 Like the human body, a house has a skeleton
that gives it support, shape and a framework for outer coverings. A house's skeleton is
called the frame. Though some new homes utilize steel framing, most houses are made of
wooden beams, floor joists, walls studs, roof rafters and related components. To insure
the structure's strength, these parts are sized and connected in accord with building
codes that are based on basic load engineering principles.
It's important to know which parts are critical to a house's structure so that you don't
compromise its strength when remodeling or doing work that involves cutting into framing
members. For example, if you remove part or all of a load-bearing wall without reinforcing
the structure, floors and roof may sag and windows and doors may stick. Or worse, part of
the house may collapse
Non-bearing walls may be either perpendicular or parallel to joists or rafters. They often
may be identified from under the house, because they're not supported by a foundation or
beam. Because they don't support loads, they usually can be removed without compromising a
structure's strength.
 Foundation and footing
deliver loads from the house down to solid soil. The footing is wider than the foundation
to spread out loads.
Weight of roof materials and loads compresses roof rafters, which pull ceiling joists from
each end, placing them under tension. The resulting triangle transfers roof loads out to
rafter ends where the weight is carried by supporting walls.
Advanced house framing, sometimes called Optimum Value Engineering (OVE), refers to a
variety of techniques designed to reduce the amount of lumber used and waste generated in
the construction of a wood-framed house. These techniques also improve a home's energy
efficiency.
Advanced framing techniques create a structurally sound home with lower material and labor
costs than a conventionally framed house. Additional construction cost savings result from
reduced waste disposal, which also helps the environment.
Advanced framing actually replaces lumber with insulation material and maximizes the wall
that's insulated, which improves the whole-wall thermal resistance or R-value.
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