With one long rake wall finished, framing the other is much simpler because we now have a known wall that we can pull real measurements from, and we can frame right on top of the other wall.
Spent a few hours today precutting pieces for the south rake wall. My wood for this is a motley assortment of various types and grades of wood each piece tailored to its use in the wall. The sill plate is pressure treated, the top plate is new framing lumber. Vertical sheet-break, insulation bay, and cripple studs are second growth reclaimed lumber, edges of doors and windows are reclaimed old growth. Window sills and headers are clear, full dimension reclaimed old growth fir.
I’m notching my door and wheel well header directly into the 4x4s that will carry the beam that supports the rafters in the middle of the house. This is a quick task with a circular saw and a chisel and replaces unnecessary cripple and jack studs, saving weight and reducing thermal bridging even more. It also lends a nice timber frame feel to the project.
I’ve now managed to eliminate all the jack studs from the original drawings for a lighter, more energy efficient wall!
– Brian
