Any significant and challenging undertaking requires a strategic, and comprehensive plan. Without this plan and road map, it would be like navigating in the dark and therefore exposed to many unknown risks.
While having comprehensive drawings and excellent con- tractors are prerequisites to a good building, an accurate and detailed plan and checklist is crucial. Without this, a project may face significant delays, incur unexpected costs, inherit unwanted design defects, face conflict with subcontractors and/or clients, legal complications and ul- timately and accumulatively, deciding the fate of the proj- ect, delineating between success and failure.
This topic will be discussed for the first time in this edi- tion, and will continue for several subsequent editions. The writer welcomes readers’ feedback and collaboration on this topic.
FRAMING PRE-OPERATION CHECKLIST
Make sure to have temporary power at the job site
Make sure to have structural drawings at the job site
Make sure to have floor joist layouts from the lumber supplier
Make sure to have elevator shop drawings at the job site
Make sure to have roof truss shop drawings at the job site
Make sure to have skylight(s) shop drawing or instructions*
Make sure to have nuts and washers for bolting the subfloor to the concrete foundation walls
Request from the steel company to deliver steel beams for 1st floor and
make sure to have enough metal shims delivered for adjusting the steel beams on top of the wall platesOrder the first-floor materials from the lumber supplier. (You may order both floors at the same time or order the subfloor and partition of the first floor in two deliveries, depending on job site)
Order necessary adjustable jacks for temporary support of the subfloor before installing the permanent steel columns or bearing walls of the basement
Order the crane for placing the steel beams on top of foundation walls (if it is not part of framer’s contract)
Make sure to have rough-openings of the windows and exterior doors from the window company
* If applicable.
- Check steel beams number, length, joints bolt holes, and connection locations according to the structural drawings
- Check gaskets to be installed on top of concrete foundation walls before installing 2 by 6 plates
- Check the wall plates to be bolted properly by nuts and washers to the foundation dowels
- Check the joist and wood beams to be installed according to the lumber company floor joist layouts
- Check the opening(s) of the staircase with the stair company
- Check the opening(s) of the elevator(s) according to the elevator company shop drawings*
- Make sure the height of the first finished floor is according to the surveyor’s mark
- Make sure the joist hangers are installed according to the drawings
- Make sure the level and locations of the steel beams are based on the drawing (flush/drop)
* If applicable.
FIRST FLOOR FRAMING STAGE CHECKLIST
Check the temporary adjustable jacks to support the steel or wood beams before finishing subfloor
Make sure the thickness of subfloor plywood and the installation of them is done with proper glue and nail and screw later to the joists
Check the level of the first finished floor and the size and square of the corners of subfloor
Measure the height of basement steel post by framer and place order from steel supplier with extra shims
Check layout of the walls prepared by framer according to the architectural plans
Check the location and sizes of the windows and exterior doors in accordance to the window supplier rough openings and architectural drawings
Check the heights and space between studs according to the architectural and structural drawings
Make sure the exterior walls to be according to the exterior finishing material (stucco or veneer masonry)
- Check the wood lintels to be installed on top of the windows and exterior doors according to the structural drawings
- Check the necessary structural framing for stairs and elevator(s)
- Request the welder to weld all steel beams to the steel columns and wall plates
- Check the welded strapping to the steel posts to be nailed to the framing
- Check all bearing walls according to the structural drawings
- Check all fire stoppers
- Check the point loads according to the second-floor beams androof girder trusses
- Check the blocking or bridging the tall studs according to theOntario Building Code *
- Check the height of interior doors according to the architectural specification
- Order second-floor lumber to be delivered
- Order the windows and exterior doors
- Make sure the knee walls are framed according to the structural drawings and details *
* If applicable.
