Consider the amount of wood used in a home: a lot of it is unnecessary. We add extra studs at corners, extra jack studs at doors, and headers where none are needed. This excess doesn’t add anything to the value, stability, or durability of the home—it simply adds more cost and generates greater waste.
We build this way, because it’s the way it’s always been done. However, more efficient framing practices offer great benefits. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) developed Optimum Value Engineering (OVE) techniques to streamline framing and reduce the amount of wood wasted in construction. OVE increases the energy efficiency of the home, since greater spacing between framing members and the elimination of excess framing allows more insulation to be added. Consequently, cold spots, which are susceptible to condensation, and mold growth are eliminated.
OVE requires higher upfront costs in design and engineering, but the money saved in materials and labor evens out the increase. Although these practices are recognized by local building code, it’s important to educate local code officials on new practices in order to gain their understanding and approval. For this reason, many builders choose to adopt an incremental approach, where a small number of techniques are initially used. As these techniques are perfected, others are introduced. This method allows trades to learn new practices without becoming overwhelmed, and allows the builder to evaluate and address issues quickly to avoid replicating them in mass production.
Builders can choose which OVE framing techniques to implement, using one or two, just a few, several, or all of them. Here are some common OVE techniques:
Utilizing two-stud corner framing with inexpensive drywall clips
Increasing floor joist and rafter spacing to 24"
Eliminating headers in non-load bearing walls
Using insulated headers in load bearing walls
Increasing stud spacing from 16" to 24"
Using single top plates with in-line framing to transfer loads directly
Aligning openings with stud spacing
Creating ladder panels in partition walls
Constructing a slab-on-grade to eliminate first floor framing
Eliminating mid-span cross bridging in floors
More information about framing Best Practices® can be found in BuildIQ University's online training courses: Framing Floors, Framing Walls, and Framing Roofs.
