sheathing

Shear Wall Panels

Trimmable Open Web Floor Truss

Wood Foundations

Design & Construction Guides

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Guides for designing and building various types of construction

Advanced Wall Framing: Build efficiently, use less material, and save energy!

Affordable Residential Construction: A Guide for Home Builders - Volume II

Alternatives to Structural Plywood and OSB

CCA-Treated Wood for Residential Use

Climate Effect on Durability of Wood

Moisture Protection of Wood Sheathing

Water Intrusion and Remediation for Wood Frame Homes with Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS)

Best Practices

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General recommendations and accepted practices

Place Bark Side Face Up or Face Down?

Test for Wood Decay

Water Repellents and Water-Repellent Preservatives for Wood

Wood Exposed Outdoors

Performance Reports & Case Studies

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Evaluation of how products and systems perform in real life applications

Advanced Framing: An Examination of its Practical Use in Residential Construction The case study highlights the advantages of and barriers to widespread adoption of OVE practices.

Corrosion of Metal Connections in Preservative-Treated Wood Structures Recent testing of alternatives to CCA (chromated copper arsenate) indicates that some of these new wood preservatives can be more corrosive to metal connectors and fasteners than CCA.

Implementing a Quality Assurance System: A Trade Contractor Case Study A quality assurance system requires trade contractors to accept responsibility for their own quality assurance without builder intervention.

Quality Assurance System for Wood Framing Contractors This document is geared toward the framing activities of home building. It identifies a framework that a contractor can use to develop a quality management program that delivers maximum value.

TechPractices: Long and Gordon, Dove Street, Boston, MA In an area noted for its crime, a builder teamed up with the City of Boston to tear down a crack house and replace it with durable, energy efficient, two-story homes, strategically placed to tie together and revitalize the neighborhood.

The Performance of Perforated Shear Walls with Narrow Wall Segments, Reduced Base Restraint, and Alternative Framing Methods This report is part of an effort to develop, confirm, and enhance exterior shear wall design. The ultimate goal is to provide both safety and economy to housing construction in all wind and seismic areas in the United States.

Questions & Answers

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Frequently asked questions, answered by home building professionals

Can 2x8 floor joists spaced at 16 inches span 16 feet?

Can I-joists be notched?

Can you tell me about the new treated lumber for outdoor structural use and ground contact?

How do I know if the structure of a one-story home is adequate to support an additional story?

I am building a garage with an 18-foot garage door. Will three, 2x10s nailed together for 4 1/2" thickness be sufficient for this span if I stagger the seam by at least two feet?

I want to build a home with a loft with a 12/12 pitch roof on it, but am unsure of the roof-ceiling detail. It is about 30 ft. wide by 60 ft. long with 12-ft. 2x6 stud walls. I also want to maximize the headroom upstairs and put a flat ceiling across the entire length of the room. What material do I need to use for the rafters?

I would like some information on building with plywood box beams. Are they accepted by the building code? What is the load-bearing capability of box beams?

We are remodeling a house with two 4x4 posts that extend through the deck to the roof. We are planning to remove the deck and need someone who can analyze the trusses to determine if the posts are required to hold the roof or only the deck. Do you have any contact information for someone who can help me do this?

We are working on a dining room and living room that are next to each other and have eight-foot ceilings, and I would like to create cathedral ceilings for both rooms. Installing sheetrock directly to the roof rafters looks like the easiest plan. The ceiling will be flat below the scissor beams which frame out the peak of the roof. If I install all the electric, insulation, sheetrock, etc. could I just cut out the existing ceiling and studs without doing any structural damage, do I have to shore up the roof before the ceiling is removed?

What fasteners can be used with preservative-treated lumber?

What is an acceptable range for moisture content of framing lumber?

What is the maximum hole that can be drilled in 2x4 studs in load bearing walls for wiring or plumbing?

What is the minimum thickness of OSB for roof sheathing?

What is the purpose of lateral wall bracing and what is the minimum width of braced wall panels?

What is the typical span for a wood roof truss?

What should I do about mold spots on lumber while building a home?

When do I need to provide in-line framing?

Web Links

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Recommended Web resources for additional information

American Institute of Timber Construction (AITC) Find publications, technical tables, and other information about structural glued laminated (glulam) timber.

American Wood Council (AWC) AWC offers technical information, publications, software, and codes and standards to assist in wood construction and design.

Be Constructive Produced by the Wood Promotion Network (WPN), this site provides news, plans, and resources for builders, homeowners, and do-it-yourselfers.

Build a Better Home The Engineered Wood Association provides construction details that can help you build a moisture-resistant home.

Building Component Safety Information Guide to good practice for handling, installing, and bracing of metal plate connected wood trusses.

Canadian Wood Council A good source of wood information, including publications, fact sheets, articles, design ideas, and more.

CANPLY - Canadian Plywood Association The Canadian Plywood Association (CANPLY) operates an internationally accredited certification program for members that ensures high quality of plywood. This site features publications, technical information, online seminars, and more.

Checklist for Minimizing Mold on Structural Building Components As a builder, what can you do to minimize mold on wood structural building components? This four-page document answers that question with a specific checklist for each stage of construction.

Composite Panel Association & Composite Wood Council The Composite Panel Association & Composite Wood Council have created this website to provide information about engineered wood products, including particleboard, fiberboard, hardboard, and composite panels.

Engineered Wood Association (APA) APA-The Engineered Wood Association has focused on helping the industry create structural wood products of exceptional strength, versatility and reliability. With over 400 publications, extensive research and technical reports, comprehensive market studies and more, APA has the information you need about engineered wood products.

Engineered Wood Products Technical Tips Tipsheets and reference information for handling and using engineered wood products with the PFS or TECO Registered Trademarks on Certified Building Materials and Products.

Facts Regarding Mold on Wood Structural Building Components Concern about mold contamination has gained extensive media coverage and awareness has mounted among builders, homeowners and insurance companies. This document addresses the topic presenting facts, recommended reading and a reference list on the subject.

Forest Products Society The Society's mission is to foster innovation and research in the environmentally sound processing and use of wood and fiber resources by disseminating information and providing forums for networking and the exchange of knowledge. It also publishes Forest Products Journal, and acts as the distributor for the technical publications of the American Wood Council which constitute an invaluable information resource on wood construction for engineers, architects, builders, and building code regulators, including engineering data, state-of-the art design technologies, and construction standards.

Formosan Subterranean Termites, Louisiana State University AgCenter Find out more about Formosan Subterranean termites (Supertermites) and methods of protecting your home against them.

Hardwood Plywood and Veneer Association (HPVA) This site provides information on hardwood plywood, veneer, and engineered flooring. Keep up-to-date on the latest developments and technology affecting the industry, purchase publications, or find a manufacturer for the products you need.

Jersey Log Homes Newsletters These articles offer information concerning building, designing, and budgeting log homes.

Log Home & Timber Frame Expo Log Home & Timber Frame Expo offers numerous three-day trade shows that expose all facets of the log and timber-frame home buying and building process.

Log Home Living Log Home Living On-Line is a comprehensive collection of information and directories for log homes. This site has consumer information, and articles from Log Home Living magazine and Timber Frames Homes magazine.

Log Homes Council The Log Homes Council, comprised of manufacturers of log homes, is part of the Building Systems Councils, a council of the National Association of Home Builders. This site has photos, plans, white papers, and more.

Log Homes Illustrated & Timber Homes Illustrated Log Homes Illustrated & Timber Homes Illustrated are for owners of log homes or timber frame homes, or consumers thinking of building such a home.

Mold and Wood Products Western Wood Products Association has developed a number of materials detailing the nature of mold, how to protect and control mold on wood products and how to clean mold on wood.

Mold, Housing and Wood This document from the Western Wood Products Association provides information to lumber users regarding the origins of mold growth on wood, types of damage caused by mold and steps that may be taken to prevent, remove and control mold growth. It also discusses mold-related health concerns associated with mold exposure.

NFBA - National Frame Builders Association, Inc. Visit this site to learn more about post-frame construction. Read about NFBA's convention and design contest, or find a post-frame building professional near you.

North American Deck and Railing Association Information for professional deck builders and consumers.

Physical Properties and Moisture Relations of Wood From the USDA's publication Wood handbook--Wood as an engineering material.

Professional Deck Builder Magazine Professional Deck Builder Magazine strives to educate and inform professional deck-dock-railing builders; to provide a venue for manufacturers and suppliers to reach buyers; and to contribute to growth and professionalism of the industry.

PWFS - Permanent Wood Foundation System Institute A lot of information about installing Permanent Wood Foundation Systems.

Shear Wall Design Guide Design guidelines with 1) plywood and oriented strand board (OSB) on the exterior surface, with or without gypsum wall board (GWB) on the interior wall surface, 2) GWB on both surfaces, 3) steel side, and 4) steel X-bracing on one side.

Southern Pine Council The Southern Pine Council is a joint promotional body coordinated and supported by manufacturers of Southern Pine lumber. This offers span tables, specs and standards, and other technical information.

Southern Pine Span Tables A convenient reference for joist and rafter spans for specific grades of Southern Pine lumber.

Structural Board Association The Structural Board Association (SBA) represents Oriented Strand Board (OSB) manufacturers worldwide. This site offers technical information for homeowners, builders, and architects.

Structural Building Components Magazine The mission of Structural Building Components Magazine is to increase the knowledge of and to promote the common interests of those engaged in manufacturing and distributing structural building components. Further, SBC strives to ensure growth, continuity and increased professionalism in our industry, and to be the information conduit by staying abreast of leading-edge issues.

Testing Subfloors & Hard Wood Floors for Moisture Flooring installers must know the dryness of not only the wood flooring, but its subfloor and the concrete slab beneath it, if one exists. Hand-held electrical tools, called moisture meters, should be part of the toolbox of every flooring contractor, for measuring moisture in wooden or concrete subfloors and in the wood floor materials.

Timber Frame Business Council The Timber Frame Business Council is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing awareness of the benefits of timber frame construction. This site has consumer guides, technical publications, directories, and more.

Timber Framers Guild The Timber Framers Guild is a non-profit educational membership association, educating members as well as the public in the techniques and theories of contemporary and historic timber framing, the centuries-old construction system of large wooden posts and beams. Lots of information for builders.

U.S. F.S. Forest Products Laboratory The Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) serves the public as the nation's leading wood research institute. Research concentrates on pulp and paper products, housing and structural uses of wood, wood preservation, wood and fungi identification, and finishing and restoration of wood products.

Western Wood Preservers Institute (WWPI) The Western Wood Preservers Institute offers information on treated wood for consumers and builders.

What We Learned by Framing the American Dream For this project, two identical houseplans were completely framed using two different methods - one stick-built, and the other with wood trusses and wall panels (components). Find out what was learned about wood waste at the job site.

Wood Machining Institute An independent, international center organized to collect, evaluate and disseminate information about wood machining equipment, operations, and safety issues with woodworking equipment and cutting tools. Their Scanning Technology Update provides in-depth coverage of technical developments and current research in the areas of scanning technology and process optimization in the wood industry.

Wood Preservative Science Council (WPSC) On this site you will find sound, scientific information on chromated copper arsenate preservative and the suitability of CCA-treated lumber, plywood, poles, piling, and timbers for a range of common applications.

Wood Truss Council of America (WTCA) WTCA represents structural wood component manufacturers. Its membership also includes truss plate and original equipment manufacturers, computer engineering and other service companies, lumber mills, inspection bureaus, lumber brokers and distributors, and professional individuals in the fields of engineering, marketing and management.

WoodWorks - Software for Wood Design WoodWorks® computer-assisted design software has been developed by engineers to simplify and enhance the wood design process. WoodWorks allows quick and accurate sizing, based on American Forest & Paper Association's National Design Specification for Wood Construction (NDS) in United States and Canadian Standard Association's (CSA) O86 Wood Design Standard in Canada, of structural members such as joists, studs, beams, and columns for different load conditions.

WWPA - Western Wood Products Association WWPA offers technical guides, business and marketing services, and buyers' guides pertaining to lumber produced in the Western United States.

Did You Know?

Get the most out of wood frame construction by learning about emerging framing technologies and efficient design and construction techniques.