Feature Article /
May 18, 2022

Video: Framing Floors for the Trades

open-web floor framing at the house that blues built

Kicking off a series of updates that will span the complete construction of The House The Blues Built, a 4,000-plus-square-foot, high performance custom home currently under construction in Massachusetts—and being closely followed by both PRODUCTS and Custom Builder magazine—builder and famed blues artist Albert Cummings (whose new album is recently available) shares insights on the team's progress as well as insights on how better floor framing can make for happier subcontractors. 

With the home's foundation lain and framing underway, in this video Cummings walks us through the jobsite, pointing out his preference for open-web floor joists. 



"I like (open-web floor joists) as a builder. It allows the trades to have an easier job," says Cummings. "I don't have to worry about where they're drilling, what they're doing. They can put the wires and pipes where they want to put them."

Framing to make work easier for the trades is something seen throughout The House That Blues Built's current structure, particularly in the floor, as Cummings points out. That thinking influenced not only joist selection but also layout. 

"I'm bumping all the joists so all my ducts fit where they're supposed to go. So that when Trane comes, they don't have to worry about cutting joists or cutting anything. They can come in and do their jobs very easily," he says. "Happy trades means a happy job, and that means a happy builder and a happy homeowner."