When building a new home or adding that extra living space, the framing system and structural components are a very important part of the items to research. Planning the structure of your new home or addition is important and meeting with your builder to discuss the details of the structure of your new space can increase the quality and overall outcome of your project.

Charles and Lina Hart, who built their new home on the banks of the Tennessee River in Chattanooga, spent many hours researching the framing and structural components for their new home. They decided on a combination of engineered lumber products and structurally insulated panels (SIP's) for the structural system and envelope of their new home. This gave them the flexibility needed for their floor plan and also the added benefit of energy efficiency.

Traditionally dimension lumber (2” x 4”, 2” x 8”, 2” x 10”, etc.) was used for floor, wall and roof framing members. When structural components were needed in the past, dimension lumber was doubled or tripled to create girders or beams to support joists or rafters. Dimension lumber is milled mostly from soft, fast growing species such as spruce or yellow pine and spans are limited due to deflection. This generally means you are limited in design and end up with boxy floor plans with long halls leading to small rooms.

A quality choice for your structural systems is engineered lumber and truss components. Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) is a good choice for beams and girders. LVL’s can provide more design options offering longer spans and more open living spaces.

Wood I Beam or Joists can be used for floor and roof systems and offer a superior alternative to dimension lumber. "I" Joists come in long lengths and depths and are exceptionally strong. The Deflection in an "I" Joist floor system is limited so say goodbye to those bouncy floors and squeaks due to floor material movement.

Floor trusses, such as the ones shown here which were installed are a great choice for floor and roof systems. Not only do they add strength and quality to your home, they offer the most flexibility with floor plan design. An added benefit from using floor trusses is that your HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems can be installed through or in the same plane as the floor plate. This will eliminate those pesky fur-downs and soffits that add costs to your budget and eye sores for your design.

Engineered lumber and structural components add both longevity and beauty to your home. The Longevity is due to superior strength and beauty is added when you have flexibility with design. Using engineered lumber is also environmentally friendly. Less wood fiber is used in the manufacturing of engineered lumber and there is less waste on the job site. Talk with your designer or builder prior to the estimating and bidding phase of your project. These structural systems will slightly increase the budget of your project but the benefits far outweigh the added costs.

There is an old adage that states; "Don't start off on the wrong foot".  There is no better place to apply this  proverb than to the foundation of your new home or addition.  Amazingly, when building their home, most home owners leave this detail to their builder.  Most residential builders have good intentions but sometimes get stuck in a rut when it comes to new and better building techniques.

In the last 50 years, homes have mostly been built using concrete block or concrete masonry units (CMU) for foundations. There are applications where this type of foundation works well such as foundations less than four feet in height or where there will be limited backfill.  If not properly constructed and reinforced CMU foundations can crack or even fail.  The worst case is where cracks develop and get worse over time leaving the home owner with problems long after the builder is gone.

Poured-in-place concrete foundations are the quality choice for the foundation of your new home or addition.  Poured concrete foundations offer superior strength and are typically coated with a waterproof membrane which will keep your living space dry.

Communication is key.  Ask your builder how he plans to construct the foundation of your project.  Ask him to explan the details of the foundation system he plans to use.  A quality home builder will be glad you asked and be happy to share the details of his plans for your new home or addition.  If he resists,  this can of worms was well worth opening!

You can see the Examiner.com article here.