Framing in Baltimore

Basement walls, layout changes, stairs and decks

Our framing work falls into four groups: basement walls, interior layout changes, stairs, and deck and walkway structures. Each one is the skeleton of a bigger project. A basement finish, a reworked first floor, a new set of rear stairs or a raised walkway all depend on framing that’s straight, square and properly fastened.

We frame as part of our own remodels and as a standalone scope. When we do the finish work too, we already know where every stud, header and blocking piece is, which makes drywall, cabinets and trim go faster.

How is a basement framed?

Basement framing starts with layout on the slab, then walls built from a treated bottom plate up. The treated plate is used because untreated wood on concrete absorbs moisture and rots. We set walls plumb and straight even when the foundation wall isn’t, and leave room at the exterior walls for insulation. Ductwork, beams and plumbing get framed around with soffits where needed.

In one basement we framed a new hallway right over the existing tile floor. In another, we framed walls around a new door with the staircase alongside. Once framing is done, we can carry the space through to a finished room. See our basement finishing page for the rest of that process.

Changing a room layout

Moving a wall, adding a closet, widening a doorway or opening a kitchen to a dining room are all framing jobs at heart. The first question is always whether a wall carries load from above, because that decides whether the change is a simple partition swap or a structural alteration with a beam, posts and drawings.

• Non-bearing walls can usually be removed or moved with patching and flooring repair.
• Bearing walls need a beam sized for the load, posts that carry it down to proper support, and often an engineer’s design and a permit. In Baltimore City, a structural alteration is filed with a floor plan and a cross-section showing floor support. Confirm for your address.
• New doorways in any wall need a header sized for the opening.

Rowhouses add a wrinkle: walls that look like simple partitions sometimes carry joists, and past renovations may have moved loads in ways that aren’t obvious. We check above and below before anything comes out.

How do you frame stairs?

Stair framing starts with measuring the total rise and dividing it into even steps. Uneven risers are a common trip hazard and a common inspection problem, so we lay out stringers carefully and check headroom over the stair opening.

We frame interior stairs during renovations and exterior stairs from the ground up. One of our projects is a tall exterior wood staircase we framed up the side of a multi-story house. Our exterior stairs page covers that work in more detail, including rear stairs and fire-escape-style stairs on taller houses.

How is deck and walkway framing different?

Deck framing lives outdoors, so it’s built from pressure-treated lumber with hardware rated for it, and every connection has to shed water. One of our framing jobs was a pressure-treated walkway framed over a low roof. A walkway like that has to be supported so it doesn’t load or damage the roofing underneath.

For new decks and balcony re-decking, our decks page covers the full build from footings to railings.

Framing that keeps the finish straight

Framing that’s out of plumb or out of line shows up later as wavy drywall, gaps at trim, cabinets that won’t sit flat and doors that won’t latch. Fixing it after drywall is up means tearing out finished work.

We check walls with a level and a string line as we go, crown studs consistently, and add blocking for cabinets, grab bars, TV mounts and railings before the walls are closed. It’s a few extra minutes per wall that saves hours later.

What affects the cost of framing work?

Whether the work is structural sets the cost of framing, ahead of how many feet of wall go up. Non-bearing partitions in an open basement are straightforward, while removing a bearing wall means a beam, posts, temporary shoring and usually an engineer’s design. The other main drivers:

• Wall length and height. Linear feet of new wall and how many doors and openings it has.
• Existing damage. Rotted sills, notched joists or past alterations found once walls open up.
• Obstacles. Ducts, beams, pipes and out-of-plumb foundation walls to frame around.
• Stairs. Total rise, landings and whether the opening has to be reframed.
• Permits and drawings. Structural changes need drawings and inspections.

We give a written price after we’ve looked above and below the work.

How does a framing job move from layout to inspection?

A framing job runs in five steps, and the walls stay open until any required inspection passes.

1. Look above and below. We check what the walls carry and what’s under the floor before anything is planned.
2. Mark the layout with you. Walls, doors and openings are snapped on the floor so you can walk the new rooms.
3. Drawings and permit. Structural work gets drawings, and the permit is in hand before work starts.
4. Frame and check. Walls, headers, stairs or deck structure are built and checked for plumb, level and square.
5. Framing inspection. Where one is required, the walls stay open until it passes, then insulation and drywall can follow.