Framing

Simply stated, we are wood framing specialists with a very large team, ready to go.

We know what you want your framing job to look like, and we know how to build it right. Our skilled, experienced builders have attention on every detail for super-accuracy, with high quality construction techniques on board at every level. We can manage all sized of construction equipment from cranes to lifters, to dozers. We manage your wood vendors and wood deliveries for you, we build on everything from flat ground to steep slopes, and we can improvise anywhere in between with extreme accuracy. If you’re an individual, a family, or a developer, JBC Framing is the company you can trust to frame and build your project.

Attention Contractors, Town, City, County and State Housing Agencies:

We can assist with all your large-scale contracting projects. We have the large team and in-depth framing resources to bolster any large-scale framing project anywhere in Northern California.

We Frame It All

Single or multi-level homes, apartments, commercial buildings, we frame it all. It can be a tiny house, it can be a standard mid-size home, or it can be a super mansion. It can be a storefront, a strip mall, or it can be a business block, our team is experienced with every size and style of framing construction.

A Vast Building Team

We have a very large framing and building team ready for single or multiple simultaneous projects. We’re working on a dozen projects at any one time from Butte County to the California wine country, and we’re ready to add yours to the schedule any time.

High Quality for Customers and Developers

It doesn’t matter if we’re framing one structure for you, a dozen, or a hundred, every JBC project comes out 100% perfect every time across the board. Our stellar track record and excellent reputation speak for themselves.

Efficiency

We know being very efficient across your entire project is very important to you. We start and finish on time and within budget, we plan everything correctly, and always strive to finish with 100% inspection success.

Customer Service

Excellent, clear communication throughout our building process is essential in providing you a long-term relationship that you trust with your framing projects. We will keep you informed every step of the way, and you won’t be disappointed that you called us first.

Licensed & Insured

JBC Construction Inc is fully licensed, bonded, and insured, partnering only with those who are as well. This enables us to bring you the absolute best expertise for the absolute best framing results.

Light Frame Construction

It’s what we do best.

Light frame construction (known simply as “framing” in residential construction) is the technique of creating a structure based on vertical components, known as studs, which provide a stable frame for interior and exterior wall coverings. Horizontal elements, called joists, run the length of the floor, or between walls or beams. The joists support ceilings and floors.

Platform Framing

Our most used framing technique in modern residential construction is platform framing, in which each story is framed on top of the previous one.

We will frame in one-story platforms of typically eight- or nine-foot-high stud walls resting on a subfloor—the platform. Each story is then framed on top of the next, and the roof rests on top of the construction. This method can be used for one- or two-story houses, and has become the standard among contemporary homebuilders because:

– Platform framing uses shorter pieces of lumber than previous techniques, like balloon framing, which is an advantage because longer studs are more difficult to obtain and more expensive.

– The breaks in the studs from level to level create natural firebreaks.

– Since we build the next floor right on a platform, we’re building on a solid work surface—a safer environment, with high structural integrity.

Here are common framing elements we use in each part of the house:

Floor

Joists: These are horizontal framing components that run the length of the floor. They make up the support for the floor of the home and the platform that the wall panels will attach to. Floor joists are covered with subflooring (usually made of plywood).

Truss: A floor truss consists of 2×4 or 2×3 lumber connected with metal plates. There are a number of configurations a truss can take, but it essentially forms a stable “web” to support the floor and resists bouncing.

Sheathing: Floor sheathing, commonly known as the sub-floor, is a structural panel that is fastened to the floor structure. It carries the loads from above to the floor joists below.

Walls

Interior walls fall into two categories: load bearing and non-load bearing.

– A load-bearing wall supports a load from above, such as another floor or a roof.

– A non-load bearing, or a partition wall, is built separately from the main load bearing structure and can be an exterior or an interior wall. It functions as a divider but supports no weight.

– A third kind of wall—a shear wall, often used in multi-story buildings—is not built to bear a vertical load. Rather, shear walls are meant to resist lateral forces, such as wind and earthquakes. They are typically braced wooden walls with shear panels, reinforced concrete or masonry, or steel plates.

Sill: This piece of lumber anchors the house to the foundation. The first-floor frame is built on top of the sill plates and consists of joists, which span the foundation walls.

Top and bottom plates: The top plate is the piece of timber that runs along the top of the wall frame and supports the roof and ceiling. The bottom plate is the piece of timber that sits on the floor and forms the bottom of the wall.

Studs: These are framing components that run between the top and bottom plate. They are usually spaced 16 or 24 inches apart and are the most common elements of the wall panel.

Sheathing: Exterior wall sheathing strengthens the walls by tying the studs together. We commonly use wall panels such as gypsum, reinforced cement board, or plywood. We’ll first secure the sheathing to the frame, then cut holes for the windows and doors door openings. Exterior materials like siding are affixed to the sheathing.

Doors and windows: There are several essential elements in door and window framing.

– The header is the horizontal structural element that bridges two vertical pillars and allows the installation of doors and windows without weakening the walls.

– The vertical pillars they rest on, normally 2x4s or 2x6s, are called king studs and trimmers (or jack studs).

Together, they create a unit that transfers weight from above and around the door and window openings down to the floor and foundation.

Ceiling

Joists: Ceiling joists are horizontal elements that span the ceiling and transfer the load of the roof to the studs. There is no set standard size, but the most commonly used lumber for joists today is 2×6. They are commonly spaced from 16 to 24 inches apart.

Roof Rafters: These structural components run from the ridge or the roof to the wall plate of the external wall, side by side, and support the roof sheathing. The building method that usually uses rafter roof construction is known as “stick framing.” Rafters are good for those who want a vaulted ceiling or extra room in the attic to convert into a room.

Trusses: A truss is a wooden structure that is prefabricated in a kind of web shape of beams that extend to the top of the truss and a beam that runs horizontally.

– The shape is designed to distribute the weight of a roof over a broad area.

– Trusses can be installed quickly and have the advantage of using shorter, less expensive lengths of wood. However, they segment open attic space, so won’t work for those who might want to convert an attic later.

Decking: The roof decking is the section of the roof assembly which sits on top of the rafters or trusses and provides the structure or “deck” for the weatherproofing and roofing layers. In residential construction, decking is generally made of plywood or oriented strand board.

The elements of framing can seem complex, and they are. Not only does a frame give the home a structure and shape, it is integral to every aspect of the construction that comes after it, from interior and exterior finishes, to laying in mechanical, electrical, and plumbing plans. Thanks to MT Copeland for this great information.