You should think of framing as the bones of your home. Not only does framing give your home a shape and structure, but it also impacts the quality of nearly every aspect of your home, from mechanicals to interior and exterior finishes.
Because there is so much riding on the quality of your home's framing, you really need to make sure you choose a contractor that is experienced in custom home building and accountable to building a quality home.
As you consider prospective contractors for custom home building in Winter Park, be sure to talk to them about their framing practices. Are the site superintendents well informed to ensure that the framing in your home meets the highest standards of quality?
Traditional Stick Framing
The vast majority of homes built in the United States use stick framing. This method of framing gets its name because the building contractors will actually assemble a skeleton of the home using "sticks" of wood. Think wall studs, floor and ceiling joists, and rafters. Lumber is typically cut onsite to accommodate the framing needs of the home.
Off-Site Assembled Stick Framing
Instead of cutting the wood that is used for framing on the job site, wall panels made of stick-built wood are assembled off-site in a manufacturing plant. This allows entire wall panels to be constructed in an environment that is away from weather and rain, which helps to minimize any quality issues due to moist or warped framing.
High Efficiency Framing and Insulation
If you're choosing to go the custom home building route, you're likely doing so because of the increased quality and high performance construction that comes from a custom home. The use of Structural Insulated Panels (SIPS) has become a common practice by high quality building contractors as they offer increased air tightness in the walls, floors, and roof of homes. Another option is to incorporate spray foam into the framing to create an air tight barrier around the structure of your home.
Concrete
While concrete is considered to be the most used building material, it's typically used as a foundation for a home rather than a part of the framing. For a home that does have concrete framing, the framing is built from concrete masonry units (CMUs) or insulated concrete forms (ICFs). A big advantage to using concrete framing is that its durable, fireproof, and helps to reduce a home's energy usage.
When it comes to quality framing, your best option is to partner with an experienced Winter Park custom home builder to discuss framing options in more detail. Please contact us at Empire Custom Builders to learn more about our hands-on approach to high quality, energy-efficient framing solutions.