A MAZE ing

Since this post is about framing, you would have thought I would have entitled it with some pun on framing such as ‘You’ve been framed’ or such like but once you see the pictures, you’ll see why I chose the title I did.

Well we have started framing which is something to get excited about except that it doesn’t mean we have finished tearing stuff out.

I’m including the plan again so you can see the new walls (shown in black) that are being framed.



Building codes dictate the size of studs and their frequency/distance from each other. Holes have to be drilled in some studs so that electrical wiring can travel along to junction boxes, and electrical outlets and switches. But the holes can’t be too big or it weakens the stud. New openings, as we know, need beams above them. In addition, because we are changing the positions of the lighting fixtures and the extraction fan, then extra wood has to be placed between the beams or studs for them to attach to.
While we are on the subject of beams, because we are taking out the master bathroom’s flat ceiling and using the ceiling of the attic space (which is slanted) as the new ceiling, additional beams have to put on it for support.
It’s all about making sure that you have support and strength, first for what is above you since having upstairs rooms or the roof coming down can put a serious dent in your plans, and so the walls themselves don’t crumble the second you bang in a nail to hang a picture.


Looking into the new closet. You can see the heating vent hanging down.








Looks like a bit of a maze doesn’t it?

There are lots of things to think about while framing. You have to always have to think several steps ahead of you so you are aware of things that can trip you up later, and which can take a lot of time to correct or do over. That usually means more money as well. Taking away a ceiling and changing walls means you’ve suddenly got heating vents and what not needing a new home. And you can’t just slap up the studs and hope it’s all good. The studs are going to have wallboard attached to them and the pieces will need to sit flush with each other so the walls are straight.
Though things might have been done to code when they were first put in and could have stayed the same if left untouched, once you start changing things, you are often required to bring some things up to the current code. And you can’t presume that everything that was done in the past was done correctly.

A positive side to opening up the walls was to find that the wood was in excellent condition and showed no sign of termite damage (except for a small spot above the art studio’s entry).