Step 17.3 - Framing Details

As framing continues, there are a multitude of details to be taken care of, aside from keeping everything straight and plumb. There is a big header that goes over the garage door. Instead of regular wood, this is an engineered beam which is less expensive. It isn't as attractive as a regular wood beam, but it will be covered up so the appearance doesn't matter.

Another detail is the 16 ft. high 8x8 post that will help support the ridge beam and roof of the garage. The length of the ridge beam is too great for a single piece of wood so the beam will be in two pieces. The post is positioned where the two pieces meet, and there is a big steel Simpson bucket to tie the two beams together. The post and the ridge beam will be visible for inside the garage, so they are good looking Douglas fir that has been routered and sanded to take off the square edges.

Since we are going for a Craftsman look on the exterior, there will be outriggers extending out from under the roof. These are notched, routered and sanded in the style of houses from 100 years ago.

Mark and his crew now have all the joists in place and have started laying down the plywood decking that will form the floor of the loft. The plywood is 3/8 in. tongue and groove that will form a smooth floor surface.