Sheathing

With all the framing complete the crew can start sheathing - attaching plywood to the roof and walls.  There are some walls that are indicated by the Structural Engineer that need "Shear Walls."  In these areas the plywood needs to be nailed very precisely and is indicated on his drawings.  For example the nails are 4" apart at the perimeter and 10" apart at the midspan.  The size of the shaft of the nail is also specified and he has calculated the exact strength of the entire assembly based on the building code.  These walls protect the house from racking or moving laterally in a seismic event.  At the end of the shearwalls there are also larger framing members - for example if the wall is designed using 2x4 studs the end of the shearwalls will have 4x4 posts.  The posts are connected to the beams below with a large steel brace called a hold down.  The hold down protects the house from the up and down movement during a seismic event.

Most of the walls and all the roof is plywooded - but unfortunately the day after it started raining for a week - The crew has tarped the construction the keep the interior wood as dry as possible - considering the scale of the storm and the fact that these are wind-driven rains.

Rain comes in at all the window openings...

The tarp covering a joint where the roofs come together in such a way that the gap will later be glazed...

The crew makes a "to do" list with some if the final items for rough framing in preparation for a meeting with the Structural Engineer...

View from Family Room window of the storm...

The rains have finally taken a little breather - they still come every few days so we do what we can in-between.  The crew frames the last wall that was demolished on the existing house...These walls get a "double shear wall."  They are not long enough to calc out with plywood on one side so they get plywooded on both sides...

Time to get ready for the windows to get installed...The windows were scheduled for delivery when the rain started but we didn't want to risk them getting warped.  With a day of sunshine predicted we arrange for the window delivery so that we can prime them before they get installed.  It is important that the outside face of the jambs get primed before they go in because that side gets attached to the framing.  Once it is attached if it is not sealed with primer the wood could absorb water and warp....That's my painting crew - Daddy and Ella...

The windows are primed and the opening are cleaned up. A huge wind storm has come through with 60 MPH winds so we lay the windows flat.  Tomorrow some of the trickier windows are getting installed by a window installer who specialized in tricky windows.  Next week the framer will install the rest of them which are more standard.

Above - Master Bedroom corner window which gets a glass miter...
Below - the glass and mitered jambs waiting to be installed...

The plumbers were also able to begin work this week - they install all of the piping that requires gravity both down and up to work.  The sewer lines for down and the vents for up.  They go before the mechanical and electrical sub-contractors because gravity has it's own will.  The ducts are forced air so they can go anywhere that fits (with a few rules - like not too many bends) and the electricity of course can wire itself around obstacles as well.  Everything has been dimensioned and layed out so that it will finish in the right place.  The duct runs and chases have been built.

The toilet rough-in ...

The vent pipes for the shower, toilet, and sink...