Framing a house using engineered wood has many advantages. Glue laminated beams are stronger than their conventional solid sawn counterparts. (Laminated veneer lumber comes in smaller dimensions for headers and ridge beams.) Engineered I-joists span greater distances and their stiffness prevents squeaky floors. Oriented strand board sheathing prevents racking and provides good nailer for siding.

Bob outlines the steps involved in framing up the house. Once the first floor joists were in place, the crew started in on the subfloor using ToughPly, a thicker plywood product from Georgia-Pacific. A single layer of ToughPly can be used under hardwood, tile, or carpet, and its quick-fit tongue and groove design saves time fitting the panels together. Next the crew framed the sidewalls with Riverside CDX plywood sheathing harvested from sustainable forests in British Columbia. While only slightly thicker than standard OSB or plywood, it's three times as stiff for a greater load carrying capacity and its favorable weight to strength ratio makes its easier to work with.

Bob tours the newly opened up first floor of the house and the turns his attention to the little family room addition. The wall has been bumped out a couple of feet and at an angle. Bob flashes back to the construction of the new addition. The carpenters began by framing the deck with pressure-treated 2 x 10s anchored to the existing frame and set on concrete footings in the ground. The framed the walls with conventional 2 x 4s and attaching plywood to stabilize the structure. Then they framed knee walls to supports the windows that will fill in the corner of the addition. The second floor is now supported using LVLs attached to a 6 x 6 clear fir post which transfers the weight of the upper floors to a new footing directly below with the addition is framed around it. The effect when finished is similar to a greenhouse.

Bob discusses the home's framing with Ryley. Since much of the framing will be exposed special care is taken with the construction. Ryley demostrates a few of the techniques and raises a large section of the cabin.

…more comfortable, and less expensive to heat and cool. Ceiling Spray You can do attics, crawlspaces, walls, rim joists, basements, pipe insulation and much more with Foam it Green. The spray foam creates a barrier that blocks outside air…

…these larger fans sometimes require you to cut your attic joists. Our fans are designed so that when they are not in use, you…
…area. Our fans fit between standard 16" and 24" on center joists, making for easy installation. The fans are available in…

The first addition to the sunroom in the Season 13 Modern Colonial home was a simple cedar planter. Built by Bob Ryley in the project house's workshop, the planter…

Many times the homeowner's only regret is that the sunspace is not larger. Although aesthetics often drive the decision to add a sunspace or include one in a new home design, sunspaces can also provide supplemental space heating and a healthy environment for plants and people.

In general, a south-facing orientation, within 30 east or west of true south, will provide around 90% of the maximum static solar collection potential.

…off-site with engineered wood I-joists from Willamette Industries providing…
…flexibility. Moreover, these I-joists are resource friendly utilizing 50% less wood fiber than traditional lumber joists. The flooring system, called…