cripples Headers Wall studs Sheathing
der S ft. , for example; all the headers might be 4x6s even though a 4x4 would be adequate for some. If the headers are to be built up out of 2x stock, the length of the material required will be doubled, plus a sheet or two of Yz-in. plywood, to be ripped to width and sandwiched between the 2xs so that the finished header will be 312 in. wide. Headers in 2x6 walls can often be made with flat 4x6s, from 6x stock or from 4x stock with a 2-in. furring strip nailed on.
If cripples for doors and windows are to be cut on the job, plan to use scraps left over from joisting and plating and from bowed or twisted plate and stud stock. With a little effort, a house can be built with a minimum of waste. Some builders find it cost effective, especially when building multiple units or a housing tract, to make up a header and cripple list (see p. 84) for the lumber company, which then does the cutting at the yard. Some companies do this for no charge as a loss leader; they can use cheaper grades, and older lumber they might other wise have to discard or cut up for firewood.
Posts and beams
Check the length and size of any beams, such as those used as a ridge to carry rafters, and the posts they rest upon. Mark this information on the plans. Beams will sometimes be graded #1 or select struc tural or be made with laminated stock. Engineered beams may be required for particularly long spans or heavy loads, so check the details carefully. Braces
The bracing that walls require depends on local code and on whether or not they will be sheathed. If you will be bracing all the walls with metal angle braces or wooden let-in braces, figure one at each end and one for every 2S ft. of wall. It is advisable to put a brace in every wall where it is possible to do so. Some walls will be too short or have too many openings to have room for a diagonal brace. If you are using wooden braces, it is best to order 1 2-ft. 1x6s, although l O-footers will work. Metal braces are available in 1 2-ft. lengths, but 10 ft. works well on standard 8-ft. walls.
Wall sheathing
If the walls are to be sheathed, the number of sheets needed for a one-story building is figured by taking the length of wall space to be covered and dividing by 4 ft., the width of each plywood panel. Pay no attention to door or window openings, except large ones such as garage doors or patio openings. There is usually no need to add S% extra because the ma terial cut out for doors and windows can be used to fill in above and below these openings, thus avoid ing much waste. The standard length of plywood is 8 ft., but it can be purchased in longer lengths. Ceiling joists and rafter ties
Ceiling joists can be figured somewhat like floor joists, although you don't need the extras for dou bles, rims and blocks. When joists are spaced 16 in. on center, you can find the number needed by di viding the length of the building by four, then mul tiplying the result by three and adding one more for the end joist. When they are 24 in. on center, divide the length of the building by two and add one more; note and mark the different lengths and sizes needed to cover different sections of the building.
In the garage, rafter ties rather than ceiling joists are nailed in at 4 ft. on center to tie the building to gether. These frequently need to be from wider stock, like 2x8s, because even though they carry no weight they span a long distance. Measure in 4 ft. from the end wall and order one for every 4 ft. of wall. When rafters run at a right angle to the joists in a house, they too need to be tied across every 4 ft. to opposing rafters. Usually this rafter tie is made with lx4 or lx6 stock.
Rafters and other roof stock
If the roof is going to be framed with traditional rafters, the number of rafters needed can be calcu lated much like ceiling joists. On simple gable roofs with rafters spaced 1 6 in. on center, remember to double your figure to include rafters on both sides of the ridge. If the rafters are 24 in. on center, take the length of the building in feet and add two. This will give you enough stock for both sides of the ridge. If barge rafters are required, add two for each end. One way to determine rafter length is to mea sure the rafters, from the ridge to the fascia, on the elevation or roof plan. Hip and valley stock is usu ally 2 in. wider than the common rafters.
Order enough extra stock to cut a frieze block between every two rafters at the plate line, the full length of the building on two sides for a gable roof, all four sides for a hip. The ridge on a gable roof al so will be the length of the building, though some times the plan will indicate that it runs beyond this pOint to catch and help carry barge rafters. Measure on the plans the ridge length you need for a hip roof. Note that the ridge stock must be 2 in. wider than the rafter stock (2x8 rafters need a 2xlO ridge). Order ridge stock long, 20 ft. at least, to make it eas ier to stack (build) the roof.
Sometimes when rafters are overspanned (too small to carry the roof load), they need to be sup ported in the center by a purlin. Again, check the plans for size, measure the lineal feet needed and order long lengths (such as 18 ft. or 20 ft.). Often builders will not order extra material for purlins, planning to use up any stock left over from joists or rafters. Codes may also require the use of lx4 or lx6 collar ties installed every 4 ft. on opposing rafters to help tie the roof structure together.
Trusses
When roof trusses are specified, check with the man ufacturer to see how much lead time is needed to build and ship your order. Often this can be three or four weeks. Trusses can be ordered over the phone, but it is best to meet with a company repre sentative so that no mistake is made in regard to number, style and size.
Fascia
The ends of rafter tails are often covered with a fas cia board. This board should be long and straight, and of good-quality material because it is exposed. Frequently it is also 2 in. wider than the rafter, just like the ridge. Figure out the lineal feet required, add S% extra and order long pieces. Some builders like to go to the elevation view on the plans, scale the length of all fascia boards and mark these lengths on the plan. This is a good idea especially when a building has barge rafters that are made from fascia board, which might be 22 ft. long, for example. If you order all 20-ft. stock, each barge rafter would have to be spliced. It is much easier to order longer stock, at least for the barge rafters. The plans will specify the type of material required, such as rough sawn Douglas fir, redwood, cedar or pine.
Starter boards
When starter boards are used on rafters to cover open eaves, check the plans to determine the type and style of wood. Often it will be lx6 pine shiplap with a V-joint. In humid areas, western red cedar is more common because it is more resistant to rot. If the overhang is 20 in., for example, it will take four rows of boards to cover it. Measure the lineal foot age of the overhang, multiply this by four and add
10% extra. Exposed eaves can also be covered with finish-grade plywood. Again, with a 20-in. over hang, measure the lineal footage and divide by 8 ft., the length of a sheet of plywood, and by two be cause two 20-in. rippings can be cut from each 4-ft. wide sheet of plywood.
Roof sheathing
The amount of roof sheathing required is calcu lated from square footage. Multiply the rafter length by the building length and, unless starter boards
will be used, include the eaves and any overhang that was created by barge rafters at the gable ends. Double this figure to cover both sides of the roof, and proceed from there just as you did for floor sheathing. Check the plans and/or code for thick ness and grade.
Hardware
The most commonly used framing nails are 8-penny (8d) and 1 6-penny (16d) box nails with a vinyl coat ing (often called "sinkers"). The vinyl coating makes them drive easier and hold better, but it may not be a good idea to hold them in your mouth. It takes about SO lb. of 1 6d nails and 1 2 lb. of 8d nails to frame 300 sq. ft. of house. So a typical l , 200-sq. ft. house can be framed with about four SO-lb. boxes of 1 6d and one box of 8d sinkers. You may have to supply all the washers and nuts to attach the sill to the anchor bolts.
The plans will note whether any framing anchors are needed, such as those used when a stronger con nection is required between the rim joist and the sill, from post to beam or from rafter to plate, to hold things together in hurricanes or earthquakes. Metal angle braces are often used as permanent wall braces. Joist hangers at beams and headouts will also be needed, as will metal plate straps wherever top plates have been seriously weakened by cutting for plumbing or heating. In earthquake areas, codes often call for tiedowns, metal angles that bolt to the
foundation and directly to a stud, although some people say that prayer works better. In high-wind areas, hurricane clips are often required. When beams or girders are built up from three or more pieces of lumber, they may need to be bolted together. The completed list
Work carefully, check the plans, scratch your head, write it all down and submit your list with full con fidence that you have overlooked something. The lumber list is, after all, an estimate of materials that will be needed for a particular job. No one expects an estimate to be perfect, just close. Remember that overestimating can be expensive. Lumberyards will take returns, but they may charge 15% to 20% to process the lumber back into their inventory. On the other hand, if you underestimate you can al ways order more.
It is the lumber company's responsibility to stack the material in the order you specify and to deliver it when requested. You don't want to deal with a com pany that puts sill stock at the bottom of a load when this is the first item you need to begin con struction. It is always important to make sure that lumber loads are dropped close to where they will be used. Hauling lumber by hand from any distance consumes time that could be better spent framing the building. Many builders will have materials de livered as needed rather than all at once, especially if there is no way to make them secure at the job site.
The hardware required on a typical job includes nails, nuts, washers, joist hangers, plate straps and hurricane clips.