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Wood let in brace 1×4 or 1×6?

blownonfuel | Posted in Construction Techniques on August 8, 2008 05:25am

I see some that use 1×4 material for wall let in bracing and some use 1×6, which should be used?

Thanks

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Replies

  1. Framer | Aug 08, 2008 05:30pm | #1

    I see some that use 1x4 material for wall let in bracing and some use 1x6, which should be used?

    See if it's code because let in bracing isn't code everywhere. I've never used it here in NJ.

     

    Joe Carola
  2. Jim_Allen | Aug 08, 2008 05:53pm | #2

    You might find it easier to use metal t-braces.

    I've used both 1x4 and 1x6.

    Bob's next test date: 12/10/07

    1. Piffin | Aug 08, 2008 06:00pm | #3

      So which is covered in your PDF sourced in the other thread on windbracing?;)I've never use 1x6 just 1x4
      I imagine the 1x6 would be best for larger buuildings. 

       

      Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

    2. blownonfuel | Aug 08, 2008 06:52pm | #6

      Jim are you just using the t braces to help when plumbing and squaring the walls?

  3. frammer52 | Aug 08, 2008 06:38pm | #4

    Just a quick comment, aren't you useing plywood or osb?  If you are, let in bracing is not necessary.

    1. blownonfuel | Aug 08, 2008 06:50pm | #5

      You are correct. I am using plywood sheathing but should I also use a let in brace to help when plumbing the walls?

      Do you guys just use the temporary braces when plumbing and squaring the walls?

      1. Framer | Aug 08, 2008 07:03pm | #7

        I am using plywood sheathing but should I also use a let in brace to help when plumbing the walls?

        If let-in-bracing isn't code, you don't need it, especially to plumb walls.

        Do you guys just use the temporary braces when plumbing and squaring the walls?

        Yes, temporary bracing is all you need. If your sheathing the walls first you don';t need any bracing for plumbing the walls. You just need bracing for in and out to straighten the walls.

         Joe Carola

        1. blownonfuel | Aug 08, 2008 08:04pm | #9

          Good, then i'll just use the temporary bracing to keep the walls from racking back and forth.

          Any tips you recommend for bracing walls? Anything I should look out for? I won't be sheathing till after the walls are up.

           

          Thanks

          1. Jim_Allen | Aug 08, 2008 08:15pm | #10

            Look out for walls falling down on your head. If you see one coming, hold it up, then temp brace it. Use 2x4 braces. Bob's next test date: 12/10/07

          2. User avater
            popawheelie | Aug 08, 2008 08:17pm | #11

            I think a 10' 2x4 is used for shear bracing on 8' walls. Try to put it somewhere that won't be in the way.

            You can also use screws so you can move it if you want. Sometimes walls need a little adjusting and the screws make it easier.

            Edited 8/8/2008 1:19 pm ET by popawheelie

          3. blownonfuel | Aug 08, 2008 08:53pm | #12

            Thanks Again.

          4. john7g | Aug 08, 2008 09:25pm | #13

            don't get too anal on how straight your walls are until you're ready to set the ceiling joists & rafters (or floor joists).  Get them close but expect to replumb them after you're done sheathing.  There are, of course places where you need to get the plumb right on the first try like at intersecting walls & corners, but the rest will need to be at least rechecked and with my luck adjusted prior to starting the next level (roof or floor). 

          5. blownonfuel | Aug 08, 2008 10:13pm | #14

            John I see some people who sheath after the joists and roof are in and some the sheath before. Why the difference and does it really matter in which order it is done?John you bring up another question I had, intersecting walls. If I understand correctly the walls where this is taking place must be plumb before nailing them together?

            Edited 8/8/2008 3:17 pm ET by blownonfuel

          6. Jim_Allen | Aug 08, 2008 10:14pm | #15

            No. If you sheath later, you will have to temp brace more carefully. Bob's next test date: 12/10/07

          7. blownonfuel | Aug 08, 2008 10:21pm | #17

            Jim lets say I put up all my exterior walls and brace them and now I put up the interior walls that will intersect with the exterior. In what order are they plumbed? Exterior first then interior? I assume you don't nail the top plates at the intersection until they are both plumb?

          8. frammer52 | Aug 08, 2008 10:27pm | #19

            exterior first. yes.

          9. blownonfuel | Aug 08, 2008 10:31pm | #20

            Thanks F52. So all the walls are put up then plumbed or are the exteriors plumbed braced then the intersecting interior walls put up?

          10. Jim_Allen | Aug 08, 2008 10:32pm | #21

            Our system.STand all outside walls and partitions. Temp brace as necessary while doing all that to survive. We nail our interior partitions to the outside walls using parallel measurements. We do so becasue we know eventually all the outside wall will be perfectly plumb. By attaching our interior partitions parallel to the outside walls, they will be perfectly plumb too. So, once everthing is standing: 1)brace every outside corner perfectly plumb. Dont worry about the interior stuff yet. 2) now that the outside corners are locked in to their final resting place, use them as datum points to line up each outside wall. Brace as necessary and use whatever means of sighting that satisfies you. We use our eyes. Others use string. Others use lasers. I have laser eyes. 3) after the outside is braced: start working on the interior.4) brace every outside partition corner perfectly plumb. 5) check each partition intersection at the connection on the outside wall and verify that it is plumb. It probably is. Sometimes it needs a slight whack with the hammer to true it up. If there is a significant out of plumb condidtion, go check your outside corners and parallel measurements because something is wrong somewhere.6) after every outside corner is locked in at their final resting place, use them as datum points to begin sighting and bracing each partition. 7) brace each wall and you are done.Time frame for me and a helper: 30 minutes total on an average 1500 sf house. Bob's next test date: 12/10/07

          11. blownonfuel | Aug 08, 2008 10:36pm | #22

            Thanks Jim that really helps. Where do you pull your parallel measurements from?

            Edited 8/8/2008 3:39 pm ET by blownonfuel

          12. Jim_Allen | Aug 08, 2008 10:42pm | #23

            The outside wall corners are the datums. Imagine a four sided structure in two dimensions. The four corners are the bottom points to measure everything from. When the structure rises to the heavens, those four points should rise perfectly in unison and the exact dimensions should be occurring, just like when it was two dimensional. Pull your top dimensions parallel from those elevated points. The outside walls rule everything. Bob's next test date: 12/10/07

          13. blownonfuel | Aug 08, 2008 10:54pm | #26

            I gotcha now Jim.

          14. frammer52 | Aug 08, 2008 10:43pm | #24

            out side walls

          15. frammer52 | Aug 08, 2008 10:44pm | #25

            man, he has both of us answering, I will take the next one or framerwill

          16. john7g | Aug 08, 2008 11:01pm | #27

            Jim got your answers.  Sheath as soo as you can.  I prefer before you lift the walls but I think you're going solo so you can sheath later, but I'm bot so sure it's much easier in th ebig picture.  You might be surpirsed at how much you can tilt up by yourself using saw horses as intermediate points to rest the wall and bracing already nail/hinged to the wall.  This is when I really like my Vice Grip C-clamps. 

          17. blownonfuel | Aug 08, 2008 11:59pm | #30

            John if I did go ahead and sheath on the ground do I just make sure the wall is square (diagonals) on the floor and attach the sheathing?

          18. frammer52 | Aug 09, 2008 01:11am | #31

            Yes.  Just make sure you have help to stand the walls as they can be heavy and bulky.

          19. Danno | Aug 09, 2008 05:47am | #33

            Absolutely make sure walls are square if you sheath them before you stand them up (yes, pulling diagonals while the wall lays on the deck is the right way). There is no way you will be able to rack the wall or make it plumb (in the direction it runs) once the sheathing is on! Old boss of mine tried racking a wall after sheathing was on, chained it to his fork lift and succeeded only in lifting the wall off the floor at the far end, whereupon it pivoted on the end below the chain and fell down!

            As someone else mentioned, kerf bracing (or T-bracing) is a lot easier than letting in 1x's. (Of course, as mentioned, not necessary if you are using plywood on the corners.)

          20. LIVEONSAWDUST | Aug 09, 2008 05:47am | #34

            You have gotten a lot of excellent advice here.  

            Whether you sheath first or later is personal preference, but

            I think the most important thing you can do to make it easy to plumb your walls is

            to make sure all your top and bottom plates are EXACTLY the same in length, and

            that you butt them tightly together: If you build the same thing at the top and the

            bottom of the wall, plumbing one end of any wall will make the other end plumb,

            and this will help you as you work your wall around the house.

          21. Geoffrey | Aug 09, 2008 08:14am | #35

             

            One thing no has mentioned, the bottom plate must be temporarily tacked along the chalk (plate / layout) line that has been snapped prior,  THEN you can pull diagonals accurately, then tack the top plate when everything is square, then apply sheathing. Tack the bottom plate from the inside and leave the tacks in place until after you raise the wall (so it won't slide across the deck!) and tack the top plate from the outside, for easy removal after sheathing, and, it makes it a whole lot easier to lift the wall :) !!

                                                                                                                  Geoff

          22. Framer | Aug 09, 2008 08:22am | #36

            Are you nailing the bottom plate down first and pulling the two top plates back and toenailing the studs to the top plates and then standing the walls up and then toenailing the studs to the bottom plate after the walls are up?

             

             

             Joe Carola

          23. frammer52 | Aug 10, 2008 12:50am | #38

            Joe, toe nailing studs is pretty much contained to NY.  Most of us face nail.

          24. blownonfuel | Aug 10, 2008 07:48pm | #39

            I'm on a slab Joe so it is over slab bolts, no i'm end nailing and building the entire wall on the floor the standing it up.

          25. Framer | Aug 10, 2008 08:08pm | #40

            I'm on a slab Joe so it is over slab bolts, no i'm end nailing and building the entire wall on the floor the standing it up.

            Slab with bolts don't mean anything as far as what way you frame. I nail the pt shoe down on slabs and pull the top plates back toenail the studs and stand the walls up and toenail the bottom of the studs into the shoe.

             Joe Carola

          26. frammer52 | Aug 10, 2008 08:10pm | #41

            Joe, I know you jersey guys do that, could you explain why?

          27. brucet9 | Aug 09, 2008 10:59pm | #37

            One of the posters mentioned aligning the bottom plate with the chalk lines and tacking it in place before sheathing. Of course tacking is not possible on a slab, but there's usually enough friction to keep things from wandering much. Another way is to pull a string along the bottom plate if for some reason you can't align using the snap lines.Just be sure as you align the bottom plate that you keep the joints between studs and plates tight at top and bottom and that you re-check diagonals again before you nail off the sheathing.
            BruceT

          28. Framer | Aug 09, 2008 05:17am | #32

            another question I had, intersecting walls. If I understand correctly the walls where this is taking place must be plumb before nailing them together?

            No, you frame all you outside walls up first. Brace the corners and a couple in the middle. Frame all your interior wall overlapping the exterior walls. Nail the top laps into the outside walls.

            Once all the walls are up you brace your corners plumb, string a line on the outside walls with a 5/4 block. Use a 5/4 block to slide in between the string. Nail braces on every interior perpendicular wall and slide those braces in or out to plumb/straighten the outside walls. After that put a brace where the joints are and slide them in or out plumb/straight. Your using all your interior perpendicular walls for braces.

             Joe Carola

          29. Piffin | Aug 08, 2008 10:16pm | #16

            "Anything I should look out for? "Wind 

             

            Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

          30. blownonfuel | Aug 08, 2008 10:22pm | #18

            I have lots of that.

      2. Jim_Allen | Aug 08, 2008 07:27pm | #8

        If you are sheathing the walls in osb or plywood, you dont' need let in braces. The structural strength of the plywood replaces the let in bracing. Bob's next test date: 12/10/07

      3. MSA1 | Aug 08, 2008 11:11pm | #29

        If you sheet the wall (or at least part of it) on the ground you should be able to square it up no problem. Not sure how the 1x4 would really help you plumb the wall though. 

         

         

        Family.....They're always there when they need you.

    2. MSA1 | Aug 08, 2008 11:10pm | #28

      That was my thought. 

       

       

      Family.....They're always there when they need you.

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