Figure 1 - Framing carpentry
Wall studs, ceiling beams, floor joists and roof rafters are just some of the areas where framing carpentry takes place (Figure 2).
Although the finished project relies heavily on having straight walls and level floors, the fact that you can see nail heads, that a piece of lumber was used to fill a gap or that a hole was drilled that wasn't used will not have a detrimental effect on the finished project.
It is important to remember that there are areas in framing carpentry that are very important to the finished project.
Flooring underlay must be fastened down properly to avoid squeaks, the finished floor will not remove squeaks that were created during the rough in carpentry period. This is an area where the diy home handyman usually takes short cuts. Nailing or screwing (which is the preferred method) flooring can take hours, depending on the size of the project. But they are hours that are well invested. It will take a lot longer to remove squeaks after the finished flooring has been applied than to screw the sub-floor down properly in the first place.
Figure 2 - Wood framing showing electrical rough-in
Walls must be straight and there must be support in the form of a stud behind all drywall joints, if you have drywall joints that do not have studs behind them the wall will flex. Drywall does not correct true errors in walls, it highlights them.
Thinking ahead, when doing the rough carpentry can save a lot of time and avoid a lot of problems in the finished project. As an example, making sure that there is solid mounting available for cabinetry that is to be installed at a later date. Electrical boxes have to be mounted to studs so ensure that studs have been placed in the right positions. Make sure that channels and space has been allocated for plumbing and air ducts.
Additional information on hand tools.
Additional information on hand power tools.
Additional information on stationary power tools.