Post by ogeezer on Dec 30, 2006 9:20:48 GMT -6
Home construction, remodeling, and as some say flip this house building projects are becoming overly expensive to undertake these days. One way to reduce costs is to incorporate long practiced techniques which have been forgotten by some craftsmen because of often strict, misleading local building code inspection regulations.
Now that building codes have been standardized under federal guidelines, extraneous framing techniques (used last century) permit carpentery workers to reduce the amount of lumber used to build a home without sacrificing the structural integrity of the building in the process.
A method of doing that is to employ modular layouts incorporating:
These techniques can save substantial amounts of lumber in the faming of walls, ceilings, upper floor structures, lofty kneewall spaces, and large open expanses. Lumber savings will depend upon the extent of modular techniques employed, and the source of such materials. On average, savings can meet or exceed 35% of conventional structural material costs.
If you are planning an upgrade, remodeling or rennovation or if a totally new home is your goal, avoid these do-it-yourself lumber suppliers (Home Depot, Lowe's, Sutherlands, McCoys, etc) who specialize in per stick lumber, and go with an established lumber yard that still sells in bulk or by 1000 board-feet -- this is where the real savings are, and can reduce material payouts by as much as 20% from what stick-sellers charge.
Now that building codes have been standardized under federal guidelines, extraneous framing techniques (used last century) permit carpentery workers to reduce the amount of lumber used to build a home without sacrificing the structural integrity of the building in the process.
A method of doing that is to employ modular layouts incorporating:
- in-line framing techniques (where studs, joists & rafters are in vertically alignment);
- single top plate construction (opposed to standard double plates);
- single beam headers over window and exterior door openings (eliminating double-frame members + flitch-stock fillers) which permits inclusion of efficient insulating fiberglas, styrafoams, or expansion foams;
- modular dimensioned windows (having widths in 2' increments or which use mullin-gang attachments) corresponding to the 24" modular layouts;
- widening spacings between wall studs members to 19.2" and 24" on-center (o.c.) layouts;
- widening spacings of ceiling joists and rafters to 19.2" and 24" o.c. layouts when in-line framing is used;
- single member headers for interior door openings along non-bearing walls and/or nearby walls not utilized to carry an overhead bearing structure (place where joists start/end);
- utilization of double Tee and triple Corner wall framing components (opposed to 3.5 studs used currently);
- incorporation of web-joists for upper-level flooring (instead of the more costly 2x12 timbers) for 2-story, multi-level, 1.5-story structures;
- use of engineered trusses (2x4 joist-rafter-bracing component) which eliminates conventional 2x6+ joists, rafters, bracing, anti-rafters, purlins, and ridge-pole;
- inclusion of single-member 2x4 ratruns for setting engineered trusses in spacial alignments (eliminates ganged 2x4 + 2x6+ strongbacks) when the ceiling-lath assembly is not used;
- increasing the attic structural integrity by including a ceiling-lath assembly with 1x4 members (running perpendicular to joist/truss spans), layout on 16" centers which serves to align & structurally tie all non-bearing walls together, to permit drywall (sheetrock) less than room span length to be butted end-to-end without breaking (meeting) on a upper truss or joist (that also serves as the carrying element for vapor-barrier batt insulation in the attic space or where upper floor deadening is needed), and which effectively eliminates deadwooding atop non-load bearing walls; and
- use of wider wall framing members (2x6 in place of 2x4) that enables for a greater R-factor insulation, which will reduce heating and cooling costs of the finished home.
These techniques can save substantial amounts of lumber in the faming of walls, ceilings, upper floor structures, lofty kneewall spaces, and large open expanses. Lumber savings will depend upon the extent of modular techniques employed, and the source of such materials. On average, savings can meet or exceed 35% of conventional structural material costs.
If you are planning an upgrade, remodeling or rennovation or if a totally new home is your goal, avoid these do-it-yourself lumber suppliers (Home Depot, Lowe's, Sutherlands, McCoys, etc) who specialize in per stick lumber, and go with an established lumber yard that still sells in bulk or by 1000 board-feet -- this is where the real savings are, and can reduce material payouts by as much as 20% from what stick-sellers charge.