Traditional vs Advanced Framing - Details

A well-framed house Is the start of a well-built house. That’s why it’s so important to ask: are we framing on 16 or 24 inch centers? Matt is on the scene with architect Steve Baczek to dive into the differences. First and foremost, Baczek wants us to stop calling this “advanced framing,” Instead, he refers to it as “smart” framing. Every house is unique and requires best-fit decision-making. So, it’s not necessarily about saving lumber or money, it’s about being smart from the start.

And what’s some of the best advice Steve has heard from an admired building scientist? When asked: what’s the best wall I can build? The answer is simple: Put as much insulation on the outside of the house as possible.

Huge thanks to our Show sponsors Polywall, Huber, Dorken Delta, Prosoco, Rockwool & Viewrail for helping to make these videos possible! These are all trusted companies that Matt has worked with for years and trusts their products in the homes he builds. We would highly encourage you to check out their websites for more info.

[chrisgleeton]

I'm a truss designer in Winnipeg, MB where it gets cold. We haven't done the little 4" heel height (we call it a 1/4" heel cut) since the 80's. In the 90's we moved to what we called 'standard heel' which was typically 7 1/4" heel and allows R20 over the walls. In the 2000's a 12" heel became prevalent so that we could get R40 over the walls. Since the 2010's, we've been going with a 14" heel, and R50 is the norm now. It's important to note that the National Building Code only stipulates that you need R20 over the exterior walls, with insulation ramping up to R40 within (I believe) 4' or so of that exterior wall as you move toward the center of the truss. This means that legally, trusses in this province only require a 7 1/4" heel cut to achieve this, however the cost to upgrade to a 14" heel is quite small, therefore the vast majority of homebuilders, whether small and custom, or large tract builders, just spec a 14" heel and R50 throughout.

[dwaynenero]

Beautiful 24" OC framing throughout. I love how everything was so well done and so well thought out ... my only issue here has nothing to do with the building, it's almost every time you ask Steve to explain how or why he did something in particular, as he starts to explain you cut to shots around the building instead of showing what Steve is talking about. You raise very good questions that makes your audience perk up and say " Oh yeah .. what about that? and we lean in to see the great craftsmanship and the explanation but instead we are watching a panning shot of something else with Steve doing a voice over. I'm sorry to point this out when everything else is so great, but I'm a film guy and it's all about the visual as well as the explanation.
Thanks for all the great info as always.

[ShawnKitchen]

2:52 - "All the studs line with the trusses up above."

No, they don't. And it drives me crazy.

[superspeeder]

At $250/sqft I think this construction is WAY out of the price range that most people would consider affordable... that's $600, 000 to build a 2400 sqft house (plus the lot, I assume). What I'd like to see is a focus on how to build efficiently for HALF that much. Show me you can build an efficient house for $125/sqft and people will take notice.
That, or you need to start talking about the cost of builds in two stages, the first being the structure and the second being the interior finishing. I imagine a lot of the cost in these custom homes is related to high-end finishing, and that is reducing the marketability of all this high efficiency engineering and architecture. If every house I see with cool "efficient" engineering is a +$1 million build it has no relevance to the general public.

[chrisnorcross]

I've worked for several 'smart builders' and the only thing advanced about what they do is convincing people to pay a premium for less material, a scientifically dubious increase in efficiency, and to have their walls pumped full of a potentially hazardous foam. Maybe I'm a luddite but every 'advanced' project I've ever worked on seemed to focus more on selling the concept of the process than with actually building an elegant, efficient structure. Everyone I've ever worked for that builds like this thinks they're Brunelleschi building the Duomo because someone at a trade show told them they could seem like the smartest guy in the room when they're talking to a client . Once again, I could be wrong, but I've worked for a lot of people who waste a lot of time solving problems that didn't exist by replacing them with multiple, more vexing problems.

[ekalb]

I'm a designer and builder. I love what I do, but sometimes feel interior when I watch your videos. Bottom line is I love your work, and I know I am capable of out as well, but in my market we are lucky to get the build even if we come in around 135-150/ft. I know there is the occasional exception around here, but like said in other comments, 250/ft is not affordable or economical. I'm about to start my own modest build and it will come in at I'm guessing around 85/ft. I'm doing most of my labor so that I can afford things like polyiso outside, etc. Bottom line is that this is nice, but what can you do on a real person's budget?

[rickgalos]

Steve is an excellent speaker, gives a great spoken "visual" of the concepts. Retired contractor, almost makes me want to get back in. Almost.

[stanmiller]

I appreciate your videos just some questions on this one. Not sure why you need 2 x 6 walls in a garage that most times does not get insulated. Lvl header over a 3' window? Could have been a 2 x 6. What is the cost of the "header clip" I presume more than a stud? Is a large part of the cost the extra insulation and HVAC systems? What is the trade how long does that house/systems have to last to recoup the cost. I installed a solar radiant hot water heating system in a house that lasted 20 years but once we figured the cost of the system, not to mention just everyday issues, it would have been cheaper to put in a traditional system. Of course we got to look down our noses at the regular people. Thanks for your work

[alternativebuilding]

The jacks/trimmers should run continuous to the header. Split jacks/trimmers introduce another hinge point to the wall and may cause issues in seismic and high wind areas.

[PHM]

Very nice walk thru and explanation👍 It looks like an improvement over traditional methods. I would like to see a video on how to build a house where you don’t need to put as much insulation from the environment because it is designed to work with nature instead of insulating from it.

[abacab]

I like using 1" foam on the outside, because it goes over all framing members which doubles the insulation value in those areas, and then you can also use 2x4 framing to get your 20 r-value.

[aol]

1:53 Do not dry wall your ceiling like this, especially this size. That end seam down the middle is called railroading.
Railroading leads to one big crack down the middle of the ceiling. You stack drywall like bricks. ( Offsetting the end seams). Especially in cold regions due to weight of the snow on the roof. Trusses move with load.
I have one customer who did this and calls me every year to come and repair the gap that has cracked open. If you are going to do this doubleup the truss bottom stud and put an expansion joint in.
Also if you're putting storage above your garage use at LEAST 2x6 trusses. 2x4 trusses will not hold weight and your nice finished ceiling will be cracking every time you walk up there.

[juliancate]

Matt, what's up with the 70s house? Project update, please.

[erichenneberry]

Question for framers and installers. I've found 24" of space between studs to be too much when installing cabinets and shelves. Has anyone run into problems of not being to find a stud? When I gutted my kitchen I made sure to put up backers of 2x4s behind the drywall where I knew I'd be putting any cabinets. I also found putting recepticles in where I needed them was harder. There wasn't always a stud there where I needed it. I ended up doing the same thing.

[elrolo]

Regarding energy vs insulation. Most codes in US and Canada will require indoor ventilation air change of approx 1/2 the indoor volume per hour.
This means you have to heat or cool that much air every hour, except when the weather is moderate temperature.
Therefore at some point money is being wasted in overinsulating these houses.
Also attempting to make them super air tight can make them dangerous if one of the systems fail.

[HistoricHomePlans]

I'm a fan of 24" framing. But one reason I keep double top plates is that you can still use standard stud lengths and drywall for 8'1" and 9'1" wall heights.

[scottclarkson]

Interesting talking about the header pocket and jacks- our local inspectors here in Ontario, Canada won’t allow split jacks or a trimmer on the flat below the lvl headers. their thinking is faults with both pivot points and shrinking/compression of the flat trimmer.

[daveharris]

I feel like people are missing a few points. 1) A lot of the stuff being done here is "cutting edge" building science. You don't have to incorporate everything they do into a build. I feel like for people that can afford it, great. If you can't, here are some ideas for how this stuff works and how you may incorporate parts of it into your build or at least understand how all of these choices impact the end result. 2) The point of advanced framing isn't just to cut down on the amount of money spent on framing. It's also to eliminate the number of vertical studs in an exterior wall. Every one of those studs (including the extra jack stud replaced by the hanger everyone seems so upset about) is a place you can't have thicker insulation. Very roughly, for a 40' long exterior wall you'd have 10 more studs with traditional framing. That's almost an extra 2' wide section of that wall insulated at only R5. These builds he's doing are higher end and all about pushing the envelope of efficiency. If you want a cookie cutter house, there are plenty out there. 3) Lastly, I get it, you've been framing for 100 years and this isn't the way you learned to do it. Guess what, we also don't use asbestos or lead paint anymore. If we didn't constantly try to improve things, we'd all still be living in mud huts.

More than anything, I appreciate the advancement of building sciences and the help in understanding how these all impact homes being built. We've got all these new materials and understanding of the physics (that's why building codes are updated) and yet people seem to be stuck trying to figure out how to make all of this new technology makes things the way they always have.

[johnouellet]

I have built a few houses in my day, and done several remodels including additions. I am no expert, but I don't see the savings with the 24"O.C. framing. Granted, it was a few years ago, but I think my average price per square foot for 2x4/2x6 was around $120-$135... Nothing revolutionary, mostly ply+osb sheeting, studs 16" O.C., tyvek whether, batt insl, and sheetrock. Great video but maybe I missed the point of the 24" framing. Also, I have always used a double top-plate, it's way easier to join wall corners and plumb, plus added space for wallboard attachment & top-nailing.

[tolbaszy]

Foam core sheathing is like using foam as a shim. The shear strength of a wall is partly due to sheathing contact with framing members. In new construction, this may not be a problem, but in time, wind loads, temperature extremes and wood movement will challenge the "through the foam" attachments. 24" on center framing is also less effective at reducing noise transmission, for the same reasons as guitars are built with minimal bracing on the sounding boards. These houses may be efficient on paper, but they have not been tested by sufficient Time and Nature to be promoted as good long term structural investments. Insects love foam for tunneling!