1. Architectural Design Wall Construction Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved. 1

2. 2 Copyright © Notice The materials are copyrighted © and trademarked ™ as the property of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of TEA, except under the following conditions: 1.Texas public school districts, charter schools, and Education Service Centers may reproduce and use copies of the Materials and Related Materials for the districts’ and schools’ educational use without obtaining permission from TEA. 2.Residents of the state of Texas may reproduce and use copies of the Materials and Related Materials for individual personal use only without obtaining written permission of TEA. 3.Any portion reproduced must be reproduced in its entirety and remain unedited, unaltered and unchanged in any way. 4.No monetary charge can be made for the reproduced materials or any document containing them; however, a reasonable charge to cover only the cost of reproduction and distribution may be charged. Private entities or persons located in Texas that are not Texas public school districts, Texas Education Service Centers, or Texas charter schools or any entity, whether public or private, educational or non- educational, located outside the state of Texas MUST obtain written approval from TEA and will be required to enter into a license agreement that may involve the payment of a licensing fee or a royalty. For information contact: Office of Copyrights, Trademarks, License Agreements, and Royalties, Texas Education Agency, 1701 N. Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78701-1494; phone 512-463-9270 or 512-463- 9713; email: copyrights@tea.state.tx.us.copyrights@tea.state.tx.us Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.

3. Walls One of the most basic building elements of a house is the wall. The wall is the main structural element that holds up, protects, and identifies the house. A wall is part of the “skeleton” of a house. 3 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.

4. Traditional Construction The building of a wall structure goes back in time, but we will focus on the most current and typical method for wall construction. Using lumber framing members for our construction materials, let’s look at the inside of a wall. 4 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.

5. Wall Terminology The terms discussed are some of the common terms used in construction. There are many other terms, nicknames, and designations given to construction materials. Some of the terms may come from a specific manufacturer or region. 5 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.

6. Wall Terminology The basic framing member of a wall is the stud. This usually is a 2 x 4 - a 2” x 4” piece of precut and usually pretreated wood Even though it is designated as a 2 x 4, this is just the nominal size. The actual size is 1-1/2” x 3-1/2”. 6 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.

7. Wall Studs Studs are used in many ways for framing a house. The most common is the main vertical member for just a common wall, but we also have King and Jack studs. 7 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.

8. King and Jack Studs King studs are used at an opening in the wall, such as a door or window opening. Jack studs are used in conjunction with a King stud to help support the header at an opening in the wall. These are also known as a Trimmer stud. 8 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.

9. Tope and Sole Plates The Top Plate and Sole Plate create the enclosing parts of a wall. 9 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.

10. Tope and Sole Plates, Continued The top plate will “cap” off the wall. It will act as a support and member for placing ceiling joists or roof rafters. This is usually a double 2x4 framing member. The sole plate is used as a base and layout template for the wall. It will also act as an anchor to the foundation. 10 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.

11. Cripple, Header, and Sill Some other important members are the Cripple, Header,and Sill. 11 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.

12. Cripple, Header, and Sill, Continued A cripple is studs that are not full length due to an opening in a wall. A header is a horizontal beam placed over an opening onto studs for support. A sill is a horizontal framing member used under an opening such as a window. 12 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.

13. Dimensions Dimensions are sizes and measurements. 13 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.

14. Dimensions and O.C. Dimensions give the exact sizes or measurements for certain elements of construction. The dimensions usually follow a certain format throughout the whole project. They can be given in feet, metric, or other units of measure. O.C. is an abbreviation for On Center - this means that you measure from the center of one stud to the center of the next stud. 14 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.

15. Work Time! Let’s apply your new knowledge and work on your own wall. 15 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.