Homebuilding: Installing Sill Plates

Article by: Mike Merisko

When building , Planning Permission Tips UK - Trees and How They Can Affect Development when Applying for Planning a house, , Professional Home Inspector: More Notes On Becoming A Professional Home Inspector installing the sill plates correctly will determine how straight and square the finished product , Measure Your Window for Verticals and Horizontal blinds, Wood blinds, Faux Wood Plantation Shutters will be.

Hopefully the concrete , A Summer Electrical Check-Up for Your Home contractor did his job and left you with a reasonably straight and square foundation. A good concrete , decorating petite rooms contractor can make a framing contractors , Log Home Kit Prices - 3 Tips When You Buy Log Home Kits job of building , Feng Shui Interprets Shape of Property a house , Pool Maintenance Guide a piece of cake. Even if the foundation is slightly out of square, a good framing contractor , Curb Appeal 101: How to Enhance Your Home with Siding can adjust his sill plates and correct the problem.

When laying out the sill plates, snap chalk lines on the biggest square of the foundation. This will usually be the main part of the house. , Planning Permission Tips UK - Trees and How They Can Affect Development when Applying for Planning After snapping the front or back and one side, check for square. This is easily done by using the 3-4-5 method. Measuring 3' from the corner on the side, and 4' from the corner on the front or back. Make a pencil mark on the chalk line at these dimensions. Measure the distance between these two marks on the diagonal and if perfectly square will equal 5'. If it is not square, adjust the shortest of these two lines so that your measurement equals 5'.

Once squared these lines can be used as a reference point to square and keep parallel other sections of the houses , Compact Refrigerator - Help On How To Choose One foundation, like a garage , Measure Your Window for Verticals and Horizontal blinds, Wood blinds, Faux Wood Plantation Shutters or sunroom. , A Guide to Choosing Your Home Flooring Material By using the biggest square portion of the house, , Housing and Smart s; Energy Self Sufficient Possibilities your work will be more accurate.

After your chalklines are all snapped, your ready to lay the sill sealer and sill plates. The sill sealer is put on top of the foundation wall , Tarps Buying the Easy Way first. This material comes in two forms. One is very similar to fiberglass wall , Buying a Ceiling Fan insulation except thinner and with the same kraft paper backing. The other is a 1/4" foam similar to laminate , All Time Favorites - Iron Railings flooring underlayment. Both materials come in widths to accommodate 2x4 and 2x6 sill plates. I prefer the foam sill sealer for its ease to work with and what I feel will keep drafts and moisture , Home Water Filtration for Shower and Drinking Purpose from penetrating under the sill plate better. Both sealers are installed butting up to the chalk line to the inside , Professional Home Inspector: More Notes On Becoming A Professional Home Inspector of the foundation wall. , Methods of Porcelain and China Collectible Repair for Lladro and Hummel Figurines Both are pushed down over the anchor bolts till it pops through the sealer.

The exterior finish determines the placement of sill plates on the foundation wall. , The Right Cleaning Tools Make Your Job Easier If the exterior finish is siding, the sill plates will finish flush with the outside , Being Smart About Do It Yourself Home Improvements of the foundation wall. , A Summer Electrical Check-Up for Your Home In this case I like to measure in the width of my sill plate, 3 1/2" for a 2x4 and 5 1/2" for a 2x6. If the exterior finish is brick, the sill plate will be 4 1/2" from the outside , The Wonders of Walk-In Bathtubs edge of the foundation wall. , How To Remove Pet Stain, Ballpen(Ink) Stain And Wine Stain On Your Carpet Using Household Products

Holes must be drilled in the plates to install them over the anchor bolts. These 2x plates are usually required to be treated lumber to resist rot. To locate the bolt hole in the 2x, put the plate up against the anchor bolts. Using a speed square or a combination square, put the square on the edge of the 2x and against the anchor bolt. Hold your pencil against the squares edge with the lead 1/4" away from the blade of the square and draw a line. This will give you the center of the 1/2" anchor bolt along the length of the 2x plate. to get the center off the edge of the plate, measure from the chalkline to the center of the bolt. This will give you the location , Home Improvement Costs for 2006 to drill the holes in the plate. Drill a 3/4" hole in the plate. This allows some wiggle room , All Time Favorites - Iron Railings to drop the plate over the anchor bolts which are not always straight up and down.

Once the holes are drilled in the plate, bolt it down with a washer and hex nut. Continue the process by butting the next plate to the one just put down and locate the next set of holes, putting the sill sealer down ahead of the plates. Toe nail , Home Improvement Costs for 2006 all joints where the plates butt one another.

This is an important step when building , How to Maintain Your Home Gym Routine a new home. , How To Remove Pet Stain, Ballpen(Ink) Stain And Wine Stain On Your Carpet Using Household Products By installing the sill plates straight and square, it gives a solid reference to follow when framing the rest of the house. , Closet Organizer

(c) Mike Merisko www.sawkerfs.com

Mike Merisko has been a carpenter for 26 years. Most of those years were spent in the homebuilding and remodeling industries. He was also in business as a carpentry and general contractor. , Selecting wine cellar racks and planning wine cellar designs While that is his forte, he also has experience in bridge building, , Buying a Ceiling Fan commercial construction, and exhibit building , The Wonders of Walk-In Bathtubs which is how he earns his living these days. You can browse through articles by him and others at his website http://www.sawkerfs.com or visit his blog at http://www.sawkerfs.blogspot.com

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