Wooden Frames

Basics of Wooden Fram

Wood framing, or light frame construction, is the assembly of dimensional lumber or engineered wood lumber that is regularly spaced and fastened together with nails to create floor, wall and roof assemblies.  Wood is the most common material used within the construction industry today.

Video by Illusion Productions shows a Sundance Home being framed from foundation to roof.

Floor, wall, roof and stair assemblies are each made up of specific dimensional wood components, similar to a skeleton.  These components are fastened together to form the structure and allow the interior spaces to function as desired. The following list identifies and describes each component within each type of assembly.

Floor frames distribute live, dead and other structural loads across the building to load bearing walls or to the foundation. The following components are found in the floor frame

  • The sill plate is a wood member, typically made from treated wood, attached to the top surface of the foundation. Joists are fastened to the sill plate.
  • Rim joists are a series of similar sized wood members which are placed around the outside of the floor structure. They are laid on their narrow end and attached to the sill plate.
  • Floor joists are wood members or engineered wood products (typically the same size as the rim joists) which are placed on their narrow ends, spaced uniformly, and attached to the sill plate. The subfloor is attached to the floor joists, and they carry the floor loads to the load bearing walls.
  • A header is made of multiple wood members attached to each other and is used to frame an opening in the floor assembly, interrupting the joists.
  • Bridging consists of small wood members that are fastened between joists, providing lateral stability.