Good construction doesn't have to slow you down. In fact, investing a little extra time during the early phases of construction will actually save you time and money later. That's the idea behind Precision Framing, the new book by Mike Guertin and Rick Arnold. The authors have spent 20 years developing their field-tested framing techniques, and Precision Framing is the result. This is their "manual," packed with tips, advice, and shortcuts that prove that good construction doesn't have to slow you down. In fact, investing a little extra time during the early phases of construction will actually save you time and money later.

Whether you're framing your first house or your 51st, Precision Framing will help you improve the way you work, with techniques to:

• frame straight walls
• safely work with roof trusses
• build squeak-free floors
• plan ahead for subcontractors
• create site-built tools for fast and accurate measurements

Step-by-step instructions, 200 color photographs, and more than 40 detailed drawings show how to frame efficiently and accurately, from the mudsill to the roof.

Introduction

1 TOOLS

Office Tools
Hand Tools
Power Tools
Pneumatic Tools
Staging
Other Equipment

2 MUDSILLS

Sizing Up the Foundation
Laying Out for Mudsills
Checking the Foundation for Level
Installing the Mudsill
Using Shims to Level the Mudsill
Framing Walls on Drops
Ready to Move On

3 CENTER BEAMS

Beam Basics
Planning a Built-Up Beam
Installing the Beam
Other Beam Materials
Installing Support Columns
Beam/Joist Configurations

4 FLOOR FRAMING

Joist Layout for Conventional Floor Decks
Framing Joists for Conventional Floor Decks
Installing Subfloor Sheathing for Conventional Floor Decks
Framing Floors with I-Joists
Framing Floors with Trusses

5 WALL FRAMING

Planning Exterior Bearing Walls
Laying Out Bearing Wall Plates
Assembling the Walls
Framing Other Bearing and Exterior Walls

6 ROOF FRAMING

A Stick-Built Roof
Roof Trusses

7 STRAPPING CEILINGS AND FRAMING INTERIOR PARTITION WALLS

Marking Interior Partitions
Laying Out and Installing Strapping
Laying Out the Wall
Measuring Stud Height and Prepping Wall Parts
Framing the Partitions
Finishing Up

8 SPECIAL FRAMING DETAILS

Special Details for Framing Interior Partition Walls
Special Details for Roof Framing
Special Details for Framing for Subcontractors

Index