Advanced Framing: Quality and High Performing Building with Less Lumber

Most houses are built with a surplus of wood framing that isn’t structurally necessary. Reducing that volume of wood means less cost and more insulation, especially in wall assemblies. The course will go over the basics of wood framing, then take you beyond typical framing practices and why alternatives are important. We’ll cover framing technical terms like “O.C.,” Cripple, Trimmer, etc. and delve into alternative systems such as Structural Insulated Panels (SIPS). We’ll discuss Framing Factors and how they affect your energy compliance report. This course will also cover the origin of Advanced Framing and why it’s a great choice when framing buildings with wood, even with exterior clad insulation.

Learning objectives:

1. Understand residential framing basics
2. Learn ways to use the minimum amount of lumber to get the job done
3. Understand Framing Factors and how they affect Energy Design Rating (EDR)/ T-24 Compliance
4. The Advanced Framing savings potential in lumber, time, and money

2 AIA Learning Units

Presenter:
Ron Kliewer, President of Kliewer and Associates, LLC

Bio:
Ron Kliewer started out framing and remodeling homes and additions, becoming a custom home builder /General Contractor, moving on to Special Inspector, then BPI and IR Certified. He has worked around the world, building everything from an outhouse to nuclear power plants, while wearing many hats including Framer, Finish Carpenter, Cabinetmaker, Electrician, Plumber, Special Inspector and Project Manager. He started building with Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) decades ago, and more recently used his expertise to manage the new construction and retrofits of over 2 dozen award winning energy efficient light commercial projects and the High-Performance Walls/ Attics “Smart Home” display at Southern California Edison’s (SCE), Energy Education Center in Irwindale.

Early on, Ron’s interest in energy efficiency took him down the rabbit hole into the world of building Science, working with Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), on the Good Cents building code energy efficiency research in the mid-1980s. More recently, Ron and his team have been working with So Cal Edison, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), So. Cal Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), with retrofit inspections, Building Science Research, Energy Storage, Efficiency and Demand Response research, as well as teaching classes on various construction topics including Advanced Framing and Hardening Structures Against Wildfires.