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Sheathing and Raising the First Wall

Bob continues framing the affordable home in Mashpee, Massachusetts, with General Contractor Wes Lohr. Lohr begins by squaring the wall, which is done by taking measurements from corner to corner diagonally and checking that they are the same. The crew then snaps a line 36 1/2 inches up from the bottom for the overlapping sheathing that will cover the bottom band and pressure-treated sill. Lohr uses Louisiana Pacific (LP) oriented strand board (OSB) to sheathe the wall. It is treated with a wax coating on one side to protect against weather. LP OSB will not delaminate when wet and is marked with nailing guides to help nailers hit studs every time when studs are properly placed. Any overlapping OSB that blocks window or door openings is cut away, then the wall is raised and eyeballed for placement. More information