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Plumb Level Square 16 inches on center
Parts guide
Framing is a chain. Each board picks up weight from the one above it and hands it to the one below. Learn what each link does, and the whole house starts to make sense.
Not framing, but it is what framing stands on.
The wide concrete base poured under the foundation wall, plus square pads under each steel column.
Why: Soil can only hold so much per square foot. The footing spreads the weight of the whole house over more ground, so the house does not sink.
See it in 3DThe concrete floor of the basement.
Why: Gives a flat, hard floor at the bottom of the stairs. It does not hold up the house. The footings do that.
See it in 3DThe concrete wall that the wood frame sits on.
Why: Carries every pound of the house down to the footing and holds back the soil around the basement.
See it in 3DA steel post standing on a concrete pad and holding up the center beam.
Why: Picks up the beam in the middle so it does not have to span the full width of the house.
See it in 3DThe platform the walls are built on.
Bolts cast into the top of the foundation that poke up through holes in the sill plate.
Why: They lock the wood frame to the concrete, so wind or an earthquake cannot slide or lift the house off.
See it in 3DA thin foam gasket rolled out between the concrete and the sill plate.
Why: Concrete is never perfectly smooth. The gasket blocks air leaks and bugs at that joint and adds a break between wood and damp concrete.
See it in 3DThe first piece of wood on the house, bolted flat on top of the foundation wall.
Why: It connects the concrete to the wood and gives the rim and floor joists something to sit on and nail to.
See it in 3DThe big beam running down the middle of the basement. It rests in pockets in the foundation and on steel columns.
Why: The floor is too wide for one joist to span. The beam cuts that span in half and carries the middle of the house.
See it in 3DThe board that runs around the outer edge of the floor and caps the joist ends.
Why: Keeps the joists from twisting, carries the wall above down to the sill, and closes off the end of every joist bay.
See it in 3DThe repeating boards set on edge that hold up the floor.
Why: They carry the floor and everything on it out to the foundation and the center beam. On edge, a board is far stiffer than laid flat.
See it in 3DDoubled joists that run along each side of a floor opening.
Why: They take the extra weight that the cut joists would have carried. This model has them on both sides of the stair, and doubled joists also sit under the partition walls.
See it in 3DThe doubled board that runs across the edge of the stair opening, between the trimmers.
Why: It catches the ends of the joists that had to be cut short and passes their load to the trimmers.
See it in 3DThe shortened joists that run from the center beam to the floor header.
Why: They keep supporting the floor up to the edge of the opening and stay on the 16 in. layout, so the subfloor still has something to land on.
See it in 3DU-shaped metal brackets that hold the end of a joist against a header.
Why: When a joist cannot sit on top of something, the hanger gives it a seat to carry the load.
See it in 3DShort pieces fit tightly between joists in a straight row.
Why: They stop joists from rolling or twisting and share a heavy load with the joists next door, so the floor feels stiffer.
See it in 3DThe 4x8 panels that cover the joists and make the walking surface.
Why: Holds the floor loads, ties the joists together, and gives you a flat platform for building the walls.
See it in 3DCarry the roof down and give the house its shape.
The flat board at the bottom of a wall. Every stud stands on it.
Why: Holds the bottom of the studs in line, spreads their load onto the floor, and anchors the wall to the deck.
See it in 3DThe repeating vertical boards that make up most of a wall.
Why: They carry the load from above down to the floor and give you something to attach sheathing and drywall to.
See it in 3DThe flat board nailed across the tops of the studs while the wall is built on the deck.
Why: Holds the stud tops in line and starts the path that carries the roof down into the studs.
See it in 3DThe second top plate, added after the walls are standing.
Why: It overlaps the corners and wall intersections to tie the walls together, and it stiffens the top so roof loads do not have to land right over a stud.
See it in 3DA group of studs built where two outside walls meet.
Why: It ties the two walls together and gives both the inside and outside surface something to nail into at the corner.
See it in 3DExtra studs built into a wall where another wall butts into it.
Why: They give the new wall something solid to nail to, and give drywall a backing on both sides of the joint.
See it in 3DShort boards set between studs where something heavy will mount later.
Why: Cabinets, grab bars, handrails and TV mounts need solid wood behind the drywall. Adding it now takes minutes, and adding it later means tearing out drywall.
See it in 3DHow a wall carries weight around a hole.
The full-height studs on each side of a door or window, running from bottom plate to top plate.
Why: They brace the header and jack studs so they cannot twist, and they keep the sides of the opening plumb when the wall takes wind.
See it in 3DThe shorter studs nailed to the king studs. The header sits right on top of them.
Why: This is where the weight above an opening really goes. It travels through the header, down the jacks, and into the plate and floor.
See it in 3DThe strong beam across the top of a door or window opening.
Why: Studs had to be cut to make the hole, so the header picks up the load they were carrying and moves it to the jacks on each side.
See it in 3DThe short studs between the header and the top plate.
Why: They fill the gap above the header, pass load down to it, and hold the layout so sheathing and drywall still have a nailing line.
See it in 3DThe short studs under a window, between the bottom plate and the rough sill.
Why: They hold up the rough sill and the window, and they keep the layout going for sheathing and drywall.
See it in 3DThe flat board that forms the bottom edge of a window opening.
Why: It carries the window's weight down through the cripples and gives the window a level place to sit.
See it in 3DThe framed hole left in a wall for a door or window. "Rough" means the frame, before the finished unit is installed.
Why: The extra room lets the installer shim the unit plumb and level. Too small and it will not fit; too big and it is hard to fasten.
See it in 3DA hole in the floor, framed so the floor stays strong.
The notched, angled boards that carry the stairs from the floor opening down to the slab.
Why: They hold every step at the same height and depth and carry people's weight to the floor framing at the top and the slab at the bottom.
See it in 3DSolid blocks fit tightly into hidden spaces. Here they sit between the stringers, at the top and bottom of the stairs.
Why: A hidden, open space acts like a chimney, and fire can race through it unseen. Blocks close those paths and slow the fire down, giving people more time to get out.
See it in 3DThe steps you walk on. During framing, these are often rough boards that get replaced later.
Why: Crews need a safe way up and down during the job. Finished treads go on near the end so they do not get damaged.
See it in 3DSheds weather and ties the top of the walls together.
The horizontal boards that span from the outside walls to the middle bearing wall, right next to each rafter.
Why: They hold up the ceiling and tie the walls together, so the rafters cannot push the tops of the walls outward.
See it in 3DThe sloped boards that run from the top of the wall up to the ridge.
Why: They hold up the roof and carry its weight, including snow and wind, down to the walls.
See it in 3DThe board at the very peak of the roof where rafters from both sides meet.
Why: It lines up the rafters and gives them something to nail to while the roof goes together.
See it in 3DHorizontal boards connecting a pair of rafters high up near the ridge.
Why: Strong wind tries to lift the roof and separate the rafters at the peak. Collar ties hold the pair together.
See it in 3DSmall metal connectors that strap each rafter down to the wall plate.
Why: Wind can suck a roof upward. These clips keep rafters from lifting off the wall, and despite the name they are used far from hurricanes too.
See it in 3DThe studs that fill the triangle at each end of the roof, from the wall plate up to the end rafter.
Why: They close off the triangle, carry the end rafter, and back up the sheathing against wind.
See it in 3DThe last rafters at each end, sitting right over the end wall.
Why: They form the top edge of the gable and give the lookouts something to pass over.
See it in 3DShort boards that run out past the end wall, like the rungs of a ladder.
Why: They hold up the part of the roof that hangs past the gable end, called the rake overhang.
See it in 3DThe outermost rafter that hangs on the ends of the lookouts, past the end wall.
Why: It finishes the sloped edge of the roof and gives trim a straight board to attach to.
See it in 3DThe board nailed across the ends of the rafter tails along the eave.
Why: It lines up the rafter tails, stiffens the edge of the roof, and gives gutters and finished fascia a place to attach.
See it in 3DFactory-built roof framing, used on most new homes.
The sloped top boards of a roof truss. They do the same job in the roof plane as rafters.
Why: They carry the roof sheathing and pass snow and wind loads down the truss. A truss needs far less lumber than rafters because its parts work together.
See it in 3DThe flat bottom board of a truss. It runs from one outside wall to the other and also holds up the ceiling.
Why: It ties the two ends of the truss together, doing the same job as a ceiling joist. Because the truss spans the whole house, the center wall no longer has to hold up the roof.
See it in 3DThe diagonal boards that connect the top and bottom chords.
Why: They form triangles, and a triangle cannot change shape without a board breaking or a joint failing. That is what lets slim boards span the full width of a house.
See it in 3DThe toothed metal plates pressed into both sides of every truss joint.
Why: They hold the joints together and pass forces from one board to the next.
See it in 3DLong boards nailed across the webs of many trusses. The truss drawings show where they go.
Why: Trusses are strong in their own plane, but they are thin and tip easily sideways. Long webs can also buckle, and bracing stops both.
See it in 3DThe panels that turn a stick frame into a stiff box.
The panels nailed to the outside of the wall framing.
Why: Without it, a rectangular frame can rack over into a diamond. Sheathing locks the studs and plates into a stiff shape that resists wind, and gives weather barrier and siding a surface to attach to.
See it in 3DThe panels nailed over the rafters, which become the roof surface.
Why: They stiffen the whole roof, spread snow and wind loads across the rafters, and give the underlayment and shingles a surface to attach to.
See it in 3DWhat goes up first and comes down later.
Lines snapped on the subfloor to show where the walls go, plus marks on the plates to show every stud.
Why: Layout decides whether everything else fits. Good layout keeps the walls straight and lands the studs where sheet edges need them.
See it in 3DDiagonal boards that hold a wall plumb from the moment it stands up.
Why: A newly stood wall has very little holding it up. Wind or a bump can knock it over onto someone. Braces also hold the wall in place while the roof goes on.
See it in 3DA temporary rail around an open edge, such as a stair opening in the floor.
Why: Falls are a leading cause of death in construction. Federal OSHA rules call for fall protection in home building at 6 ft or more, and a guardrail is a common way to provide it.
See it in 3DWords you will hear on every job site.
Any wall that holds up weight from above. Highlighted here: the four outside walls and, with the rafter roof, the long wall down the middle.
Why: Bearing walls are links in the chain carrying the roof to the ground. Openings in them need real headers, and you cannot remove them without a replacement designed for the load.
See it in 3DInterior walls that divide rooms but do not hold up the structure above.
Why: They only carry their own weight, so door openings can use a simple flat header. They still need a double joist or blocking below, since they add weight to the floor.
See it in 3DThe triangle-shaped end of a roof with two slopes, along with the overhang framing around it.
Why: It closes the end of the attic and has to stand up to wind pushing directly against a tall, flat surface.
See it in 3DJob-site talk
It shows one common way to frame a small one-story house with a basement. Other houses use engineered lumber or 2x6 walls, and you can switch this one between rafters and roof trusses. Sizes, spacing and rule-of-thumb numbers here are for learning. They are not a plan to build from. On a real job, the stamped plans and your local building code decide, and Chicago has its own code.
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