sheathing/ opinions wanted - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

agboett · 01-15-2009, 07:37 PM

I've been out of full time framing for about 6 years.

I recently was sub-contracted to help a crew. I completed troubled by the work I witnessed. The sheathing did not tie corners together or extend down to the mud sills. Among other smaller details.

Should I not care? Is it not that big a deal? What to do?

reveivl · 01-15-2009, 07:41 PM

How do you sheathe a stick frame without tying the corners? I don't get it.

Joe Carola · 01-15-2009, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by agboett

I've been out of full time framing for about 6 years.

I recently was sub-contracted to help a crew. I completed troubled by the work I witnessed. The sheathing did not tie corners together or extend down to the mud sills. Among other smaller details.

Should I not care? Is it not that big a deal? What to do?

What do you mean that the sheathing did not tie the corners together? I run sheathing horizontally and start it with the sills and both corners are tied in and nailed. Some guys start the sheathing on the shoe and fill in the box and sill with rips. Extending the sheathing down to the sill isn't a code issue.

Nailerconstruct · 01-15-2009, 08:11 PM

Well it’s best to put as big of a piece as you can on the corners. As far as it going down to the mud seals I am confused. To me a mud seal is the pink stuff you put under your wall.

I have Frankensteined plywood like you wouldn’t believe on remodels and walls with tons of windows. In the end it passed inspection and was solid.

Besides the Tyvek will hold it together...

neolitic · 01-15-2009, 08:17 PM

I was thinking it's funny
that Joe calls it a shoe plate,
I learned sole plate.
But here we've got a guy
who sees "sill" and reads "seal"
and doesn't know where the
mud sill is anyway.

I feel the OP's pain.

**framerman** · 01-15-2009, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reveivl

How do you sheathe a stick frame without tying the corners? I don't get it.

We did this for a few homes. It's laziness. You snap the chalkline in 6" instead of 5½". You run one plate by 1/2". The ply is flush with the end stud and the rim joist.

**framerman** · 01-15-2009, 09:09 PM

Here....like this

ribuilder · 01-15-2009, 09:23 PM

looks like a bit of laziness or just a plain ol' screw up!

I'm in the northeast and I dont think you could get away with not tying in the corners.......Anyway, keep on truckin

agboett · 01-15-2009, 10:25 PM

laziness seems to be the case, nothing irks me more

thanks for the input

Joe Carola · 01-15-2009, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by framerman

We did this for a few homes. It's laziness. You snap the chalkline in 6" instead of 5½". You run one plate by 1/2". The ply is flush with the end stud and the rim joist.

Why would you do something like that? It makes no sense at all. Just curious.

A W Smith · 01-15-2009, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Carola

Why would you do something like that? It makes no sense at all. Just curious.

Must be a raise your walls up after their sheathed kinda thing, looks like they are avoiding having the sheathing obstruct the raising of the wall in the top of that illustration.

jhark123 · 01-16-2009, 12:33 AM

wouldn't pass here in WA

SNC · 01-16-2009, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by framerman

Here....like this

WoW how can that pass? But I am not suprised we are surrounded by the south of the border gang, (farmers with hammers) and they just buther up the plywood. Asmall strip between the floors the sheet stops at every opening, door or window. a small piece above and a small piece below then another peice to continue to the next opening. and the nails, my god they studs must feel like they are being rapped by a thousand woodpeckers.

Joe Carola · 01-16-2009, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by framerman

We did this for a few homes. It's laziness. You snap the chalkline in 6" instead of 5½". You run one plate by 1/2". The ply is flush with the end stud and the rim joist.

If the sheathing at the top of your drawing is flush with the rim joist and the 2x6 that sticks past , that means your sheathing doesn't cover the rim joist? Is that what your saying? Or does that 2x6 that sticks past the rim joist 1/2" and you fill in a 5-1/2" by whatever your joist and sills equal?

tom m · 01-16-2009, 09:44 AM

Loosing alot strength at the most critical spot. All braced wall lines start at the corner. I dont think that nail pattern makes up difference as an alternate method. Its allowed......not to me anyway.

**framerman** · 01-16-2009, 06:05 PM

hehe, yeah I knew I'd get some fire about that. It wasn't my contract, so I had no say in how we did it.

And jhark123, WA state was EXACTLY where we did this. Bothell, WA. Many framers did this.

I never said I approved of the method, just that I know we did this on a few houses.

Joe, yes, it was flush with the rim joist also so you didn't have to ply the rim either. One reason was basically to avoid having to stitch up the corners after the walls were up. You'd drive by and see the rim joist and the end of the stud on the corners of the walls.

K2 · 01-16-2009, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by framerman

hehe, yeah I knew I'd get some fire about that. It wasn't my contract, so I had no say in how we did it.

And jhark123, WA state was EXACTLY where we did this. Bothell, WA. Many framers did this.

I never said I approved of the method, just that I know we did this on a few houses.

Joe, yes, it was flush with the rim joist also so you didn't have to ply the rim either. One reason was basically to avoid having to stitch up the corners after the walls were up. You'd drive by and see the rim joist and the end of the stud on the corners of the walls.

I've seen this done too. The houses will probably last a thousand years just like the ones that are fully sheathed.... Also the gable truss can be set out even with the lower wall sheathing and just slap some siding on it and it is done.... I've seen houses with no sheathing at all and they are still around... Some of that foil back foam sheathing from the 80's was like no sheathing at all. Great for your sun tan but you could poke your finger through it with no effort.

Timuhler · 01-16-2009, 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Carola

Why would you do something like that? It makes no sense at all. Just curious.

Joe,

I've never seen that before, but I wonder if that is done so you sheathe the wall to that corner and never have to get on a ladder to add the last peice at the corner. You know what I mean?

As far as code or shear, I don't think it would affect anything. Here prescriptively, we have to have a 4' shear panel within 8' of the corner, or 2'8" with special nail pattern. So that end could be a window.

If I did it that way, I'd hurry and over it up with Tyvek

By the way, I'm sorry to hear about your fingers. How has it been so far?

reveivl · 01-16-2009, 11:40 PM

Thanks Framerman, now I get it. Never framed like that though it is obviously to ease sheeting all the walls then lifting them up. Now I think about it I have seen the rim joists exposed on some places while driving around, but never the corner stud.

eisert · 01-30-2009, 09:42 PM

I think the thread drifted away from the original question of what to do. Does the foreman of the crew own the company that you are subcontracting through or is he an hourly employee? As a business owner myself, I know that I would want to know if one of my crews was performing substandard building practices. Sounds like you are kind of in a tough spot. "Snitch" on your crew and risk being ostricized by the crew you are working on, or stick to a higher standard of quality that a true craftsman embraces.