Sheathing the Walls

Figure 1-49.—Plumbing and aligning corners and walls. braces are not removed until the framing and sheathing for the entire building have been completed. Framing over Concrete Slabs Often, the ground floor of a wood-framed building is a concrete slab. In this case, the bottom plates of the walls must be either bolted to the slab or nailed to the slab with a powder-actuated driver. If bolts are used, they must be accurately set into the slab at the time of the concrete pour. Holes for the bolts are laid out and drilled in the bottom plate when the wall is framed. When the wall is raised, it is slipped over the bolts and secured with washers and nuts. Occasionally, on small projects, the soleplate is bolted or fastened down first. The top plate is nailed to the studs, and the wall is lifted into position. The bottom ends of the studs are toenailed into the plate. The rest of the framing procedure is the same as for walls nailed on top of a subfloor. SHEATHING THE WALLS Wall sheathing is the material used for the exterior covering of the outside walls. In the past, nominal 1-inch-thick boards were nailed to the wall horizontally or at a 45° angle for sheathing. Today, plywood and other types of panel products (waferboard, oriented strandboard, compositeboard) are usually used for sheathing. Plywood and nonveneered panels can be applied much quicker than boards. They add considerable strength to a building and often eliminate the need for diagonal bracing. Generally, wall sheathing does not include the finished surface of a wall, Siding, shingles, stucco, or brick veneer are placed over the sheathing to finish the wall. Exterior finish materials are discussed later in this TRAMAN. Plywood Plywood is the most widely used sheathing material. Plywood panels usually applied to exterior 1-29