Renovation 4th Edition

by Michael Litchfield

  

  151/4 in.

  Same-size headers ensure that the tops

  of most exterior openings will be at the same

  311/4 in.

  height, which is aesthetically pleasing. (Again,

  471/4 in.

  you could achieve the same door and window

  height by using headers of different depths

  Marked stud edges

  and cripple studs, but they’d take longer to

  assemble.)

   The additional cost of using an oversize

  CORNER-STUD LAYOUTS

  beam is offset by the peace of mind it brings.

  Corners require at least three studs to provide

  That is, there won’t be any cracks in finish

  adequate backing for finish materials. In the

  surfaces caused by undersize beams.

  first example, the middle stud need not be

  

  continuous, so you can use pieces.

  Even in nonbearing walls, the header is

  the weakest point structurally. Each time you

  shut a door, compressing the air in the room,

  the wall flexes a little. The more solid wood

  you’ve got to nail to, the stronger the connec-

  tion. (Code requires at least five 16d nails

  through-nailed into each end of a header.)

  insulating headers. Wood is wonderful to build

  with but is a mediocre insulator. Consequently,

  many builders now use exterior foam sheathing

  and, whenever possible, try to slip some insula-

  tion into header assemblies. In a header for a 2x4

  wall, this is easily done by replacing the 1⁄2-in.

  plywood with 1⁄2 in. of rigid foam insulation, typi-

  cally expanded polystyrene (EPS) or extruded

  polystyrene (XPS).

  douglas Fir Header Spans

  hEADEr SIzE (in.)

  SPAn (ft.)

  44

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  4

  46

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  6

  48

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  8

  410

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  10

  412

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  12

  188 Chapter 8

  Headers in 2x6 walls offer an opportunity to

  When nailing the top plate to the

  add insulation, but the perfect solution has not

  studs, lift the studs as needed so their

  yet appeared. One can build a sandwich of three

  edges align with the top plate. Flush

  pieces of 2x lumber and two intervening

  studs and plates allow drywall

  1⁄2-in.

  finishing to go smoothly. This exterior

  pieces of rigid foam to attain the 51⁄2-in. thick-

  wall will have a doubled top plate;

  ness of a 2x6 on edge—and an R-5 value for the

  the second plate is nailed on once the

  header. But that squanders wood. Alternatively,

  wall is up, tying this wall to another.

  one could create a header sandwich of two pieces

  of 2x lumber with a foam center 21⁄2 in. thick.

  That would give you a whopping R-12 for the

  header, but that header may be structurally

  suspect because the 2x lumber pieces on the out-

  side of the sandwich aren’t really tied together

  and so offer little resistance to lateral or racking

  forces. See what local building codes—and local

  builders—recommend.

  aSSembling THe wall

  After marking the top and bottom plates and cut-

  ting full-length studs, start assembling the wall.

  Place the plates on edge, roughly a wall height

  apart. Then insert the studs on edge between

  them. Again, use straight studs at wall ends and

  Because a 3x4 mudsill is too thick to end-nail through,

  After using five 16d nails to end-

  cabinet locations; elsewhere, place slightly bowed toenail studs instead. Here, pneumatic nailers really shine:

  nail the header through the king

  studs crown (bow) up so that stud ends will rest

  They nail so quickly that studs won’t drift off stud marks,

  stud, face-nail the trimmer stud to

  as they frequently do when you’re hand-nailing them.

  the king.

  on the deck when it’s time to nail them to the

  wall plates.

  Nailing studs. Position studs to the squared

  marks along the plates. Then end-nail studs

  through the sole plate, using two 16d common

  zzzzzz Half-Cutting the Sole Plate

  nails at each end. Space nails 1⁄2 in. to 1 in. from

  the edge of the plate. If you stand on the stud as

  you nail it, it will stay put. As you nail, be sure

  that stud and plate edges are flush, or the resul-

  tant wall plane won’t be flat. Once you’ve nailed

  all studs to the sole plate, nail them to the top

  plate. Important: If the sole plate will sit on con-

  crete, it should be pressure-treated lumber or a

  naturally rot-resistant wood such as redwood.

  Jack stud

  Moreover, all nails set into redwood or pressure-

  treated plates must be galvanized so the nails

  won’t be corroded by chemicals in the wood.

  Framing the rough opening. After cutting the

  header, end-nail the king studs (through the

  Sole plate

  plates) on both sides of the RO. If you’re install-

  ing a full-height header such as a 4x12, insert the

  header between the king studs, and nail down

  King stud

  through the top plate into the header to draw it

  tight to the top plate. Then nail through the king

  studs into the ends of the header, using at least

  Plate cut

  five nails per end. Next, determine the length of

  jack (trimmer) studs by measuring from the

  underside of the header to the top of the sole

  plate. Cut jack studs slightly long, tap them into

  A stud wall with a continuous sole plate is less likely to flop around

  place, and face-nail them to the king studs, mak-

  as you raise it, but it’s difficult to cut through a plate once it’s resting

  ing sure their edges are flush.

  on a subfloor. The solution? Cut halfway through the sole plate before

  you nail it to studs, and finish the cuts after the wall is up.

  Structural Carpentry

  189

  raising walls

  Two workers can raise an unsheathed stud wall 8 ft. to 10 ft. long. but if it’s much

  longer than that or if it’s sheathed, assemble a larger crew or use wall-lifting jacks to

  raise it.

  raising walls safely takes prep work: Clear the deck of tools, scrap lumber, and

  other things you might trip over. nail the top of a diagonal brace 1 ft. below the top

  plate, using a single 16d nail so that the brace can pivot as you raise the wall, and nail

  a 2x block into floor framing so you can quickly nail the bottom of the diagonal brace

  once the wall is plumb. if you are raising an exterior wall, nail 2x stops to the outside

  of the platform so the bottom plate can’t slide off the deck during the operation.

  if you are raising a partition within an existing structure, expose the ceiling joists

  or end-wall studs you’ll nail the partition to. if joists run parallel to the new partition,

  add blocking between the jo
ists beforehand, as shown in “Partition Parallel with

  Joists” on p. 200 and “nailing Off Sole Plates” on p. 202.

  Here are three tips for raising walls:

   Several workers straddling the top plate can drive their hammer claws into the

  top plate, lift in unison, and slide 2x blocks beneath the top plate. This will enable

  them to get a good grip before actually lifting.

   lift with your legs, not with your back.

   if your crew is small, set two sawhorses nearby, perpendicular to the wall; the

  horses will support the wall once the crew has raised it waist high, allowing them to

  reposition themselves so they can push the wall up the rest of the way.

  After leveling and toenailing the lower plate of a

  windowsill, end-nail cripple studs under the sill. After all

  cripple studs are in, face-nail the upper plate of the sill.

  Doubled sill plates are common in the western United

  States; elsewhere, they’re usually reserved for wider

  windows only.

  If the header requires cripple studs between it

  and the top plate, install king studs, then jack

  studs, then the header. Holding the header tight

  to the top of the jack studs, nail through the king

  studs into header ends. If the header is laminated

  from pieces of 2x lumber, each piece should get

  two or three nails per end. Then cut and toenail

  the cripple studs that run between the top of the

  header and the top plate. If you’re framing a

  rough opening for a door, you’re done.

  However, if you’re framing a rough opening

  for a window, your final steps will be leveling and

  toenailing the sill (also called a saddle) to jack

  studs and then nailing cripple studs between the

  underside of the sill and the sole plate. Again,

  space cripples according to the 16-in. on-center

  markings along the plates.

  leaving the sole uncut. You’re now ready to tilt

  up the assembled wall. Note, however, that sole

  plates haven’t yet been cut and removed within

  door ROs, and for good reason: It’s far easier to

  raise a wall if its sole plate is continuous. Cut

  only halfway through the sole plate while it’s flat

  on the deck, as shown in “Half-Cutting the Sole

  Plate” on p. 189. Finish the cut once the wall is

  up and nailed down.

  190 Chapter 8

  After constructing a wall on the ground and walking it up, Several workers hold the wall plumb while one worker

  the crew must now lift it up 3 ft. and align the mudsill

  adds diagonal braces on both ends. After plumbing and

  holes to the bolts in the foundation wall. Have a lot of

  bracing both ends and tightening sill bolts, they’ll run a

  workers on hand, and lift with your knees, not your back.

  string between ends to ensure the wall is straight. The top

  plate needs to be straight so the rafters will line up.

  Plumbing and SeCuring THe wall first nailing the upper 2x4 of a doubled top plate

  to the exposed ceiling joists—use two 16d nails

  Once the wall is up, nail the bottom of the brace

  per joist—before raising the wall. Tilt up the wall,

  so the wall will stay upright as you fine-tune its

  slide it beneath the upper top plate, plumb the

  position. Use a sledgehammer to tap the sole

  wall, and then face-nail the top plates together

  plate until it aligns with your chalkline on the

  using two 16d nails per stud bay. Finally, finish

  floor. As you adjust, continuously check for

  nailing the sole plates, driving two 16d nails into

  plumb, using a 6-ft. level. If you unnail the brace

  the joists or blocking below. In the corners, use

  to plumb the wall, have workers support the wall 10d or 12d nails to toenail the corner studs to

  until you’ve renailed it.

  blocking or existing studs; use 16d nails if you

  Once the bottom plate lines up with the

  can face-nail them. Adding blocking to existing

  chalkline, drive two or three 20d nails through

  framing is discussed on p. 199.

  the plate into the joists or blocking below so the

  wall can’t drift. Methods for securing the top of

  alTernaTive Framing meTHOdS

  the wall vary. If you’re framing an addition and

  In renovation, it’s not always possible to assem-

  have wide-open space, typically two walls inter-

  ble a wall on the deck and tilt it up. There may

  secting at right angles are raised, plumbed, and

  not be enough room, shoring may be in the way,

  braced, and then tied together by overlapping

  or sloping floors may frustrate attempts to cut

  top plates.

  studs accurately in advance. In those cases, it

  But if you’re raising a partition in an existing

  may be easier to build the wall in place, piece

  room, you’ll usually nail the top plate to ceiling

  by piece.

  joists. Invariably, space is tight indoors, and

  you’ll often need to gently sledgehammer the

  Building a wall in place. Start by positioning

  partition into place, alternating blows between

  the plates and tack-nailing them to joists (or

  top and sole plates until the wall is plumb.

  blocking) above or below. Although it’s most

  Alternatively, you can gain room to maneuver by

  common to snap a chalkline on the floor and

  Structural Carpentry

  191

  plumb up to the top plate, it doesn’t really matter

  which plate you attach first, unless there’s a com-

  a Smarter way

  pelling structural or design reason. If you’re

  erecting a bearing wall, for example, center its

  to Frame

  sole plate over the appropriate girders or bearing

  renovation carpentry will always be a mixed

  walls below. But if you’re trying to align a non-

  bag of standard methods and whatever works in

  bearing partition with a rafter above, set the top

  nonstandard situations. For the most part, the

  plate first and plumb down to establish the sole

  plate. If possible, face-nail the plates with two

  methods discussed in this chapter are pretty

  16d nails at each joist crossing.

  conventional.

  Mark stud intervals onto the plates, and

  and pretty wasteful, building scientist Joseph

  then—especially if floors or ceilings slope—

  lstiburek would add. not only are three-stud cor-

  measure the stud lengths individually. Cut the

  ners, 16-in. o.c. framing, and oversize headers not

  studs slightly long (say, 1⁄16 in.) so that they fit

  needed structurally, but they’re also wasting energy,

  snugly. Toenail each end of the studs with three

  he maintains. Compared with fiberglass, cellulose,

  10d nails or four 8d nails, angling them roughly

  or foam sheathing, wood is a pretty lousy insulator.

  60° from horizontal. Use a spirit level to level the

  So anywhere there’s wood—when there could be

  headers. Use three 16d nails to end-nail a header

  insulation—you’re creating thermal bridg
es that

  through the king studs on either side. Then face-

  waste energy.

  nail jack studs to the kings, staggering 10d or

  a case in point is three-stud corners. They

  12d nails every 16 in.

  reduce the amount of batt insulation you can fit

  Framing beneath slopes. Framing beneath stair

  into a corner, and cold air moves easily in the odd

  stringers or rafters isn’t difficult if you measure

  spaces and cavities three-stud framing creates.

  carefully and use an adjustable bevel to transfer

  the angle of the slope. Mark off 16-in. intervals

  along a 2x4 sole plate, nail it to the floor, and

  then plumb up to the underside of the rafter or

  stringer to mark the top plate. Cut the top plate

  to length, and nail it to the underside of the slop-

  zzzzzz Three-Stud Corners

  waste wood and energy

  ing rafter or stair stringer. Then use a laser or a

  ½-in. plywood or OSB, R-1

  plumbed board to transfer the 16-in. intervals

  Wood escorts cold

  marked on the sole plate up to the top plate.

  into the house.

  To establish the angle at which you’ll cut the

  top of the studs, plumb a piece of 2x stock in

  front of the top plate and use an adjustable bevel

  to duplicate the angle at which they intersect.

  (Set your circular saw to the angle of that bevel.)

  Once you’ve cut two adjacent studs, the differ-

  Cold air can circulate

  ence in their lengths—represented by the X in

  freely, making the

  insulation ineffective.

  “Sizing Gable-End Studs” on p. 194—will be con-

  stant for all successive pairs. Toenail the studs

  Cold spots can

  with four 8d nails on each end.

  condense water vapor.

  establishing kneewalls. Kneewalls are short

  partitions, about knee-high, which isolate the

  largely unusable space where the rafters

  1-in. foam sheathing, R-15

  approach the top plates of the exterior walls.

  (This space can be great for storage and built-in

  closets, however.) Kneewalls usually run parallel

  to the roof ridge and consist of a single top plate

  and sole plate, with studs spaced 16 in. on center.

  Position the sole plate and plumb up to the

  underside of the rafters to mark the location of

  Full-width wall cavity

  the top plate. Using an adjustable bevel, copy the

  doesn't compress

  angle at which the rafters intersect, using a