Metal angle brace
let-in wood braces, they must be nailed on in pairs, forming an X to stabilize the wall in both directions.
To install a metal angle brace, lay it across the framed wall diagonally from the bottom plate to the double top plate and make a pencil mark along one side. Then cut a slot 1 in. deep along this line into the plates and studs. Slip one flange of the brace in to the slot and nail it to the bottom plate with two or three 8d nails, then add one more 8d through the brace and into the first stud. At the double top plate, start an 8d nail alongside the brace and bend it over to hold it in place as the wall is raised. Later, when the building is plumbed, it will be nailed perma nently to the other studs and plates.
If metal braces are not available you can let in a 1 2-ft. lx6 or lx4, as the code allows. An experienced framer can cut in one of these in a matter of two or three minutes. They are good braces, but the proce dure for installing them needs to be studied well and applied carefully to avoid the possibility of injury.
Make sure that the wall is reasonably square. Then lay the brace at about a 45° angle across the studs, avoiding door and window openings. Set your saw blade to a depth of about 1 % in. Place one foot on the brace to keep it in position and hold the saw
with both hands to avoid kickback. First, cut the end of the brace flush with the bottom plate. If you are working on a concrete slab, trim the bottom end about Yz in. short to keep it from contacting the slab directly. Next, with your saw riding on top of the brace, cut a slot 1 in. deep on both sides along the studs and plates. Cut the brace Yz in. short of the top of the double plate.
Now the wood between the two cuts must be re moved. One way to do this is to drop the sawblade down into the plates and studs several times to a depth of about 1 in. The wood can then be removed by chiseling at it with your straight-claw hammer. But this method is slow and leaves an unclean cut.
To cut out studs for a 7 x let-in brace, lay the brace stock along the wall in its intended location. Using the brace as a guide for your saw, cut along both sides.
The better and more efficient way to notch the studs requires care and experience to do it correctly and safely. First, lay the saw over on its side, place the front edge of the saw table on the stud and use the thumb of the left hand to operate the trigger. Until you gain experience at this technique, brace your left elbow against your knee so that you will be able to stop the saw from kicking back while cutting in this position. With the right hand, grab the top handle of the saw after lifting the guard slightly. The object is to drop the blade into the stud or plate and cut out the slot so that the brace will fit. Just remem ber that the slot needs to be at least % in. deep. Here, as elsewhere, a sharp sawblade makes for the safest cut.
For the final cut, place your saw on edge and drop the blade into the stud. Be sure to keep both hands on the saw.
Now drop the Ix brace into the slot and nail three 8ds through it into the bottom plate, then two more into the first stud. At this point, nail only at the bottom. Start two nails in the brace at the re maining studs and five more at the top and double top plates. These nails will be driven home when the walls are raised and plumbed.
Nail some 2x scraps to the rim joist to keep the wall from sliding over the edge when it 's being raised.
Rake walls and other tall walls can be braced by using a longer Ix or two metal angle braces. If you're using the latter, you will need to overlap the braces at the center, which will require cutting a slightly wider slot in the studs.
Raising walls
Once you have nailed all the long through walls to gether, you can begin to stand them upright. Most wall raising is still done by simple human labor, al though some pretty good mechanical devices are available to help with the process. The weight of any given section of wall depends on its size and the wetness of the lumber. An average-sized person can usually raise a lO-ft. section of a standard 8-ft. high, 2x4 wall.
If not enough bodies are available at raising time, you may need to cut the wall into sections before it can be raised. With one end of the double top plate loose, cut the bottom plate so that it breaks directly under a break in the top plate. Once the wall is raised, the lap of the double top plate can be nailed to tie these two sections together.
Begin by cleaning up any debris on the floor where the bottom plate will sit. Walls are held up right by temporary braces, one on each end and an other about every 10 ft. between. Use studs for braces and scatter them down the wall before rais ing. The end braces can usually be nailed to a cor ner stud before raising; the remaining braces will be nailed in place once the wall is upright.
To keep outside walls from slipping over the edge while being raised, nail some pieces of 2x stock to the rim jOist so that they stick up above the floor a few inches to catch and hold the bottom plate (see the photo at left) . If you are working on a slab, the foundation bolts will serve this purpose.
Raise walls using your legs and arms, not your back.
It's easier to get a secure grip on the wall if it's not lying flat on the deck. So stick your hammer claws into the double top plate, pick it up a bit and kick a 2x block under. Some framers lean a short 2x block against the wall at about a 45° angle, sink hammer claws into the double plate, then raise the wall enough to allow the block to fall under the plate. Keeping your back straight, lift the wall to your waist using your legs, then overhead with your arms and upper body. Then, by pushing on the studs, continue to raise the wall until it's fully upright. The wall can easily be held in this position until tempo rary braces are nailed on. Before nailing the bottom of the braces, a smart framer will lean the main ex terior walls out a little bit, making it easier to raise the interior walls. Two or more persons will need to steady a long wall while others nail on additional braces. Take the extra studs that were scattered for braces and nail them to a wall stud about every 1 0 ft. and down from the top plate about 2 ft. Place the brace stud flat against the wall stud and nail the two together with two 1 6ds, then nail the lower end of the temporary brace through the subfloor, into a
joist below, with two more 1 6ds. Hold the wall upright until temporary braces can be nailed in place.