Frame arrangement for wood framed buildings

Abstract

A method of constructing a frame of a wood frame building structure is shown and described. The method entails fabricating modules establishing nominally flat structural platforms for expediting assembly of floors, walls, ceilings, and a roof. These modules provide structural frames enabling appropriate finishing materials to be affixed thereto. The finishing materials provide continuous, flat surfaces, with exceptions for penetrations. The method includes assembling the modules such that a longitudinal axis of each model is parallel to those of other modules throughout the frame and perpendicular to a building length axis. Also, each module includes ceiling joists, floor joists, and roof rafters, as appropriate, such joists and roof rafters installed parallel to the building length axis and therefore, perpendicular to the joists and roof rafters. This method minimizes assembly costs of modules and of the framing, while retaining conventional framing performance.

1 . A wood frame building structure having a wood frame and a building length axis, the wood frame building structure comprising:
 a plurality of floor modules coupled to the wood frame;   a plurality of roof modules coupled to the wood frame; and   a plurality of ceiling modules coupled to the wood frame; wherein
 each said floor module has a module length axis oriented perpendicularly to the building length axis, a bounded wood perimeter and floor joists oriented perpendicularly to the module length axis; 
 each said roof module has a module length axis oriented perpendicularly to the building length axis, a bounded wood perimeter and roof rafters oriented perpendicularly to the module length axis; 
 each said ceiling module has a module length axis oriented perpendicularly to the building length axis, a bounded wood perimeter and ceiling joists oriented perpendicularly to the module length axis; 
 each said floor module abuts another said floor module when installed to the frame; 
 each said ceiling module abuts another said floor module when installed to the frame; and 
 each said roof module abuts another said roof module when installed to the frame; 
   the floor modules, the ceiling modules, and the roof modules are identical in length and width, and are identical in spacing apart of floor joists, ceiling joists, and roof rafters.   
     
     
         2 . The wood frame building structure of  claim 1 , wherein floor modules and ceiling modules comprise upper joist boards and lower joist boards parallel to upper joist boards and lower joist boards of every other respective said floor module or ceiling module. 
     
     
         3 . The wood frame building structure of  claim 1 , wherein at least one said module includes at least one ledger board supporting at least one other structural component of the wood frame building structure. 
     
     
         4 . A method of constructing a wood frame building structure, the method enabling use of expeditiously fabricated modules, the method comprising:
 fabricating a plurality of modules including floor modules or roof modules, wall modules, and ceiling modules, wherein each said floor module or roof module comprises a bounded wood perimeter, upper joist boards or upper roof rafters coupled to the bounded wood perimeter at relatively high positions on the latter, and lower joist boards or lower roof rafters coupled to the bounded wood perimeter at relatively low positions on the latter, wherein within each said floor module and each said roof module,
 each said upper joist board or upper roof rafter has a lowermost edge above a level of an uppermost edge of each said lower joist board or lower roof rafter, with a gap existing between the lowermost edge and every lower joist board or lower roof rafter, and 
 each said upper joist board or upper roof rafter is staggered in plan view relative to the lower joist boards or lower roof rafters; and 
   assembling at least a portion of the wood frame building structure using the floor modules or roof modules, and at least one of a wall module and a ceiling module.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein each said module as installed within the frame is rectangular in plan view. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein each said module abuts another said module when installed within the frame. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein upper joist boards or upper roof rafters and lower joist boards or lower roof rafters of each said module having upper joist boards or upper roof rafters and lower joist boards or lower roof rafters are parallel to upper joist boards or upper roof rafters and lower joist boards or lower roof rafters of every other said module having upper joist boards or upper roof rafters and lower joist boards or lower roof rafters. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein at least one said module includes at least one ledger board. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein assembling at least a portion of the wood frame building structure using the modules comprises assembling walls from wall modules, where the floor modules, the ceiling modules, and the roof modules are coupled to the walls. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein at least one module comprises extraperimetric extensions. 
     
     
         11 . A module for constructing a frame of a floor, a ceiling, or a roof of a wood frame building structure, the module comprising:
 a bounded wood perimeter, upper joist boards or upper roof rafters coupled to the bounded wood perimeter at relatively high positions on the latter, and lower joist boards or lower roof rafters coupled to the bounded wood perimeter at relatively low positions on the latter, wherein within each said module,
 each said upper joist board or upper roof rafter has a lowermost edge above a level of an uppermost edge of each said lower joist board or lower roof rafter, with a gap existing between the lowermost edge and every lower joist board or lower roof rafter, and 
 each said upper joist board or upper roof rafter is staggered in plan view relative to the lower joist boards or lower roof rafters. 
   
     
     
         12 . The module of  claim 11 , wherein said module is rectangular in plan view. 
     
     
         13 . The module of  claim 11 , further comprising at least one ledger board. 
     
     
         14 . The module of  claim 11 , further comprising at least one extension extending outside the bounded wood perimeter.