Better to sheet before or after trusses???

[Notgrownup]

So I am putting up my walls and was wondering is it better to put my 4x8 OSB on my walls before or after I put my trusses up? I know that sheeting it will keep the building square but is there advantages or disadvantages to doing either? one better than the other...
Thanks in advance for the help...

 

[Steevo]

Don't the trusses require "hurricane ties" or plates that nail into the top plate of the wall? I have always seen these nailed in before sheathing or drywall is applied.

 

[imnutz]

sheathing first adds alot of strength and rigidity, that is the way to go for sure

 

[Beemer533]

Edited to remove brain fart

 

[G McKay]

sheathing first adds alot of strength and rigidity, that is the way to go for sure

I'll go along with this. Sheathing first.

 

[Graham08]

I've done the exterior sheathing before trusses on both of the shops I've built. It really stabilizes the structure and keeps everything square while the trusses are installed.

 

[Beemer533]

You know, after re-reading the OP, maybe I misunderstood... Are you referring to the exterior sheeting?

I would assume so! Yeah, sheeting in advance is probably a good idea

 

[Notgrownup]

Don't the trusses require "hurricane ties" or plates that nail into the top plate of the wall? I have always seen these nailed in before sheathing or drywall is applied.

Yes I will be using these. on every truss.. easily done while installing trusses..before sheeting the top.

 

[Notgrownup]

How are you planning on doing electrical, air, etc... If you aren't planning on surface mounting everything, you obviously need to do this before sheeting... it seems like it would be a pain to try and run internal utilities without having the ceiling joists in. Not to mention lights...

The other issue for me would be weather; how long do you want to subject your interior materials to the elements before you are able to put a roof on?

Also as pointed out above, if you have to put in the clips, they need to be installed before the OSB.

Just talking about the walls for now... Once I put the trusses up whether or not I have the sheeting on the walls the OSB will go on the roof then...I am getting my materials from Lowe's as I need it... I paid for the whole package with 1 delivery fee and I call and tell them what I need next.

Air??? now that's funny... No air for now anyway... Maybe a window unit or 2 later on...

I will be doing the electrical after it's sheeted... I need to cover it up asap... I will have the walls framed by the weekend, and I can get my 4x8 delivered anytime I want...I will put the trusses up probably next weekend then put the felt paper right away to protect the OSB and house wrap around.That will give me time to do the shingles then the vinyl siding.

 

[readhead]

Sheet the walls first. I had to take a crane out to a job to lift off debris (truss's) because they only had temp braces on the walls while they were setting the trusss's. The whole thing fell into a heap.
The GC needed money for payroll and his next payment was after the roof was sheeted. He couldn't spend the time and make payroll by Friday.
It is pretty standard to sheet the walls first.

 

[Beemer533]

Air??? now that's funny... No air for now anyway... Maybe a window unit or 2 later on...

Lol, I meant compressed air, not air conditioning

 

[Junk Scout]

Sheath the walls before you stand them up..

 

[GTO]

Sheathing,Sheets are on a bed

 

[Notgrownup]

Sheathing,Sheets are on a bed

LOL.. Funny sheet there,,, English is a 2nd language for me...French is my first... I still have some words that get screwed up here and there... Thanks...Isn"t it a sheet of plywood or is it a Sheath of plywood. looked at the dictionary but still a little confused... I think Sheath of Plywood..

 

[Notgrownup]

Sheath the walls before you stand them up..

Too heavy, I am by myself, my wife helps me keep the balance until I brace and screw down the anchor bolts, all I do on the ground is frame 12' sections, measure corner to corner, put a diagonal brace and lift them up.

 

[HoosierMark]

My Dad who built for decades made it very clear to me. Always put the exterior wood on the walls before you put it on the roof. He saw several buildings where the wind lifted the sheated roof off the walls when they were being built. I always assumed carport and patio roofs must be well anchored to the posts since they could lift off in a heavy wind also.

 

[Notgrownup]

Lol, I meant compressed air, not air conditioning

LOL... Down here you need A/C b4 compressed air... I am not gonna cover the inside walls for a while so I will have the winter to run my air lines, my wiring and then insulate/ I will run the electrical first.

 

[Beemer533]

Nice, that makes sense..

 

[ddawg16]

Having done it both ways....I would sheet after....It's easier to work on everything with the walls opened up....

Run some 2x4's cross wise to keep it stable...and get it square....

Also take into consideration how tight you are with your framing. Some guys are sloppy....the sheathing ends up carrying part of the load. I've seen top plates twisted once the weight was put on.

 

[Notgrownup]

I might do 2 sides ( back and 1 side) for keeping square... I like the idea of being able to brace it through the walls but then again I can do it both ways... Wasn't sure if there was a rule of thumb... I guess I will have to brace the pure **** out of it when I put my trusses up so the walls won't flex and will be square...

 

[lisiecki1]

I always try to sheet before. If you wait too long to sheet, you may wind up sheeting yourself.

 

[Notgrownup]

I always try to sheet before. If you wait too long to sheet, you may wind up sheeting yourself.

I almost sheet myself this weekend when one of the wall section caught the wind and almost went...LOL...

 

[Charles (in GA)]

LOL.. Funny sheet there,,, English is a 2nd language for me...French is my first... I still have some words that get screwed up here and there... Thanks...Isn"t it a sheet of plywood or is it a Sheath of plywood. looked at the dictionary but still a little confused... I think Sheath of Plywood..

It is a sheet of plywood.

It is a stack of plywood sheets.

The act of installing multiple sheets of plywood is sheathing the building.

When all of the plywood is installed, the building is said to have its sheathing installed.

 

[Sgreve32x]

I have always sheeted after words. Even when I was working putting up pole barns, we always sheeted after. But to be honest, I don't think it really makes a difference.

 

[Notgrownup]

It is a sheet of plywood.

It is a stack of plywood sheets.

The act of installing multiple sheets of plywood is sheathing the building.

When all of the plywood is installed, the building is said to have its sheathing installed.

Thank you... Like I said, I grew up French Canadian but bilingual, Been in the USA for 24 years now... I am usually pretty **** about my grammar as I try very hard... Some words escape me though...

 

[Justanoldguy]

LOL.. Funny sheet there,,, English is a 2nd language for me...French is my first... I still have some words that get screwed up here and there... Thanks...Isn"t it a sheet of plywood or is it a Sheath of plywood. looked at the dictionary but still a little confused... I think Sheath of Plywood..

Sheet is the norm here.
Sheath has never been used in my 45 years of construction.

 

[Sgreve32x]

Sheet is the norm here.
Sheath has never been used in my 45 years of construction.

Whether its sheet or sheath, we all pretty much know what we are talking about, lol.

 

[Justanoldguy]

We use Cladding for exterior and Lining for interior... lol

 

[Sgreve32x]

We use Cladding for exterior and Lining for interior... lol

Now you are gonna bring up more names for it, lol.

 

[Notgrownup]

That's bull sheath.

 

[Justanoldguy]

A sheath is a case or covering for the blade of a sword, dagger, or the like.
Well according to the dictionary anyway..

 

[Notgrownup]

Yes, I sell thermometer sheaths. To me it's just confusing because the sound alike....I gad a hard time with. Their, there and they're. Ok with that now .

 

[wnstwolf]

Steevo is spot on about the clips. I had all sorts of issues at inspection time. I built my walls on the slab then raised them fully sheathed with an excavator (13' tall x 16'wide) things went great for being a solo builder. Trusses arrived and crew helps stand them up and then the inspector asked how I was going to get the ties installed. leave that top piece of osb off!!

 

[Notgrownup]

Steevo is spot on about the clips. I had all sorts of issues at inspection time. I built my walls on the slab then raised them fully sheathed with an excavator (13' tall x 16'wide) things went great for being a solo builder. Trusses arrived and crew helps stand them up and then the inspector asked how I was going to get the ties installed. leave that top piece of osb off!!

Are you talking about the "Hurricane ties" ? Looks like these can be installed from the inside or as you are setting the trusses...

 

[BFBOB]

Yep, right on both counts. You buy SHEETS of plywood, and when you nail them up onto a building, they form a SHEATH over it. Thank Mike Holmes for the confusion- it seems to me to be a regional usage. It isn't grammatically incorrect to speak of sheeting a building, it's just not the most common customary usage in the US.
In Canada -- well, what can you say about people who mount breaker boxes sideways?

 

[NUTTSGT]

Are you talking about the "Hurricane ties" ? Looks like these can be installed from the inside or as you are setting the trusses...

I think Steevo thought and posted like I first thought. . . .interior. You were talking about the exterior.

 

[Kevin54]

I prebuilt my walls for the family room in my garage one rainy weekend. I had the OSB on, windows cut out, and all the headers in. After the foundation was up, I took a day off, set the floor joist, then a buddy stopped over after work and we set the walls up and fastened them down. With the OSB already on, everything was nice and square. Plus it is easier to put the OSB on while the walls are flat, instead of holding the sheets up and trying to fasten them.

 

[Notgrownup]

I prebuilt my walls for the family room in my garage one rainy weekend. I had the OSB on, windows cut out, and all the headers in. After the foundation was up, I took a day off, set the floor joist, then a buddy stopped over after work and we set the walls up and fastened them down. With the OSB already on, everything was nice and square. Plus it is easier to put the OSB on while the walls are flat, instead of holding the sheets up and trying to fasten them.

Yes, I have thought of that... I have 2 complete walls up now and I think I will put the OSB on the bottom half of the walls to keep square and leave the top part open for accessibility. that way also I can leave my current braces intact...

 

[Justanoldguy]

Yep, if you take your braces off, your pants will fall down..

 

[stafford]

Just my opinion but when we put sheathing on the walls it was to keep them plumb. I guess that also translates to square but plumb is what you're after. When they're laying on the deck you want them square but when you stand em up you want them plumb. hahahhaha. It can make them pretty heavy to have it on there before you stand them up. Really not a wrong way to do it.