Inside a Steel Frame Home Kit: Everything You Need To Dry-In Fast (Frame Up Now Walkthrough)

Hi, Dirt Farmer Jay here from dirtfrj.com. Join me in an interview with Brad Cooper, one of the founders and owners of frameupnow.com. Frame up now is the premier provider designer of pulled form steel building systems. And what we're talking to him about today is what comes in a kit in the way of everything you need to dry in the building. and Brad will walk us through all of those elements. You'll walk out the other side a lot smarter. Hey, stay tuned and enjoy the interview. Hi, Dirt Farmer Jay here from dirtfrj.com. Welcome to this edition of fun with frame up now. I'm with Brad Cooper, one of the founders and owners of Frame Up Now, the premier provider of cold form steel framing systems for all sorts of buildings. Brad, how you doing today? >> I'm doing good. How are you today? >> I'm doing really, really well. you know, uh I'm enjoying doing this series of different conversations with you that have been illuminating to me, but I'm also uh excited to have people learn more about the different facets of what in the trade is called CFS, cold form steel buildings. And that's what you guys of really perfecting and putting out a great product. So, let's talk today about ver something very specific. When somebody buys your product and they get a kitted system, let's look inside what comes in a frame up now steel kit, what you get and why it works so well. So, let's just talk that through. Go ahead. >> Well, first off, when you order off website or wherever, um you will receive the panels, you'll receive the trusses, you'll receive any of the porch packages, posts, um all the trusses for that. And if you order a floor system, you'll get a floor system with it also. That's all the joists included. And then you also get the components for putting those together. That would include all the screws, the connection hardware from the trusses to the walls and then from the walls down to the floor. Um so we have a direct path of connection down to the foundation. Um you'd also get um the hold downs in that foundation. Um and then also um any strapping that we may require or the engineers may require in addition to um um for the sheer strength of the buildings. Um that should about conclude all the hardware. >> Okay. So let me uh let's just hit a couple of definitions really quickly there for our viewers. So one was the flooring system. uh how does a flooring system uh differ from a foundation, a concrete slab or something like that? Could you expand on that just a bit? >> Sure. Well, if you if you have a elev elevated floor system, say you're up on joy or up on a peers or a stem wall, um we have joists or floor trusses that we build and include with a kit. So, that becomes your your floor that will be elevated above the grade. Um >> Okay. So that would be like where there's a crawl space under the house is what I'm trying is that correct if I got it. >> Yes, that is correct. >> Well, Brad, where else might a flooring system be utilized? >> Well, if you in an area that you have basements, that's the main uh area. It gives it we give a good floor joist system uh between the BL basement and the house. >> Right on. Okay. So, all that's included. Uh wow. So it it sounds like what you're providing on the framing system is everything you need to go to the next stage of drying in the structure. Have I got that right? >> That is correct. You the structure will be 100% complete. Um when you go to dry it in, that's when you start sheeting it on the exterior or the the roof, but all of the substructure, all of the framing, trusses, walls, and components are included. and can frame up now uh can you guys generate building components of all sorts of architectural styles whether it's the southwestern territorial or you know the clotted styles of the country homes that have got uh highly pitched roofs that sort of thing is all of that available from you guys >> it is uh if we can draw it basically we can build it basically if you can build it in wood we can pretty much build it in steel >> got it got it now there was one uh term you use that I think uh is good to define when you say sheer strength on a building. >> What do you mean by that? >> Well, depending on uh certain codes, there's there's sheer or uh um lateral um analysis that has to be applied to the walls. They give it the so your building doesn't blow over. So your walls won't rack side to side. So when you get near the building, we have we have X braces made out of steel that are in the walls and then in addition to that um I myself included most the public puts plywood on the exterior or OSB >> right >> which it contributes to the strength of the building. >> Got it. So, uh, and I have seen some of those modular components you guys generate. Those X straps are impressive cuz once you put those together, that section is going to stay square. It's not going to rack. You're going to end up with whatever it is, a true rectangle of that one or a square section. You're not going to end up with a parallelogram, something where it racks. >> Correct. >> Uh, and uh, so yeah, these are all all of this contribute to a great uh, structure. So, um, so you said we get they get all the pre-assembled wall panels, trusses, fasteners, hardware. What about, um, somebody now, now they've done that part, >> but what does Frame Up now provide in the way of a bill of materials to go to the next stage depending what they bought from you, whether it was one of your pre-plans, they brought a plan to you. Could you walk us through that briefly? >> Sure. with all of our plans that you u purchase off our website, we have a bill of materials included. Now, that doesn't include the the framing package because that's already included. So, what this includes is all the components that will complete your home. basically from the wiring in your house, the light boxes, the light switches themselves, the plumbing parts that go underneath the floor, >> through the walls, um everything all the way up through the completion, including siding, including roofing materials. Um there's in there that you can pick what you want, but we give the opportunity to for you to pick that, but everything is included in that bill of materials. So, you can take that, you go to your local hardware store or Home Depot and give them that list with the um choices that you would like and they'll basically put it all together for you and you can have the whole thing drop shipped to your job site. >> Wow. So, a lot of work has already been done instead uh instead of sitting down laboriously doing what's called a takeoff of the whole thing trying to figure it out. >> You've really helped people get further faster the whole building u process by providing the bomb or the bill or excuse me, the bill of materials. So, um, one of the things I see though, the reason why you don't just give a complete one without variations, everybody's got final choices on things like lighting fixtures, door hardware, plumbing, uh, you know, I like this kind of faucet on my kitchen sink versus that one. All those kind of variable things, but they're called out for them to go make the choice. >> That's right. They just got to make their choice or the selections on the finish details, but everything else to build it is also included. So, if you wanted to go shopping to your heart's content on your your style, that's something different. But the list is there for you to pick from. >> Wow. >> Everything is there to build from. >> I remember years ago building a house and that was a very laborious thing was just trying to figure out and it seemed like it was endless cycles back to >> the home improvement center. uh you'd think you'd got everything and then another wave would hit, but this really helps you get further faster. I really like that. What else does someone uh they get? They get the bill of materials. They've got the material, the package for everything that's needed to be able to dry in the structure, the bill of materials to take it to the next level. Uh but how about how-to information? Uh do you guys have resources that are provided in the way of instructions or sample videos, that kind of thing? when you order your kit, u we will send you basically a tutorial um okay of how to put the building together. So we we'll email that over and then we also on YouTube we have a lot of information um under frame up now that will show um actually of of houses being erected and assembled and uh put together. So there is a lot of uh um educational material if you're new at or not sure what to look at you'll be able to find it. Right on. So that that is way good. Uh people ask questions about engineering on buildings. You know, I I purchased something like this. Uh what engineering comes with it with engineering stamps and that sort of thing. >> Okay. Um all our plans include an IBC stamp, which is the international building code stamp, which is good good worldwide. Um and that covers all the structural components of the metal building itself. >> Okay. >> Okay. So, they'll get that and they will need to take that to their local jurisdiction along with um the ability to have a foundation drawn. So, the they'll probably have to have a draftsman or an architect draw a foundation plan and may need an engineer on that too. I know that'll be up to the local jurisdiction to do that, >> right? But our plans can be incorporated with that and turned into the county or city jurisdiction um with our stamp and they should be able to get theirelves a permit with that. Love it. Love it. Seems like again anything you can do to get further faster with higher quality is a gamecher. It's a positive. It's a big win. And so it what you're telling me uh is really attractive. Uh as far as even if I'm a moderately skilled DIYer that's going to build portions of this, uh this is going to really help me do a job better and faster. And time is money, right? So the faster I get things dried in, the less labor I'm spending on it, whether it's mine or one that's contracted, all of that is a positive. So this is cool stuff. Well, I'm going to uh ask you this. If you were going to look and say, what are some of the top um top reasons this approach beats traditional framing? What would you be what would you say there are? I mean, uh a lot of the stuff is pre-made, right? So it the the simplicity of putting that together without having to know all your framing measurements. Unless you're a framer, you don't know all those little uh um measurements and complexities that go into a wall when you're framing it. >> We've taken all that we've taken all that work out of it. >> It's easy. You just >> I remember the first time I I framed up a wood wall and I kept putting components in were ultimately going to be there, but now they're in the way of where I was going to nail something sideways or, you know, all that kind of all that stuff is is uh taken care of. So on the fly. So uh so people don't need to measure, they don't need to cut. Uh the components are ready to go and ready to use and they're square and flat. And I've seen these tilt up. I mean, they're not uh they're when I say they're not featherweight, but they're manageable by an average person of average strength to being able to tilt them up. >> Yeah. Not near as heavy as a wood panel. >> Right on. Love it. Love it. But boy, when they're all assembled, are they rigid and strong? That's great. >> Yeah. >> Um >> what, you know, uh I've heard you allude to uh this whole building system like a grown-up kid something. What do you call it? the big boy something. >> Well, we kind of call it an erector set. So, it's big boys erector set. >> Okay, got it. For those those of us who are old enough to remember erectors. Go ahead. >> And it's very satisfying, you know, even as a an unskilled person in the in the building industry or to all the way to a skilled person. Anybody can put it up. And it's very satisfying, especially as a DIYer, to be able to go in there and put this frame up and put the trusses on um and see this quality product when you're done with it and say, "Can I thing?" You show your friends and say, "Look what I built. It's a really impressive product." >> Right on. And you had a hand at it. You put it together. >> I love it. Uh one of the things I remember years ago building a house, a woodframed house. >> Mhm. and I could see an advantage right off. And then the uh wet weather uh season hit and that framed house was sitting open >> in the rain and puddles of water all over. We started having studs that started to twist out here and there. Had to go through and cut some out, put new straight ones in and all that. That's eliminated, is it not? In the steel frame eliminated. Yeah. With this system, you know, you can put this frame up and you don't have to put your plywood on immediately if you're not ready to. You can let it sit, I don't know, however long you want. It's steel. It's not going to rust. It's galvanized. So, until if you had to put it up in the summer and take the winter off and get through the winter, come back to it in spring, you could do that. There's not a problem with it. >> And then all of a sudden, you're ready. Yeah. >> Yeah. That's right. And then you can put your sheeting on and dry it in real quick and not have any of that water damage. >> There you go. invite all the friends over that you know you can trust with a skill saw and a screw gun and all that and have a sheathing party, right? >> Well, and uh I've seen these buildings go up and something I really like is how perfect the corners are. >> How straight everything is >> uh when you put that along along the sightelines along the wall uh as long as the the the foundation's been flat and square and true and we talked about that in another episode, >> right? >> It's a beautiful thing. something as you just mentioned to something to be very very proud of. So this is way cool. >> So Brad, we've covered a lot of great territory on this and uh if I had just watched this, I'd start getting enthused about this is for me and I need to take some next steps, explore this further. So what are some of the ways that someone can explore this further with you guys? What are some next steps to take? >> Go on frameow.com, look at the kits and see if there's something you like there. And if so, pursue it a little further. give us a call and uh we can walk you through the processes on that. But you can also look at uh assembly guides um or uh go to YouTube, look at some of our YouTube videos on the actual erection of the buildings. It's all very informative. >> Right on. Uh I'm looking forward to I I kind of feel like I have one more house left in me and when I do that, it's going to be one of these. These are just incredible and I've seen them gone together and I've spent some time looking at those YouTube videos. I've had the opportunity to be in your factory, see how everything's going together and then in the field seeing it gulping put together and I'm a convert. I think that it's really and that's why we're doing these kind of videos. It doesn't try to pitch product or to sell people on things. It's to inform them and give them great solutions. compressing the time it takes to get something done, getting a great product, making it a lot easier to do things. Uh we Frameup Now has greatly simplified the building process. So guys, uh if if uh you're interested in this, take a look at frameupnow.com. Brad, do you have the phone number they can call also? >> Um I do. It is 888640184. Say it one more time for the heart of hearing. >> Okay, it is 888864184. >> And there you have it you guys. Brad Brad the builder from frame up now. Thank you for taking time on this today. You get in contact with them. Until the next time, this is Dirt Farmer J of dirtfrj.com and Brad Cooper of Frame Up Now. We'll see you in another episode.