Framing Your Dream Home: From Floor to Roof

Framing is where your home truly comes to life!! From the floors you walk on to the roof over your head, every decision affects comfort, efficiency, and longevity. By understanding framing and making informed choices, you can enjoy the process and watch your dream home rise with confidence.

The Four Key Components of Framing

Every home’s framing has four essential parts:

1. Floor System

   
   

2. Exterior Walls

   
   

3. Interior Walls

   
   

4. Roof

Dimensional Lumber vs Engineered Wood

Your architect will calculate the loads and spec in the appropriate material specific to your home.

Dimensional Lumber is sawn, planed, and cut to standard sizes such as 2x4, 2x6, 2x8, 2x10, and 2x12. For common residential structures, dimensional lumber along with engineered LVL's (Laminated Veneer Lumber) is typical.

Engineered wood products are manufactured by cutting, peeling, or stranding & then bonded back together using exterior adhesives, increasing the strength and increasing the structural value. When the floor framing has long spans or is complex due to open layouts and other custom details, engineered I-joists work great.

Subfloor

The Subfloor is the material that sits on top of the floor joists & below the finished flooring.

The engineered subfloor is extremely strong and made with a rain channel to help drain rainwater away during construction.

Pro Tip: Screw and glue your subfloor panels to reduce squeaks and increase stability.

Exterior Wall Size: 2x4 or 2x6

For years, 2x4 walls were standard, the introduction of new energy codes has changed this in certain cases. The size of the exterior walls of your home depends on a few factors:

Factors that influence your exterior wall size include:

Scope of Work: if you are building a new home, the energy code will require greater insulation values which can be achieved by a thicker wall - 2x6. Also, If you are doing a renovation, the extent of the renovation may dictate the size of the exterior wall necessary to meet the energy codes.

Aesthetics: Certain renovation projects may have you adding onto an existing wall. In this case you will want to match the size of the existing framing so that the wall looks continuous

Personal Preference: Your project may not require by code a thicker wall but you may choose to upgrade to a 2x6 wall so that you can achieve thicker insulation which will save on utility bills.

Planning and Selections

Framing is one of the most important stages in the construction process. The quality of your framing determines the strength, durability, and layout of your home. Taking time to plan and make selections early can help prevent costly delays or mid-project changes.

Working with a licensed general contractor like Evolution General Contracting means every detail is accounted for from the start. Our team handles it all and brings your dream home to life on time and on budget!

Ready to Start Your Project?

From framing to final finishes, Evolution General Contracting brings expert planning, precision, and project management to every build. We also offer in-house architectural services by licensed professionals to ensure your design and construction process stays seamless from start to finish.

Contact our team today to discuss your Long Island renovation or new construction project and see how we can help bring your vision to life.

See you in the next post!

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Jennifer DeVito

Founder, Evolution General Contracting