I am a granite fabricator not a framer so please bear with what is hopefully a simple question.
I reframed my basement wall with 2×4 16″o.c. and am planning on nailing up 1/2 5ply cdx plywood.
The question is: Am I supposed to leave an 1/8″ gap between sheets of ply and if so, How do I leave this gap without running off of the 16″ layout centers. The plywood sheets measure 48″ exactly so the only way I can see to leave a gap is to cut an 1/8″ off each edge before nailing it up.
Thanks for the input.
Karl
Replies
I'm not a framer either but with the remodeling and additions I've done and pulled apart I've always seen the plywood tight.
"it aint the work I mind,
It's the feeling of falling further behind."
Bozini Latini
http://www.ingrainedwoodworking.com
when you laid out your studs, you should have accounted for the 1/8" offset in your lay out. it's a bit of a pain, but in order to get the 1/8 spacing you have to adjust each stud accordingly when you build the wall.
since you have the wall built already...you will have to either cut the sheets before you put them up, or put them up tight, then run your saw down the joints ot get the spacing.
Dang dude. You had me going WTFO? for a sec there . . .Real trucks dont have sparkplugs
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Good one, made me laughMartin
Had me fooled as well.
On a more serious note, I would leave ~1/2" at the bottom to keep the ply off the concrete.
sorry couldn't help that :P
butt them up, you'll be fine.
Edited 9/24/2007 11:10 pm by alrightythen
The expansion spaces are handy for situations in which humidity will vary a lot: ie, outside.
Just butt the joints. You'll be fine.
Correct me if I'm wrong. But isn't the 1/8" gap for swelling in case they get real wet?
I've seen sheet goods buckle when they get real wet.
for the record, when framing I always butt sheathing the long grain way, and leave a space the short grain way. the exception is when using OSB ( Outdoor Swelling Board) which I very rarely use. I do butt the sheets up tight when nailing them, but then run my saw down centre of the joints to get a spacing before I stand the wall.
PS...I hope you were not offened with my kidding with ya
Edited 9/25/2007 12:28 am by alrightythen
Edited 9/25/2007 12:29 am by alrightythen
No offense taken at the humor. Your writing style was perfect to draw me in and make me fall for it.My only concern is that I may not get siding on the wall for a few weeks and if we get rain I don't want the sheets bulging as they swell up against eachother.I am not too worried about butting them up tight, mostly just curious. It seems most plywood has a stamp advising that it be gapped 1/8" on edges and I am baffled as to how one would go about doing this without throwing off layout or doing a bunch of seemingly unnecessary cuts. It would seem this issue would come up on subfloor, roofs and walls.Thanks for all the replies.Karl
Karl,
I use cdx fir and never once spaced it on purpose anyway.We run the sheets horizontally and space the top of the sheets though. It's code to do that.Joe Carola
Hey Joe,They require sheathing inspections by you? In Bergen County, one town wants it, the next doesn't. I wish they'd make up there minds.Erik
paper the walls right away, and you can go along time before you put siding up.
I never met a framer who spaced sheathing length wise, nor have I seen it in demos. As I mentioned the exception being OSB. but not even everyone does it with that.
seems to me I even recall some OSB that came in at 95 7'8" lengh wise...I could be wrong though.
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Edited 9/25/2007 10:15 am by alrightythen
The OP said it was in his basement, not outdoor wall sheathing. I'd base my decision on the humidity level in the basement. At the very least, leave a sixteenth gap if you have a wet basement.
I know...but then he talked about siding later on.....so I not really sure which..in any case a damp basement is no worse off than exterior sheathing in any wet climate such as the one that I live in.
the point he made was that he was worried about the ply getting wet. not sure why he would ply the inside with no exterior sheathing up. also what about insulation and VB. That is OK to get wet? IF he has a VB up then only the insualtion would get wet the VB would keep Ply on the inside dry... if he does have exterior sheathing up...then I would advise him to get it papered right away. you can complete finish an inside if you at least get the paper up.
I think there are a lot of questions as to what exactly is going on here. but sticking to the OP question, I wouldn't worry about it.
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Edited 9/25/2007 9:06 pm by alrightythen
i'm curious why someone puts CDX plywood and siding inside a basement wall
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
The plywood is on the outside. It is a daylite basement with one wall completely underground, two walls halfway underground, and one wall (the one in question) completely above ground.I will have to double check my plywood dimensions to see if it is 'sized for spacing'.
I thought it was 48" exactly.The suggestion by another poster to knock every third stud a bit off layout sounds like a good solution.Karl
remember you will have to knock each end stud an 1/8" more than the previous one.
running in 8' lengths you should be fine though unless you have a wall that is really really long.
esentially you are being lead to what I described when I was kidding with ya, about offsetting the studs when building the wall....there ya go. just remember 1st stud gets moved 1/8". stud at end of next sheet gets knocked over 1/4" then 3/8" etc...but your wall can't be much longer than that. View Image View Image
This thread is scaring me. Moving studs to space sheathing?????
I've been around here long enough to know that there are different ways of doing things, but this by far has to be the most ridiculous one of them all.
I'm not directing it at you, I'm just saying that if people have to start spacing the studs every 8 feet, that's insane. Wont that change the inside of the studs for Sheetrock, or why even space 1/8"? The joints don't have to be exactly half on anyway.
Joe Carola
Edited 9/26/2007 9:23 pm ET by Framer
I agree Joe....not only would he have to knock over the studs at the end of the run, but also studs for the staggered sheets. Put it up and be done with it I say. and yes you're absolutely right about not even need to to be exactly centred
put it up, get the paper on, or wrap and you're good to go View Image View Image
Butt tight unlesss you plan to run a sprinkler down there
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Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
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If you even have a doubt move the studs a little. You only need to move the ones the ends of the sheets split on. Smack them over an 1/8" with your hammer and be done with it.
You don't want to be done with your project and think "I should have done it this way."
Matt
Almost all of the plywood and osb we use out here in UV land is stamped with the words "sized for spacing". They are 1/16'' of an inch undersized in both dimensions, so with a 1/8'' gap we stay on layout. Most of the inspectors I deal with want to see an 1/8 gap on roof sheeting and shear panel, even on an interior application. For what it is worth.
Most of the inspectors I deal with want to see an 1/8 gap on roof sheeting and shear panel
That's been my experience in Ca. also. Mike
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