Once the concrete work is finished on a house—the footings, foundation walls, and floor slabs—it is time to bring in some other materials.
The plumber and heating subcontractors have already been on site to install pipes and ductwork that is now covered up by the concrete slab. The next trade that shows up is the framing crew who installs the skeleton of the home.
The shape of the framing is determined by the architect, while the specifics of the size of the lumber and steel and the details of the connections come from the structural engineer.
Steel is used in place of wood framing when large expanses of windows are involved or when wood beams would be too large and intrude unpleasantly into the interior space.
It is exciting to see a home take shape! After looking at paper drawings and models for many months, we can finally see and feel the actual space and–in the case of this home–see how the amazing views are going to be framed.
