Setting Out & Making Wall Frames From Beginning!

Today we assembled the last two wall frames on the house, but cutting materials and setting out  using a 'panel elevation report'.  First step was to choose the straightest lengths of timber (for the top and bottom plate) & cut to length.  I good way we learnt, was temporarily nail these lengths together and mark out measurement on the top one & cut together.  Not only does it make the process faster, but it becomes more accurate a cut as they are both cut at the same line.

A running measurement is then done along the length, marking out the placement of the different elements of the wall (as in photo above).  These marks should be put on the edge, as this is the side we will see when setting out.  When the measurements were marked off,  a combination square was used to show lines where these members are to lined up against.  If jack studs were present above a door opening, it was only marked out on the top plate as it wouldn't reach down to the bottom.  Once done - the top and bottom plate can be seperated & studs can now be cut.

Length of stud is calculated by taking the ceiling height and adding 20mm for the thickness of the ceiling & floor board & then deducting the thickness of the top and bottom plate.  For the Unitec Building this is: 2400 + 20 - 90 = 2330.  Once they are cut, they are lined up between the top and bottom plate at the places previously marked out & are aligned accordingly.  Once positioned correctly, they are nailed in with 2/90 flat heads.

Once these are all done, the bottom plate is temporarily tacked into the floor along a straight edge using bright nails (as galvanised would damage floor too much) & the diagonals are checked.   Once these are correct, the top plate is then temporarily nailed in to the floor as well.

Packing can be added now are should be atleast 250mm and placed so that one is at the bottom and top of the packing gap and then every 800cr's.

Noggings can then be done.  These should fall where ever particle board edges for the wall's may be, as it provides the surface for them to be fixed to.  The last row of nogs should be left out so that it allows room for adjustment of the length (by checking with a tape and adjusting the length of the nog accordingly).  

Lintels, jackstuds, understuds may also be required and are attached accordingly.

The next thing we did, was add a metal angular brace.  This was done by taking the length of the bracing required (in this case 2.4m) & measuring it out along the bottom plate.  A straight edge was then run from this point to the top plate at a diagonal, and this angle was then marked out on each stud it intersected.  

A skill saw was then set to the depth of the angular brace that was being inserted, and cuts were made at these marked out spaces.  Then angular brace was then inserted in, to make sure that it sat straight and ok & then to allow the metal brace to sit flush with the wall (so that it didn't affect fixings)  a section was checked out so that a recess was achieved.  The brace was then put into its place & fixed with a minimum of 2 nails.   

Finished on floors - Hello Wall frames!!!

We had a little bit of the flooring to finish off this morning, but after lunch we started on the wall framing.  In order to get started we had to clear the floor sheets of any residual glue that had expanded from the joins of the sheets when drying, & also check the alignment of the floor.  Once done, we attached pieces of timber around the boundary joist (as pictured in top left photo). This was done in order to stop the frame from slipping off the edge when we were putting them into place.

As we are dealing with pre nailed frames, they arrived on site by truck & we had to assemble by referring to the plan that came with it.  Each frame is labelled on the top with a number which corresponds with the plan, along with the word 'top' so we knew what edge was to be on top when securing.  The frames were tied together using a combination of nail sizes.   Once aligned in correct place, a clamp is used to hold the two frames together, using a hammer the frame is then lined up with the pre-marked lines at the bottom.  The frame is tied at the bottom on either side at an angle with a 75mm nail.  The same process is done on the top as well.  The frame is also checked to be flush.  If there is a discrepancy, a sledge hammer is used to hit it down until it is.  Once done, the frame is tied in the same manner.  Down the vertical length of the joining frames, 2 nails side by side are nailed at 800cr (approximately just below or under the nogs), which is referred to as stitching.  Before they are driven in, a straight edge is put up against the frame to check for any bows.  If there is a discrepancy here, a chisel is used (much like when we were tightening up the floor sheets together) to leverage it straight.  When it is in line with the straight edge, it is nailed in at this setting with 100mm nails.

Along the bottom of the frames are figures, which represent the spacing between the studs (such as doorways, windows, stud spacings) & therefore the measurement of the noggings.

Noticed that some frames have metal bracing through the frames.  This is done as specified by the manufacturer, or what is called for from the plans.

Above is straight edge along wall frame join to check for bows & shots of boys doing the framing.

At the end of the day, we had put up all the pre nailed frames.  We still have a few corners to check for alignment and to tie in, but the majority of it is done.

At the end of the house, we had to put in some bracing as we have the end wall section missing as we are going to build this ourselves.  To keep it stable this had to be done, as there is no framing to add support the pre nailed frames laid along the length of the living room space.

Getting cracking on the flooring

Big day today to try and knock out the flooring so we can move on to wall framing tomorrow.  Didn't quite do it, but not too much to go - so BUIT 4543... here we come!!!  Basically just carried on from last weeks efforts with the sisalation & fixing floor sheets, but was a good focused bit of mahi today because I was able to get a bit of clarification on some things that I was a little unclear of last week.

Found out when glueing its a good idea to put the glue on the edge more to the top (than the bottom) so that when the particle board is attached, it isn't pushed under the sheet and cause level discrepancies, but rather pushes up and seals the gap between the floor sheets.

Was pretty difficult hammering the nails in today, once the glue had got on the hammer head - as it kept slipping off on impact and sending the nail off angle.  Got a good tip from Marty to carry a bit of sandpaper around, this way you can get rid of any build up of glue and stop the hammer from slipping.

With the nails on the particle board, I got some clarification on the spacings.  Around the edges this should be distributed every 150mm (if along nogging - otherwise at every joist that the particle board sits on).  Along the joists in the interior of the particle board, the increments are every 200mm.  When measuring these increments, a good tip is to pre mark out the spacings on a straight bit of timber the width of the particle board (rather than having to measure out at each joist line.

Along the boundary joists, the particle boards weren't pre-cut (like we had done for interior sections - like in the wet areas), but done in one go after it was fastened on.  Rich taught us to use a straight edge tacked into place at the right measurement (which was to measure the overhang with a 8mm tolerance inwards, plus the width of the guard of the skill saw).  The skill saw blade was set so that it went the depth of the particle board only (and wouldn't damage the boundary joist underneath), and then was guided along the straight edge to make a even cut and the right measurement.

More sisalation & starting with particle board

Continued on with what we started yesterday.  Got to start putting down some of the particle board too.  Many ways you can lay it.  Full sheets can be put down into position and then cut to shape afterwards, or it can be cut before hand.  On Rich's house we are going to precut.  On the particle board there is a specified side which should be facing down, and the other is to be the floor surface.  The first sheet that we put down was in the center mark of the house (which sits on top of the center bearer line).  Special glue was applied to each square section cut out from the sisalation along the joist (that the sheet was going to sit on).  It is important to move quickly once the glue is applied as it sets in approximately 10minutes time.  The glue is really important, as it obviously helps keep the floor fixed tight, but also can help in reducing 'squeaky' floors as well.

The particle board is then laid down and moved to ensure that is sitting flush and straight before it is nailed down.  It is important that this is done, as otherwise it will throw out the rest of the floor sheets that are butted up against it, as they will all subsequently be lined up with this one.  As the particle board is prone to damage, aligning the sheet to sit plumb was done using chisels to lever it into place (rather than hitting the hammer on the edge which could chip the board, & create an uneven surface for the next sheet to sit against).  

Once aligned correctly, it is nailed into place using flooring nails.  Along the edges where they sit on a joist the nails should be fixed at least 10mm away from edge (to avoid chipping) and at increments of 200mm.  On the edges, nails are placed at each joist that the particle board lies on (again 10mm minimum from edge).

When the next sheet is added, it must be butted up as close to the previous sheet as possible.    Glue is applied to the edge of the already fixed floor sheet and again along the joists in the cut out squares in the sisalation.  This time the board is levered in using the chisels as close as possible & of course straight as well against this fixed particle board.  Whilst people are holding it in, the same process is used to fasten it into place.   The sheets are going to be attached in a pattern so that they are intervaled, and certain areas of the house are going to have different sheets as they are wet areas.  In these places we will be putting ply down, which is why we have to cut different pieces of timber for different areas of the floor.  

If a mistake is made when laying down a sheet of flooring, and is removed, it is important to try and do before the glue dries, as otherwise it can cause damage to the particle and make it un-usable.
It is best to let the glue dry on the particle board and then plane it off.  Where there is residual glue left on the joist and edges of already fixed sheets, this really needs to be removed well, as it will cause the next sheet being put in this area to be uneven and not level.  As the glue dries it expands out, so it is best to wait for this to happen before chiseling this away & removing.  When applying the glue along the edges, Rich also said to keep it towards the top and in a flowing line, this way it shouldn't ooze too much under the board and make it unlevel - but rather out to the top.  Its usually a good sign that you have aligned the floor board well if it gets a bead of glue at the top as well.

Finishing of leveling the floor joists & Sisalation

 Once we had finished up with leveling the flooring from yesterday, we moved on to rolling out the sisalation.  Best thing was to lay planks out on the joists that the roll of sisalation could be supported on.  A large metal pole was then put through the roll so that it could be rolled out easily.  As the weather was pretty windy today, we also had to be really careful with securing down the roll as quickly as possible so that it wasn't blown away - the paper rips very easily.  As the sisalation is rolled out over the floor joists, it neds to have a 100mm sag in the paper between the joists.  This was achieved by placing a piece of wood to this thickness onto a frame & dropping it down to get the sag (as pictured above).  Once at the right position, the sisalation was stapled down with a gun.  It is very important to keep the roll in a straight line.  We achieved this by laying out a string line with a measurement of 800mm from the joist center line (this is half the thickness of the particle board with 200mm to play with).  When laying out the sisalation, sections had to be cut out where the nogs were, so that there was some give.  It is really important when cutting the paper, it is done as accurately as possible, and any holes in the sisalation, or large gaps affects the ability of the sisalation to provide insulation.
It worked really well to have two people roll out, two to cut and staple the sisalation with the sag, and the third team to come behind to cut out squares of approximately 40 x 40mm in 300mm increments along the joist (this will be to allow the particle board to be glued down more effectively.  When the second line of sisalation is put down, the same process is used, and a new line is found to line up the roll with to keep it straight.  An overlap of the two lengths should also be created at a minimum of 100mm.

Nogs & checking joists are level

Today we kept on going with the nogs that we had started last week.  We split into teams to get different jobs done, as we are pretty behind at the moment because of the weather.  

Some of us, used the dumpy level to check the levels of the joists. Any discrepancies indicated areas that needed to be leveled out to be made plumb.  Essentially this was where the joists met on the middle bearer and also the middle sections of each joist where there is a bow.  Doing this, also indicated where there were problems with the bow of the wood, as it showed some had the bow down, instead of up.  These had to be changed around, as otherwise it won't support the loaded dimensions as well.  

A planer was also used in conjunction with a straight edge so that the joists and other areas were at the correct level.  This is so when the particle board is laid it sits flat throughout out the whole floor area.  Had to make sure that it was no more than 1-2mm lower than straight edge at all times, otherwise it only helps to cause discrepancies with the plumb of the floor, but in the opposite direction.

We also spent time to give extra bracing to the subflooring.  Stainless steel plates were placed on every join of the laminated bearers (on both sides).  These should be placed in the middle and have atleast 3 stainless steel nails on each side of the plate to keep it secure.   We also put bracing on from the bearers to the joist, as in the past we have had issues with the bearers staying behind on the jack studs when it is removed to be transported off the site.  Plates were also put on every joist join as well.

Bracing example with plate

Finishing Nogging, aligning joists & strengthening timber joins

Today we carried on from where we left off yesterday.  Still had loads of noggings to put into place along the sub-flooring.  Yesterday when we started on the nogs, Rich told us to miss out a spacing after attaching three of them. Found out today what the reasoning behind this was... having the spacing allowed us the possibility to adjust the joists that were going to have particle floor board attached to it, so that they run straight and are in alignment.  Using the string line, we ran this straight across the joists in question, then with a F clamp we moved the joist so that it became in line with this.  When it was centered, measurements were taken and a nog cut to the fit of this, so that when nailed in place, it would hold the joist at this setting.  If the joist had to pushed to achieve alignment, a larger nog was cut to push the joist into place.

We also strengthened any timber joins today with stainless steel nail plates.  These were placed over the join so that it was sitting evenly, then nailed into place with stainless steel nails.  These were done along the bearer joins (both on outside and inside edge joins) and also where the floor joists met along the middle bearer.   Also did some housekeeping of the site, had loads of rubbish bits of timber around, & also finally broke down the profiles that we had set up from DAY 1.  It seems like sub-flooring is fast coming to an end!!!

Still have a few more nogs to put in tomorrow, but hopefully we should be able to put flooring on by end of day

Finishing floor joists, boundary joists & starting noggings

Our house had a lot achieved today.  Team split up and did different jobs,  Some concentrated on attaching the last of the floor joists, and the others attached the boundary joists.  

With the boundary joists, it was important that they aligned with the stringline run out along the BL.  Where it didn't match up, clamps were used to hold in closer to the floor joists they were being attached to, so that they could be driven in closer.  The boundary joists had to be of H3.2 treatment as they were being exposed to outside air.  We had to be very careful with the lengths of timber we used for certain areas, as we only had a few of certain sizes so some thought really needed to put in to what we used where.  

For the nogging, measurements were made from the center bearer to 1800cr (as per joist plan).  An additional 22.5mm was added (half thickness of nog).  A stringline was run along this measurement so that the nogging could be aligned to it.  Got the tip from Rich to lay out a plank along the top of the joists, as it is much easier to hammer from above than at level or below.  From here the two floor joists having the nogging placed between it were clamped so that it held the nogging in place.  it was important that the nog sat flush with the face edge of both floor joists, & were squared off to the stringline.  3 x nails were driven straight from one side, the other were angled in at 3 spacings (careful not to hit any other nails).  This creates a strong attachment unlikely to move.   I only got a couple done as quite a time consuming job, would be better with someone to work with.

Another tip we learnt today was to hammer a piece of wood over the top of attached floor joists when the weather is wet.  This is because there is a tendency for the wood to twist and warp as it gets wet and then dry, having this in place will stop/minimise this from happening.

Left photo: Nogging aligned with string line and flush with face of floor joists

Right photo: Noggings between joists all attached.

Continuing with floor joist attachments

 Today we carried on with finishing off the floor joists that we started yesterday.  Had to remark a few measurements as they were slightly off, which set us back a bit, but other than that we did well.  When attaching it really becomes clear where the different areas are of the house, as the different treatments to the timber, define the wet areas to the other areas (pink is H1.2, other is H3.2).  Getting use to reading the plan and understanding where the joists go, which is good.  Had to go to one of the other houses that are nearing completion for some of the data though, as there are details missing that show where toilets sit and therefore where the waste will be.  Not knowing this information made it really difficult to work out the placement of the joints.  Definitely glad to have finished working that out.  Was pretty confusing.

Floor Joists

Moved on to attaching the floor joists today.  These were cut to length based on the plan for the house and were spaced according to this as well.  The boundary joist is laminated so that it is double the thickness, where as the ones within the boundary are single pieces of timber.

When doing the spaces we had to calculate where the toilet & shower area's were as the joist had to be shifted to allow for the pipes of these.  Also when laying out, we had to ensure the correct treated timber was placed in the right places.  Boundary joists and those joists underneath the wet areas needed to be treated at H3.2, and the rest of the area was H1.2.  The boundary areas needed this treatment as they are exposed to air, and the wet areas due to the fact that they will be able to withstand water if for some reason there was a leak in this area.

When attaching the floor joists, they needed to be lined up according to the BL, and flush to the lines marked along the bearer.  It is important that this is accurate, as otherwise the floor sheets will not have anything to sit on and be attached to. String lines were run down the length of the BL and depending on where abouts on the building they sat, the joists were lined up from this (as some lengths are longer and therefore closer to the BL than recessed areas for example).  When attached to the bearer, these were double nailed so they were stable, and bow was angled so the bow was up in the middle so when weight of house was on it, it would straighten out by flattening out.

Aligning bearers & bracing

Today we still had a bit to go on laminating bearers and getting them attached to the jack studs.  Once done, we had to align them so that they were sitting straight.  To do, we had to put a second batter board on the profiles and transfer the BL down on to it by using a level.  String lines were then run along the side of the bearer (doesn't really matter where, but mid way though width of bearer is good so its easier to work with).  Once the string line was set up, we moved into bracing the bearers, by securing it 30mm from string line.  We used a dodgem block that measured this in thickness and placed it between the bearer and string line - the bearer was then pulled or pushed to sit the block comfortably between the two.  The braces were then hammered into place to hold the bearers in the position.

When bracing the bearers, they spanned between the bearers.  Placed at an angle so one end is just under the bearer against a jack stud, and the other end is on the opposite side along the jack stud but at the base.  The braces we used were 3x2's, and can be cut to sit better by cutting a lip out so that it sits on the sole plate and won't slide out.  The opposite end is cut at an angle so there is no overhang.

The braces are spaced evenly along the bearers so that it is solid and holds in place.