OK OK…I screwed up. I spent the day sheathing the roof of a big outbuilding I’m putting up for someone. By the 12th or so sheet I was beat and cranky and I screwed up the gap. I’d say it’s just shy 3/8″. Think this will be OK when it’s got tar paper and shingles over or should I yank the frikking thing off and redo it? I was just too tired to deal with it tonight so…
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Leave it be, there's no big problem here.As long as the seam has bearing and is well nailed ,paper it and shingle.
mike
Thanks Mike, needless to say that's the answer I was hoping for ;)
Paul, a 3/8" gap is far preferable to tight.
blue
Warning! Be cautious when taking any framing advice from me. Although I have a lifetime of framing experience, all of it is considered bottom of the barrel by Gabe. I am not to be counted amongst the worst of the worst. If you want real framing information...don't listen to me..just ask Gabe!
Viel Danke Herr Blue ;)
I can go to bed knowing I won't have to pound that sucker off in the morning, thanks guys!
Now if you had put the sheets down with the proper 1/16'' gap to each sheet, then you probably would have been fine.
Did you know that most bldg codes actually state that there must be a minimum 1/16 " gap on every roof sheet to allow for expansion.?
I did gap em Hube... I just didn't check the last sheet carefully enough. Just tired, head cold and cranky ;)
PaulB
I would be willing to bet if you take a 2/4 and a big sledgehammer up on the deck in the morning you could tighten up the gap with a few good thumps of the hammer. If is still bothering you a little that is. I don’t know how big the shed your building is but if it’s still got quite a few sheets to go the gap could telescope through the rest of it.
Hube,
The OSB sheathing we get locally has an installation stamp on its down side that states 1/8” minimum gap at ends and sides. We had an inspector turn down a house framed by another framer for “too much gap”. The Inspector told the guy that it could pass if he blocked the gaps on the entire roof deck. The guy walked and forfeited his last check rather than block the decking. I was asked to go do the follow-up which included blocking the decking. The Inspector walked in as we were finishing up the punch-list but we had yet to start blocking the decking. The builder and the inspector were having a discussion on another issue for a mechanical inspection when I walked up and asked him a question about the decking gaps. I asked him if the manufactures recommended installation directions would supercede the code (1/8” maximum gap). I already knew it does. Then I pointed out the stamp on the bottom of the decking recommending a 1/8” minimum gap.
"It seems that the maximum gap is also the minimum gap???” I said.
“Hmmmmmm, I see your point,” he said.
He then revised his instructions to block only the gaps that were a quarter of an inch or larger to satisfy his inspection. We put in three or four.
The superintendent told me latter that the same inspector had made the framer on every house in that subdivision; block their decking to pass inspection. No wonder the builders in that small city couldn’t keep a framer for more than one house.
"Remember, when all else fails, read the instructions."
Is that one taken?
Richard
Edited 12/2/2004 10:22 pm ET by Mr Jalapeno
Edited 12/2/2004 10:25 pm ET by Mr Jalapeno
Edited 12/2/2004 10:33 pm ET by Mr Jalapeno
Never,ever seen an inspecter turn down a roof here, at least haven't heard of it. The plywood H-clips should hold a gap if you're using them. On stick roofs we drive a 8penny nail at the top edge of each piece. That holds a gap and helps hold the piece you are laying from sliding down until set.I DIDN'T DO IT...THE BUCK DOES NOT STOP HERE.
I kick and staple.
blueWarning! Be cautious when taking any framing advice from me. Although I have a lifetime of framing experience, all of it is considered bottom of the barrel by Gabe. I am not to be counted amongst the worst of the worst. If you want real framing information...don't listen to me..just ask Gabe!
I tack-n-go...next piece. All playing aside,if its a 8/12 and below,I'll staple as I go.
If you don't mind me asking....why are you still running plywood? No youngsters on your crew ??I DIDN'T DO IT...THE BUCK DOES NOT STOP HERE.
Framer, I'm confused...why do you tack the high pitches and nail off the low pitches?
Theres a coupla (actually quite a few) reasons why we nail each sheet as we go: we've cut down on missed nailing patterns. When we climb down, we know that whatever is covered is done....completely. We never have to clamber over icy sheets nailing. If we get a windstorm in the night, we know the tacked sheets aren't going to blow off. If we tacked everything, then sent one man up there to staple, he would put a huge dent in the air supply, forcing the rest of the crew to alter their nailing patterns while their down below doing punchout stuff. One man doesn't get stuck with 2 hours of nailing/stapling, which is hard on the back.
I also believe that its faster to nail it as I lay it. You pull out your hammer and tack the sheet on at least two corners. I grab the stapler and have two truss members stapled in the same time as you tack. When you factor in my methods of using bridging stock as kickers, I think I move out ahead of the time game.
Why do I still run plywood? Actually, I like to run it on the trusses that I set, on the walls that I frame. I find running plywood to be mentally quite easy, so it gives me that mental break while providing me with some much needed physical exercise. If I keep getting up on the roof, maybe I won't have to join a gym!
For the last 7-10 years, I've run a very different type crew than what I did 15 years ago. Back then, I woulda been on the ground doing punch out stuff while the guys ran the ply. I've learned that its best to expose everyone on the crew to every job. In the short run, it takes a lot of time to teach, but in the long run, I develop real carpenters much faster. Our crew is comprised of 5 equals. A new guy starts out doing the exact same thing as I do every day. We don't have any "laborers".
blueWarning! Be cautious when taking any framing advice from me. Although I have a lifetime of framing experience, all of it is considered bottom of the barrel by Gabe. I am not to be counted amongst the worst of the worst. If you want real framing information...don't listen to me..just ask Gabe!
The use of "H " clips will create the proper gap while supporting any mid spans.
Hube, the h clips are technically too thin to technically meet the manufacturers needs, but the reality is that they work fine. Most installers do just like you and let the clips be the spacer and I don't see any signs of buckling. In the good olden days, we used to see lots of buckling if the lumber yards shipped out cdx made out of Southern Yellow Pine. In those days, if I goofed and forgot to space a panel, I'd actually run the saw down the joint because I knew it would haunt me. I haven't seen any problems with OSB swelling and buckling in more than 10 years now. The stuff is just a lot more stable than it used to be.
I'll qualify that statement...it's more stable if your using a normal quality product. If you have some cheap suppliers, your stuff might not be so good. I recently worked on a homowner job and he used a cheap supplier and I could tell the quality of the OSB was inferior. I think I now know why some of the carpenters are worried about using it on 24" centers. It's been a long time for me to see low quality OSB.
blueWarning! Be cautious when taking any framing advice from me. Although I have a lifetime of framing experience, all of it is considered bottom of the barrel by Gabe. I am not to be counted amongst the worst of the worst. If you want real framing information...don't listen to me..just ask Gabe!
The H clips that I buy will control the necessary 1/16" gap that is normally required by code.
Otherwise ,there's nothing to stop an installer to make a wider gap with, or without using a clip.
Last winter I was doing a re-roof. When I pulled off the "old" roof(10 yrs) I found 3/8 ply on 24" centers. I had my guys add another layer while I was elsewhere. I got them started, left them the H-clips and came back a few hours later. I told them that if it starts to rain, tarp it immediately.When I got back it was pouring, they were still laying ply and the H-clips were on the ground. NO GAP.When I got back the next morning it lookd like a freakin roller coaster up there.I spent the whole day cutting gaps with a skil-saw and screwing down the bubbles.These were not "helpers" either, they were "roofer's" That I was paying $25 hr @ piece.I still do work on the same house and have not seen any "bubbles" pop back up.
Why weren't the 'culprits'fixing that mess?I DIDN'T DO IT...THE BUCK DOES NOT STOP HERE.
blue, it depends on the job and who shows up that day.This particular house the two new guys missed 3 days for sickness[?],that left 3 of us.
I was going to follow and staple behind my boss,but he wanted me to take the front. Cutman cut for both of us.We have a young laborer who pushed ply through rafters,I'd grab and take on up roof. Never would in a million years think of using plywood scraps as kickers. Learned something new here at BT already,maybe I'll stick around.
You can use that little 'speed square' to gap the joints,too.lolI DIDN'T DO IT...THE BUCK DOES NOT STOP HERE.
You say; "you can use that speed square...."
But if you use the H clips you also get some added support between the truss space which can eliminate any 'wavy' effect to the sheathing.
At that point I didn't trust them not to cut their own foot off.I had them scewing the bumps down behind me for a while until I looked back and saw that 1/2 of them were still sticking up with stripped heads.Needless to say....they don't work with me anymore.I found out that they like to smoke their "own" cigarettes up there, which I am sure had alot to do with the situation. The lead guy had been roofing @ 10 years.
Yes Hube.
Did you know that you should double that gap in wet conditions?
I once had an inspector criticize our sheathing installation because it wasn't gapped "enough". I simply replied..."I had it gapped properly...it must have already expanded...thank goodness I installed it right or I'd have a big problem right now!"
I had to smile to myself about that one when I delivered it!
blueWarning! Be cautious when taking any framing advice from me. Although I have a lifetime of framing experience, all of it is considered bottom of the barrel by Gabe. I am not to be counted amongst the worst of the worst. If you want real framing information...don't listen to me..just ask Gabe!