Green Building-Smart Framing

   Several years ago, I started working with a local builder on some new plans he wanted to develop.  He had some ideas from fellow builders and asked me to take a look at some sketches he had worked up.  The main problem I saw with the plans were dimensions were not "material friendly" and second story walls were not aligned with the first story walls.  In fact, many of the plans had second story walls over the garage...the worst place to have this occur.  Just in beams alone, each house would cost hundreds of dollars more than they needed to be.  We worked on each layout and eliminated as many beams as we could and I talked the builder into trying to get to the dimensions to work out on two-foot increments.  All-in-all, we were able to save the builder a substancial amount in structural and framing costs alone.
   Several years later, I ran across this article in a Fine Homebuilding magazine, which took the concept further.  It was entitled Advanced Framing Techniques.  The author took it to a point, where if emplemented in the field, could save the builder a substancial amount of money, but required some forethought and planning on the designer, builder and framing crew's part.  Lack of planning, however, could slow down production and cost money if the house wasn't framed properly.  The key would be communication.  Most homes today are framed with truss systems.  Trusses are less forgiving than stick-framing, but with the framer, truss supplier, and contractor staying in constant communication, the project would go up without any issues.
   I will touch on some of the article's issues, but will leave most of explanations and techniques to the article.  One thing I do like is the 2x6 framing walls.  A 2x6 stud has a little over 50% more material than a 2x4 wall, yet is almost twice as strong.  When framing an exterior wall which is also loading-bearing, the spacing can go to 24" on center vs. 16" o.c.  The savings from going from a 2x4 to a 2x6 wall will be marginal if the framing crew erects the 2x6 walls with current practices.  That is why it is not just a change in materials used but framing techniques which must be emplemented...framing with 2x6 walls is just but one of those techniques.  If the framer frames the walls with standard practices using 2x6's, no savings will be realized on the house.
   The article also points out to frame windows and doors where studs naturally fall.  This works if the window or door placement is not critical.  Obviously, this would not work where windows or doors needed to be aligned for aesthetic reasons.
   The last two points I want to touch on in the article are the header hangers and single top plate.  The header hangers are metal-connected hangers which replace the jack studs at a door or window.  Unless someone is just wanting to use as little wood as possible, these are not practical to me.  The hangers are more costly than the lumber, and with metal prices on the rise, are not economical.  The author also points out using a single top plate vs. the traditional double top plate.  With stricter building codes, this is not practical either.  Framers use the double top plates to splice walls together.  With a single top plate, builders will need to use metal strapping to splice top plates together.  Also, with single top plates, roof loads have to align with studs.  If trusses are used, and don't exactly align with the stud below, the framer would have to come back and place a stud under each truss location, adding material and labor costs.  The single top plate is more ideal where floors and roofs will be stick-framed.
   Something that I have tried to talk builders into doing is getting away from factory-mulled windows.  This is especially true with the triple windows.  Most houses I see going up are two-story homes.  Every builder I talk to says it is cheaper to "go up" rather than "go out".  This places additional loads on the first story walls.  With some double windows and almost all triple windows, an engineered beam must be used as the header.  This adds cost to the home.  Engineered lumber runs about six times more than its solid sawn counterpart.  And factory-mulled windows cost more, as well.  So why not frame the windows using stud pockets between the units vs. providing one big opening?  If the windows are trimmed, this will add some cost back into the unit, but most houses I have seen in the field are not being trimmed on the outside and are minimally trimmed on the inside.  With smaller header spans, and depending on the roof and floor loads, some window and door headers could be single 2x10's.  This would reduce overall costs and would allow for insulation to be placed above the window in the header pocket, increasing the thermal envelope of the building.  Wood is a poor insulator, and any opportunity to increase the wall insulation helps.  Designers should provide standard header legends in the plans and check all sizes required for the fenestrations.  This will reduce costs, as most framers typically go with a standard sized header regardless if the opening needs it or not.  Framing a double 2x10 header for a 32" window on an end gable wall is wasteful.

   The main idea of advanced framing techniques is to frame a house, keeping in mind to save money, time and energy, while providing a superior structure.  It requires planning with the designer, and communicating with your framer and vendors.  Once the practice is implemented and refined, the builder will start seeing savings in all houses constructed.