UPDATE 3: Framing An Addition
Materials Have Been Delivered. Why Wait to Demo?
Demolition is an essential part of the construction process and is often one of the first steps taken on the construction site. Here are some reasons why:
- Surprises happen – We might find a potentially hazardous condition that can now be properly addressed, protecting the value of your home and remodel investment.
- Demo provides the opportunity to clean and clear the site for more easily storing supplies and upcoming deliveries.
- The crew has clear working areas and a recognized plan for what areas must be addressed.
On this Lake Nokomis area home, however, we knew that the interior of the house could remain unaffected by the stress of remodeling for as long as possible if we finished framing the addition before demolishing the back elevation of the home. Here are some good reasons to hold off on demo:
- Unpredictable weather, like a sudden storm can cause damage to the existing home if large areas of the home are demolished before new framing and roofing can enclose the structure.
- Consider the lead time on necessary components, like roof trusses, which would extend the time the home was left vulnerable to the elements.
- Heating and Cooling – You can maintain a temperature controlled environment inside the home for longer if the exterior of the home remains intact while framing an addition!
Framing Begins: From Foundation to Floor Assembly
Framing is simply the process of assembling the walls, floor system, and roofing which many other systems of a building will be hidden within (like insulation, structural supports, and plumbing) then eventually covered. Though our team considers the very particular ways this can be done from project to project, here is an outline of what we did here, starting with the floor assembly:
- Mounted 2×8 treated lumber, called bottom plates, to the top of the foundation wall
- Wrapped 2X10 rim joists/end joists along the perimeter of the addition to define the edge of the building and provide lateral support for the other floor joists
- Spaced additional 2×10 joists 16″ on center (apart from the centerline of each board)
- Installed a plywood subfloor, which the new wood floor will be applied to later
Forming Exterior Walls
With the floor framing completed, we switched our focus to creating the exterior walls of the addition. To do this, 2×6 studs are placed vertically, 16″ on center, and rest between 2×6 treated bottom and top plates. Whenever we have an opening for a door or window, we must increase the stability of the framing with headers that provide perpendicular supports above those openings, made here with 2×10’s.
A Roof Over Our Heads
To complete the framing process, next week we’ll review truss installation and roofing, at which point we can demo the existing exterior wall and begin our work inside the home!
