Featured Article:

House Structure and Framing : Framing is to a home as bones are to the body. This framework supports the home, defines its shape and provides the shell for its exterior cladding.

For the most part homes are typically constructed with wood framing, although there are other options on the market, such as steel or aluminum framing.

The basic framing components include beams, floor joists, walls studs, top plates, sill plates and trusses.

Framers follow the blueprints for a home to ensure that these components are structurally sound and up to local building codes. Load-bearing walls, also simply called "bearing" walls, are critical to the structural stability of a home, as are floor joists.

When a home needs to be remodeled and walls need to be knocked out or altered it is vital to have a structural engineer to determine what can be changed. In some cases, load bearing walls can be replaced with pillars and beams. If bearing walls are removed without reinforcing the structure, part of the house could collapse, or you could be left with sagging ceilings and floors, as well as doors that don't line up. Generally, you will also need a building permit to alter any interior walls.It's best to check your local building code requirements before starting any work.

A properly constructed frame transfers weight from the roof to the to the supporting walls. This weight is carried on to the foundation and to the footings. The footings spread out the load and deliver it to the solid ground below.