Mississippi Carpentry

(6 Questions | 10% of Exam)

Key Concepts

OSHA Employer/Employee Responsibilities (29 CFR 1926 Subpart C) - Employers must provide a workplace free from recognized hazards. Employers are responsible for compliance — not employees. - Employees must follow all applicable OSHA safety rules and use provided PPE. - OSHA has the right of entry to any construction site to inspect for compliance (§1926.3).

Personal Protective Equipment – PPE (29 CFR 1926 Subpart E) - Employers must assess the workplace and provide appropriate PPE at no cost to employees. - Hard hats required when there is danger of head injury from impact or falling/flying objects. - Safety glasses or goggles required for eye hazards; face shields do not replace eye protection. - Hearing protection required at or above 90 dBA (8-hour TWA); at 85 dBA, a hearing conservation program is required.

Key Concepts

R-Value R-value measures a material's resistance to heat transmission. It is cumulative and additive — if a material has R-5 per inch, 2 inches = R-10. Higher R-value = better insulating effectiveness. Climate zone determines minimum required R-values; local codes specify minimums for walls, ceilings, and floors.

Types and Forms of Insulation - Batts/blankets – Flexible fiberglass or mineral wool; fit between standard stud and joist spacing - Loose-fill – Blown-in cellulose, fiberglass, or mineral wool; good for attics and irregular spaces - Rigid foam (board) – Polystyrene (EPS/XPS) or polyisocyanurate; high R-value per inch; used on exterior walls, under slabs, foundation walls - Spray foam – Open-cell (lower R/inch, vapor permeable) or closed-cell (higher R/inch, acts as vapor retarder); expands to fill gaps and seals air leaks

Building Envelope — Where to Insulate The building envelope is the barrier between conditioned and unconditioned space. Insulate: exterior walls, floors over unconditioned spaces, ceilings below unconditioned attics, attic floors or roof deck, foundation walls, and crawl-space walls or floors.

Key Concepts

Window Types & Operating Mechanisms

• Double-hung: Both sashes move vertically; most common residential window
• Single-hung: Only lower sash moves; upper is fixed
• Casement: Hinged on side, swings outward; operated by crank; excellent egress option
• Awning: Hinged at top, opens outward; good for ventilation in rain
• Sliding: Sashes move horizontally; one fixed, one operable
• Fixed/picture: No operation; no ventilation or egress
• Hopper: Hinged at bottom, opens inward

Window Components & Terminology

• Rough opening (RO): Framed opening in wall; typically width = window unit width + 1/2" and height = window unit height + 1/2" (confirm with manufacturer specs; general rule is RO is 1/2" to 1" larger each dimension)
• Jack (trimmer) stud: Supports the header on each side of the opening
• Cripple studs: Short studs above the header or below the rough sill
• Rough sill: Horizontal framing member at the bottom of the window RO
• Header: Load-bearing beam spanning the top of the RO; size depends on span and load

(27 Questions — 45% of Exam)

Key Concepts

Floor Framing Components - Posts transfer loads from girders to footings. Girders are primary horizontal beams supporting floor joists. Sill plates (pressure-treated) sit on top of the foundation wall and are anchor-bolted down. - Floor joists span between the sill plate and girder (or beam). They are crowned UP and installed crown-up consistently. - Subfloor panels (typically 3/4" tongue-and-groove OSB or plywood) are glue-nailed to joists for a stiff, squeak-free assembly.

Wall Framing Members - Standard stud height: 92-5/8" for a pre-cut stud in an 8-ft wall assembly (with two bottom plates and one top plate). - Rough Opening (RO): Width = door/window width + 2" (for trimmers). Height = unit height + 1-1/2" minimum. - King stud runs full height. Trimmer stud (jack stud) supports the header. Cripple studs fill above the header to the top plate and below a rough sill. - Header sizing depends on span and load; doubled 2×10 or 2×12 common for wider openings. In load-bearing walls, headers are always required above openings. - Top plates are doubled; the second (cap) plate overlaps at corners and intersections to tie walls together.

14 questions | 23% of exam

Key Concepts

Stair Parts & Terminology

• Tread: Horizontal surface you step on
• Riser: Vertical face between treads
• Stringer: Diagonal structural member supporting treads and risers (cut stringer = notched; cleat/closed stringer = treads attached via cleats or dadoes)
• Nosing: Tread projection beyond the riser face
• Newel post: Main anchoring post at top/bottom of stairs
• Baluster: Vertical spindle between handrail and treads
• Handrail: Graspable rail along stair run

Stair Building Code Requirements (IRC)

• Riser height: Max 8¼", min 4"; all risers in a flight must be within 3/8" of each other
• Tread depth: Min 9" (excluding nosing); nosing must project ¾" to 1¼" where tread depth is less than 11"
• Headroom: Min 6'-8" (80") measured vertically from stair nosing line
• Handrail height: 34" to 38" above tread nosing
• Handrail graspability: Circular cross-section 1¼" to 2" diameter; must be continuous on at least one side for 4+ risers
• Stair width: Min 36" clear width above handrail height
• Landing: Required at top and bottom; min dimension equal to stair width, max 4'-0" in direction of travel (for straight-run stairs…

Key Concepts

Types of Drywall Panels

• Standard (regular) drywall: 1/2" most common for walls; 5/8" for ceilings
• Type X (fire-code): 5/8" thick minimum; contains glass fibers to slow burn-through; required in fire-rated assemblies per IBC Chapter 7
• Type C (fire-code): Enhanced Type X with more glass fibers and vermiculite; performs better than Type X in fire tests
• Moisture-resistant (MR/green board): For high-humidity areas; not rated for direct water contact — IBC §2508.2 explicitly prohibits gypsum wallboard where there will be "direct exposure to water or continuous high humidity"
• Glass mat gypsum panels (ASTM C1178/C1177): True water-resistant option for wet areas; complies with IBC Table 2506.2

Drywall Fasteners

• Nails (ASTM C514): Ring-shank drywall nails preferred; set slightly below surface ("dimple") without breaking face paper
• Type-W screws: Coarse thread; for wood framing — the "W" stands for Wood
• Type-S screws: Fine thread, self-drilling; for Steel framing
• Screw depth: Head must dimple the surface without tearing the paper — per GA-216/ASTM C840
• Spacing: Screws typically 12" o.c. on ceilings, 16" o.c. on walls (field); 8" o.c. at edges/ends for single-ply application

Key Concepts

Water-Resistive Barrier (IBC §1403.2) At least one layer of water-resistive barrier (WRB) must be attached to studs or sheathing behind all exterior wall veneer. Approved materials include: - No. 15 felt (ASTM D226, Type 1) - Housewrap meeting ASTM E2556, Type I or II - Other approved materials per manufacturer instructions

The WRB must be continuous and combined with flashing (§1404.4) to create a complete drainage plane.

Moisture Prevention System Components - Building paper/housewrap: Primary WRB layer behind siding - Flashing: Installed at all openings, penetrations, wall/roof intersections, and base of walls - Caulking: Seals gaps at penetrations and dissimilar material joints - Drainage plane: The assembly must provide a path for any infiltrating water to drain back out (§1402.2)

Wood Bevel Siding Installation - Use a story pole to lay out courses from bottom to top, keeping courses consistent across the wall - Exposure = total wall height ÷ number of courses; adjust so courses align with window sills and tops - Minimum 1" overlap between courses - Nail through the butt only — do not nail through the overlap of the course above (allows wood movement) - Bottom course uses a starter strip to kick…