Sheathing walls solo

For those loners who put up their own sheathing, here is a method that makes it simple for one person to control a 4x8 sheet of plywood or OSB. The key is to put up the framed walls before the top plates are doubled.

As shown in the drawing, make up a couple of short 2x blocks and clamp them to the top edge of the sheathing. Make sure the blocks are flush with the edge. Now, using the blocks as hooks, hang the sheathing on the top of the wall and nail it home. The blocks will ensure that the sheathing ends up flush with the finished height of the top plate.

James Hurley, Nevada City, CA