5 Simple Rules For Beginner House Framing
If you haven't ever built a house before and you don't
have any experience building a house, I would like to share five simple
rules for beginner house framing with you. These five simple rules
aren't going to solve all of your problems, but they're going to provide
you with a step in the right direction.
1. You've got to understand the building blueprints. If you don't
understand what you're looking at, you're not going to be able to
assemble the house correctly. Learn how to examine every detail and
section of the blueprints.
2. Always think safety first. This is one of the most important parts of
house framing and usually creates problems for beginners. It wouldn't be
a bad idea to read all of the directions before using power tools,
ladders, nail guns and air compressors.
3. Understand your lumber sizes. Lumber like 2 x 4’s and 2 x 6’s usually
come in two foot increments that range from 8 foot to 20 foot in length.
Where plywood’s come in 4' x 8' sheets but can be purchased in 4' x 10'
sheets also. Pay special attention to building materials like gluelam
beams and structural plywood, to make sure that you order the correct
building materials.
4. It wouldn't be a bad idea to purchase a few books on basic carpentry
or house framing. This will usually give you a better idea about how the
house is actually assembled and some of the problems you might
encounter.
5. Make sure that you're comfortable using power tools. Just because you
watch an experienced carpenter on television handling a circular saw or
drill a certain way, doesn't mean that you will be able to handle the
same way. Again, read the instructions and be careful with these tools,
until you feel comfortable.
I don't recommend that anyone who doesn't know anything about house
framing, run out and build your own home, but you can always start by
building a couple of sheds or play houses in the backyard or maybe even
with a small room addition until you feel confident to go to the next
level.
Good luck with your house framing and home building adventures.