1. Common Components of a Traditional Wood Framed Building
Wood Frame Systems
Common Components of a Traditional Wood Framed Building
Civil Engineering and Architecture
© 2010 Project Lead The Way, Inc.

2. Wood Framing Systems Floor Joists Subfloor Walls Top Plate
Wood Frame Systems
Civil Engineering and Architecture®
Unit 2 – Lesson 2.1 – Building Design and Construction
Wood Framing Systems
Floor Joists
Subfloor
Walls
Top Plate
Window Opening
Roof Trusses
Insulation
Sheathing
Vapor Barrier
Siding
Underlayment
Asphalt Shingles

3. Wood Frame Systems
Civil Engineering and Architecture®
Unit 2 – Lesson 2.1 – Building Design and Construction
Floor Joists
Joists are horizontal structural members used to carry the floor and ceiling loads.
Joist are often spaced at
16 inches or 24 inches apart.

4. Wood Frame Systems
Civil Engineering and Architecture®
Unit 2 – Lesson 2.1 – Building Design and Construction
Subfloor
The structural floor joined to the joists that supports the finish flooring.
Typically subfloor is constructed of plywood or OSB (oriented strand board).
Plywood
OSB

5. Walls Stud: The vertical framing member in frame wall construction.
Wood Frame Systems
Civil Engineering and Architecture®
Unit 2 – Lesson 2.1 – Building Design and Construction
Walls
Stud: The vertical framing member in frame wall construction.
Wall are often constructed of 2 x 4s or 2 x 6s and are spaced at 16 inches or 24 inches apart.
2 x 4 16” O.C.
Walls are often constructed on a flat surface and then raised into place and fastened.
The corners have extra studs to ensure that exterior and interior points have attachment points.
Why do you think wall studs and floor joists are most commonly spaced at 16” or 24”? What is the typical size of a sheet of plywood?
At 16” or 24” spacing, the edges of plywood sheets will coincide with stud or joist locations if the spacing is uninterupted.

6. Wood Frame Systems
Civil Engineering and Architecture®
Unit 2 – Lesson 2.1 – Building Design and Construction
Top Plate
A horizontal structural member located on top of the studs used to hold the wall together.
Typically two horizontal members are included at the top of the wall - double top plate.
The image shows a double top plate. The bottom plate is part of the preassembled wall. The upper member is added after walls have been lifted into place and overlap the joints between adjacent wall in order to hold the wall together.
The horizontal board on the bottom is called a sole plate.

7. Sole Plate (Sill Plate)
Wood Frame Systems
Civil Engineering and Architecture®
Unit 2 – Lesson 2.1 – Building Design and Construction
Sole Plate (Sill Plate)
A horizontal structure member located at the bottom the studs used to hold the wall together.
A sole plate also provides a surface for attaching the wall to its supporting structure.
The image represents a double top plate. The bottom is part of the preassembled wall. The top holds the walls together. The horizontal board on the bottom is called a sole plate.

8. Wood Frame Systems
Civil Engineering and Architecture®
Unit 2 – Lesson 2.1 – Building Design and Construction
Window Opening
Header: A horizontal structural member used to support other structural members over openings, such as doors and windows.
Sill: A horizontal wood member placed at the bottom of walls and openings in walls.

9. Wood Frame Systems
Civil Engineering and Architecture®
Unit 2 – Lesson 2.1 – Building Design and Construction
Roof Trusses
Truss: An assembly of structural members joined to form a rigid framework, usually connected to form triangles.
Trusses are typically spaced at 16” or 24” on center.

10. Wood Frame Systems
Civil Engineering and Architecture®
Unit 2 – Lesson 2.1 –Building Design and Construction
Insulation
Material used to restrict the flow of heat or sound from one surface to another.

11. Wood Frame Systems
Civil Engineering and Architecture®
Unit 2 – Lesson 2.1 – Building Design and Construction
Sheathing
A covering placed over exterior studs or rafters that serves as a base below the exterior finish materials.
Plywood or OSB are common materials for wall and roof sheathing. Alternatively, wall sheathing may consist of rigid insulation.

12. Wood Frame Systems
Civil Engineering and Architecture®
Unit 2 – Lesson 2.1 – Building Design and Construction
Vapor Barrier
Engineered materials designed to keep out liquid water and prevent air infiltration while allowing water vapor to escape from inside the home.
The vapor barrier is often called “house wrap” or referred to as Tyvek, a trade name.

13. Wood Frame Systems
Civil Engineering and Architecture®
Unit 2 – Lesson 2.1 – Building Design and Construction
Siding
Material, such as boards or shingles, used for surfacing the outside walls of a frame building.
Other examples of exterior wall finish materials include plywood, hardboard, plastic, vinyl, stucco, brick, or stone.

14. Wood Frame Systems
Civil Engineering and Architecture®
Unit 2 – Lesson 2.1 – Building Design and Construction
Underlayment
Roof Felt: A tar-impregnated paper used for water protection under roofing materials.
Underlayment is often called “felt” or “paper”.

15. Wood Frame Systems
Civil Engineering and Architecture®
Unit 2 – Lesson 2.1 – Building Design and Construction
Asphalt Shingles
Roof shingles made of asphalt-saturated felt and covered with mineral granules.
Other examples of exterior roof finish materials include slate, wood shakes, clay or concrete tiles, and metal sheets.
Many other kinds of material are available. Other common examples include metal, plastic membrane, wood, clay, and slate.

16. Wood Framing Systems Floor Joists Subfloor Walls Top Plate
Wood Frame Systems
Civil Engineering and Architecture®
Unit 2 – Lesson 2.1 – Building Design and Construction
Wood Framing Systems
Floor Joists
Subfloor
Walls
Top Plate
Window Opening
Roof Trusses
Insulation
Sheathing
Vapor Barrier
Siding
Underlayment
Asphalt Shingles