From Out of the Caves

From the time our ancestors first decided that caves were too cold and drafty they began to build shelters with a commodity that was readily available to them: wood. This was especially prevalent in the northern climates where trees were readily available. Structures were sometimes large dwellings where large families lived together for safety and warmth and to support the walls and roofs required the invention of a skeleton or framework. The early pioneers are depicted as builders of log cabins but even these structures gave way to the wood-framed systems that are a mainstay today.

A home frame, in essence, are like the frame of a box kite. It forms the strength of the structure and provides the surface from which the other essential parts of the home will be placed. These are the main functions of a house frame:

1.Supports the entire house down to the foundation.

2.Provides a platform and surface area for the protective parts of the home: roof, siding, windows.

Types of Frames

Wood

Although in North America other materials are prevalent and, in some cases are gaining considerable ground in home construction, wood is still the leader in framing. Today's building codes usually require a 2� X 6� boards. A wooden wall is made up of three parts:

1) Studs: These are the vertical parts of the frame and, in most cases, are 8 feet high. Studs are usually place 16� apart for a strong wall.

2) The Top Plate: This is made up of two (2) horizontal 2X6's that attach the studs on the top. The second one is used for strength.

3) Sill Plates: This is usually on 2 X 6 which holds the bottom of the studs in place. Sill plates attach to joists, the horizontal boards which sit on the foundation and form the floor.

The walls are raised up after the joists have been secured on the foundation and the floor boards have been put down. The floor acts as a level place to build the walls by attaching the plates and studs. Once attached the whole wall is raised up and anchored into place until the other three wall have been raised. Then the walls are attached to each other and the second set of boards are secured to the single top plate to add reinforcement to the wall.

One of the most important items in successful framing is keeping the parts of the wall accurate and level. All the other parts of the home building process � drywalling, siding, cabinets and finishing work � will be severely affected if accuracy is in any way compromised.

The roof trusses are attached to the top plate and held in place with the roof sheathing, which is usually plywood or Oriented Strand Board � OSB. The better roofs use tongue-and groove planking. Most building codes require the roof trusses to be pre-manufactured to rigid specifications but they can be constructed on site. The pitch of the roof is decided by the architect who designed the plans and takes into account the climate and loads - e.g. snow - that might place extra stress on the roof.

Steel

During the last millennium, after the European countries denuded their forests, wood-framed homes in the cities gave way to brick and stone, because that was the material available to them. This lead to stone, cement blocks and steel framing.

Even though North America still has a thriving lumber industry the availability of economical building supplies is slowly dwindling and builders here are looking elsewhere. One of the materials which is growing in popularity is steel.

Although it sounds heavy steel studs are actually very light because their shaping makes them strong. They are made from light-gauge, galvanized steel that makes them lighter than wood and, in many cases, cheaper as well. Steel also comes in many lengths and can be fastened together with as few tools as a drill with a screw bit and a pair of sheet metal cutters, or tinsnips. So you don't need a chopsaw for cutting ends and a jigsaw to cut holes. Why? Because the studs can be purchased in many lengths and widths and the holes for conduit and pipe are stamped out. And, using a laser for sighting, the wall can be a straight as an arrow in far less time that it takes to adjust wooden studs.

More builders in the hurricane-prone areas are starting to use it for framing new houses. In addition to the strength and lightness steel studs are termite-proof, rot-proof and mold-proof. The studs are also pre-stamped for electrical conduit and most plumbing. The only drawback is that steel, even galvanized steel, must be kept dry and it is not recommend for basements where moisture could be a concern.

Aluminum

Aluminum tube-framed homes are a fairly new innovation and definitely curb the corrosion problem that may plague steel. It is extremely lightweight but is very expensive right now. Aluminum frames, however, are ushering in a new era of homes which use aluminum as the outer skin, in much the same way way as Airstream trailers. By using thses new architectural forms the old platform framing methods can be scrapped in favor of new techniques. As well, the curved, aluminum surfaces can be conformed to the weather patterns letting the turbulence flow around the dwelling much like an aircraft fuselage.