Garage Design Video

Posted on by Tim Carter

Hi, I'm Tim Carter and I'm here at a great new construction site in New Hampshire. I am in a garage that is being built. At this point, it doesn't even have a roof on it. The walls are framed and I want to show you a couple of neat things about the design of this garage. You should keep these in mind the next time you build a garage.

The wall next to the garage door (the door is nice and wide; 10-feet wide works for larger pickup trucks, SUV's; never less then 9-feet wide) extends almost 4 -feet past the garage door opening. Most garages have only 2-feet to the side. By the time you store garbage cans, bicycles, or anything else, you don't have enough room to open your car doors. Coupled with the extra wide garage door, there will be plenty of room to open the car doors without bumping into any thing.

Second, check the depth of this garage. This one is nearly 26-feet deep. This allows for a workbench or storage cabinets to be placed at one end of the garage and still have room in which to pull the vehicles.

These are just two simple tips to keep in mind when designing your next garage.

Prefab Frame Walls Video

Posted on by Tim Carter

Hi, I'm Tim Carter and I'm here at a new residential construction site in New Hampshire. I want to show you something. See all these walls that have been built? Well, they weren't built onsite.

CLICK or TAP HERE to discover much more about factory-built walls for a home. It's really the only way to go because the precision is far better than stick-built walls done by dopey carpenters and their helpers.

Typically, it is called stick framing where the lumber company brings a big pile of lumber of various types and sizes. Then the job site carpenters measure and cut and fabricate the walls. But all the walls for this house were built at a factory and shipped here on a flatbed.

Check this. This is a wall section that was built at the factory. It is going to be an interior wall because there is no sheathing on either side. This section has been actually measured down to the 1/16th of an inch, and comes with the double top plate on it. The top plate has an overhang where it will butt up against another section where it turns a corner.

That's how sophisticated the pre-engineered and pre-built wall sections are. And it really doesn't cost any more, but it allows construction of the home to go much faster.

Lally Column Video

Posted on by Tim Carter
Lally Column

These are steel beams in my own home I built in Amberley Village, Ohio. The beams are 10 inches tall and weigh 31 pounds per linear foot. You can span up to 14 feet with these! © 2017 Tim Carter

A lally column can be made from wood, steel, concrete or concrete block. It's a vertical structural member that supports a horizontal beam. Steel and wood must be protected from fire damage.

Lally Column - Best Ones Are Sand-Filled Steel

Revised February 2018

A lally column is a standard structural member found in just about every building.

The lally column supports a lot of weight. It's important to realize a concrete footing under the concrete slab distributes the concentrated weight.

A concrete floor is often poured on top of the concrete footing and the lally column might sit on the floor.

A point often overlooked is hollow steel columns must be filled with sand so they don't bend and fail in a house or building fire. A hollow steel column will bend like soft taffy candy in a hot fire.

Related Links

House Steel Beams and Columns - Great Photos Here

Column & Beam Construction - Using Wood Works

Free & Fast Bids

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local steel fabricators who make & install great columns.

The Lally Column Continuous Load Path Problem

Concentrated loads may start up high in a building. Solid blocking or support must be under these loads from high up in the building until they pass through the lally column and down to the earth under the footing.

You can see an example of this in the video above. At the top of the column is the structural header, but above that is a block of wood that touches the underneath of the subfloor. The reason that is important is once the house is built upstairs, there will be a post sitting on top of this block and lally column. This upper post will be supporting weight from the roof.

The upper post can't just sit on the subfloor. It would be too much weight for the floor. Direct load bearing all the way down to the ground below. You can see how that happens with the wood column above, solid subflooring, the support block above the support header, then the header and finally on to the lally column.

You have to be sure your bearing points are all properly supported all the way down.

Basement Insulation Tips Video

Posted on by Tim Carter

Basement Insulation Tips

Hi, I'm Tim Carter and I'm here at a new home construction site in New Hampshire. We are down in the basement to talk a little bit about basement insulation. Look at this.

This is the poured basement foundation wall. It has damp-proofing and even water-proofing on the other side. But concrete can hold water for a long time. And in the Northeast, the ground gets cold and can actually freeze almost four-feet down. This causes the concrete basement wall to almost become an ice-cube. This radiates the cold inside, so you want to stop that.

Two things. First, if you insulation using a solid foam (in this case, 2-inch of rigid closed-cell foam insulation), it acts as a really great water barrier. And it does it from both directions. In case water vapor comes from inside the basement and would touch the bare concrete wall, it would form condensation. That would be the fuel for mold and mildew. If the concrete has water in it, this type of insulation will stop the water vapor getting into the basement.

Secondly, this type of insulation should go all the way from the slab to the top of the concrete. Once the 2x4 wall studs are installed tight against the insulation, fiberglass insulation will be added between the studs. But first, be sure to use a special tape to tape over the joints where two pieces of the rigid foam meet. The tape will be made by the foam insulation manufacturer so that it will stick to their foam.

One last thing, this particular rigid foam insulation sheets comes tongued-and-grooved. This interlocks with the next piece of foam, creating a tighter seal. Insulate your basement this way when you build or remodel.

Door Framing Tip Video

Posted on by Tim Carter

Hi, I'm Tim Carter and I'm here at a new home construction site in New Hampshire. Want to show you something that is kind of cool with a little bit of detective work.

Look at the sawdust near the door frame opening. Do you know what caused that pile of sawdust? That tells you that something used to be there and has been removed.

At another door opening, you can see that the bottom wall plate running all the way along the wall. This is what helps keep the legs of the door frame in align. Without the bottom plate, one door leg might be tilting in and the other out. That would make the door installation tough. By keeping the base plate in place when you frame the wall, you keep the door frame in proper alignment.

Framing A Door Video

Posted on by Tim Carter


Hi, I'm Tim Carter and I'm here at a residential job site in New Hampshire. I want to show you a little about wall framing and wall construction and how it's done. This is what is behind the drywall in your home and you don't typically see it.

This door opening will lead to the garage, but look at the two studs running vertically on the side of the door frame. The stud away from the opening is called the King Stud. This stud runs all the way from the bottom plate to the top plate.

The other stud is called the Jack Stud. This stud is shorter and ends at the door frame header. The door header has two other 2x6's that run up and down (hidden behind the insulation). These short studs will allow support for the floor joists that will run above them.

So the interior Jack Stud is like a support column for the header. You wouldn't want to depend on just nails driven through the studs to support that weight.

That is a quick overview of the door framing behind the drywall in your home. Window framing is almost the same.

Framing A Door

Posted on by Tim Carter
framing a door

Framing a door in the USA and this is what it's going to look like. This is an exterior door showing the all-important beam covered with closed-cell foam. The load above the door is transferred to the framing on either side of the opening. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

"A doorway in a non-load-bearing wall doesn't need a structural header. You'll place just one or two 2x pieces of lumber flat across the top of the opening."

I can call you on the phone to help you frame your door. The call is FREE if you're not satisfied with my tips and advice. I could save you hours of time and prevent WOOD ROT and mold caused by a lack of the correctly flashing! CLICK HERE to set up the call.

Framing a Door Tips

  • a small beam is required in load-bearing walls
  • king stud on either side must be straight
  • perform string test with letter X
  • use studs with vertical grain

DEAR TIM: I'm going to build a room addition myself because money is very tight. Can you help me understand how I frame in the door openings?

I've never done this before and am very confused. Is the method the same for all doors? How wide and tall do you make the opening?

What do I do on an exterior wall? Elizabeth S., Denver, CO

Related Links

How To Select Vertical Grain Studs Video

Interior Wall Framing Tips & Magic

DEAR ELIZABETH: I first want to congratulate you on your ambition and wisdom in asking questions before you get in trouble. No doubt it's easy to jump into a project, but in these very harsh economic times, you can't afford to waste any money on mistakes. Ask enough questions and you should be able to get through this daunting project.

Is it Hard to Frame a Door?

Framing a door is not too hard. There's absolutely a difference in how a door is framed for an exterior door versus an interior one.

Not all carpenters will do it the same way, so be prepared for different answers to your questions. There commonly is no one right answer.

How Do You Frame a Door in a Bearing Wall?

The first thing to understand is there could be a concentrated load above a door. This happens on bearing walls. In these instances, there's a structural header that acts as a beam over the door to support the load or weight that's bearing down on that portion of the house.

Where are Bearing Walls Located?

Bearing walls can be both on the exterior of the house as well as on interior walls. In the last house I built for my family, I had an interior bearing wall with a door in it. Immediately above the door was a concentrated load that I'd estimate was about four tons.

You can bet I installed a double 2x12 header above that door! Headers come in all sizes and usually, a structural engineer or an architect will size them for you.

Do You Need a Header in a Non-Bearing Wall?

A doorway in a non-load-bearing wall doesn't need a structural header. You'll place just one or two 2x pieces of lumber flat across the top of the opening.

This framing lumber is used to support the finished wall material and provide solid nailing for any trim around the door. It also acts as a tiny bottom plate for the cripple studs above the door opening that reach to the top plate.

How Straight Should the Framing Lumber Be?

When you frame a door, it's very important that you use the straightest pieces of framing lumber that you can find in the pile. What's more, you frame the door with a continuous bottom plate just as the wall has a continuous top plate.

The bottom plate at the doorway gets cut out after the wall is in place, secure and the bottom plate is securely fastened to the floor.

Do You Use a King Stud?

Door openings commonly have two king studs and two jack studs. A king stud is one that runs continuously from the top plate to the bottom plate. The jack stud is nailed to the king stud, but it's shorter as it supports the structural header or the flat 2x material that you use for a door in a non-load-bearing wall.

How Many Jack Studs Should Be In the Opening?

For rough openings 6 feet or less in width, one jack stud next to the king stud is normally what is required to support the structural header beam. Any opening over 6 feet should have two jack studs under each end of the beam.

Do You Need Cripple Studs Above the Door Opening?

You may have to install small cripple studs between the top of the header and the top plate when framing a door. These need to be a continuation of the other king studs on the wall being sure to maintain the even 16-inch or 24-inch on-center spacing you have for the finished wall material.

How Important is the Rough Opening for the Door?

The width and height of a rough opening for a door are very important. Your plans may call for a 3-foot-wide door that's 6-feet 8-inches tall. From years of experience, I'm here to tell you that the rough opening should be at least 38 and 1/4 inches wide and the height of the opening should be 84 inches.

Where Should the Bottom of the Exterior Door Threshold Be?

The bottom of the exterior door threshold should be at the same elevation as the top of the finished flooring material.

You must keep in mind that exterior doors have a threshold that's often at least 1-inch high and that the bottom of this threshold MUST be installed at the same elevation as the top of the finished floor in the house. Rookies often forget this making the rough opening too short.

What About the Height of Interior Doors?

Height considerations are the same for interior doors. These doors are set on the finished floor and there is almost always a 1-inch air gap under the door after it's installed.

How Do You Calculate the Exterior Door Rough Opening Height?

Here are the things you need to consider when adding up to get the rough opening height for an exterior door:

  • the actual door height
  • the thickness of the weatherstripping under the door
  • the thickness of the threshold
  • the thickness of the finished floor
  • the thickness of the finished top door jamb
  • add about one-half inch wiggle room for shims and other site conditions

How Do You Calculate the Rough Opening Width?

You do the same exercise to figure the rough opening for door width. You add the actual width of the door to the thicknesses of both finished jambs, plus add about 3/4 inch for shims and wiggle room.

What is the String Test for Rough Openings?

A string test for a rough opening is when you create the letter X using two strings stretched from opposite corners of the rough opening. If the two pieces of string barely touch one another, then the rough opening is in the same plane.

framing a door

This is a crude drawing of a rough opening for interior french doors. The green lines are pieces of string attached to the corners of the rough opening. They must barely touch at the center of the "X". Copyright 2018 Tim Carter ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Do NOT COPY

It's mandatory that the rough opening for a door be in the same plane. This is one function the top and bottom plates of a wall perform. If the plate material is straight, the bottom plate is installed perfectly straight and the wall is plumb, then the wall and opening will be in the same plane.

Should I Put a 4-Foot Level on the Studs to Check for Plumb?

NEVER plumb a wall putting a 4-foot level on the wall studs. If the stud the level is resting on has a crown or hump in it, the level will not give a true reading.

You plumb a wall using a perfectly straight piece of lumber that only contacts the top and bottom plate. Place this lumber between king stud locations so it's only touching the wall plates.

Column 913

Build A Porch Video Part 3 of 6

Posted on by Tim Carter

Hi, I'm Tim Carter and this is the third installment of the Build a Porch Video series. I want to show you this ingenious way we are going to support the porch. Previously the band boards were nailed directly to the house. We want to get them away from the house about 3-inches. This will allow us to extend the siding down over the foundation, and provide us with a nice air-space between the edge of the porch and the siding.

So far, we have installed three(4" x 6" x 5/16") steel supports that will be bolted with wedge anchors into the foundation. Also to help hold them in place, we are going to use a two-part epoxy that needs to be mixed. The ends of the anchor bolts will be coated with the epoxy as they are driven into the foundation.

To install the wedge anchors, you drill a half-inch hole in the foundation. Place the washer and the nut on the anchor, apply the epoxy and then using a hammer drive the anchor into the hole. Then as the nut is tightened, the end of the wedge anchor starts to expand holding the anchor tight.

As a secondary defense due to the weight of the deck and a limited number of supports, a treated-lumber block will be placed on the ground under the support and a 4"x4" treated-lumber block will be placed between the angle iron support and the block on the ground. This support will help keep the angle iron from trying to tip downwards under the weight of the porch.

This will all come together in the next few videos. Click here for the other three videos.

Build A Porch Video Part 2 of 6

Posted on by Tim Carter

Hi, I'm Tim Carter and this is the second part of the porch reconstruction videos. All the decking has been removed and it revealed some more issues.

The first issue deals with the original builder placing the Trex decking right up against the house and then installed the siding right down on top of the decking. This caused the fiber-cement siding to rot. Because the house is located in a cold climate, water was being soaked up into the underside of the fiber-cement siding and freezing, expanding and falling apart. It got so bad that the siding is just flaking apart.

Here's a big problem. The builder an carpenters thought they were going to do a good job by putting on the flashing on top of the band board. The band board is nailed directly to the sill plate, that is on top of the foundation. Since they didn't want to get water behind the band board, they installed a piece of aluminum for the flashing. But they goofed-up.

The flashing is a piece of tin with a 90-degree up bend on one side and a 90-degree down bend on the opposite side. The down bend should have a slight outward curve to it. The tin-flashing should have been placed on top of the band board. The upturned part of the flashing would go well up behind the siding. Maybe 3" or 4".

When the porch was build, they ended the flashing even with the edge of the band board. There was no down-turned part. The correct flashing should go over the edge of the band board and end with a little kick-out bend. This kick-out allows the water to form into a drop and drip down away from the band board. Without the kick-out, when the water forms the droplet, it runs back underneath the siding due to capillary action. Bad idea!

Finally where they lapped the pieces of aluminum, they just did a lap joint. There is no sealant or caulk. (I don't like caulk. I prefer tin flashing so all the seems can be soldered.)

One more problem is the floor joists are just toenailed into the band board. They should have used structural joint hangers. That was a big mistake.

To correct this problem, we will completely disconnect the framing from the house. We will make the siding go down over the foundation. The deck will be supported off the foundation using structural steel angle iron that will be bolted to the foundation. That is coming up in the next video.

Build A Porch Video Series

Posted on by Tim Carter

Build A Porch Video Series

The videos 1 through 3 of this six-part series are shown below. Videos 4 through 6 will be available for sale after the first of the year. Check back then for the link.

Part 1 of this series shows the various problems with the porch that are visible before tearing the porch completely apart.

To view a transcription of this video, CLICK HERE.
The second video has the porch or deck flooring completely removed. Problems are discovered with an improperly shaped flashing.

To view a transcription of this video, CLICK HERE.
In the third video, Tim installs angle iron supports attached to the foundation to hold up the porch.

To view a transcription of this video, CLICK HERE.