week 16 unitec carpentry 6-8 july 2011

week 16. last week of semester 1. house 124 has passed building inspection! we can now wrap the building from  top to bottom. we also fix the soffits at the eaves and verges. cutting and slotting the soffits into plastic channels is tricky. we set up temporary racks inside the house to store the weatherboarding which will be delivered soon. now for a 3-week semester break.

house 124 is all wrapped and blue-strapped

from top to bottom

and soffits are fixed all round

week 15 unitec carpentry 29 june - 1 july 2011

week 15. roof is up. the roofers are fast as holes are pre-drilled for screws. the house is dry at last. we complete noggins in wall frames to facilitate installation of sanitary appliances e.g. shower, bath and handbasins. we also fix noggins between roof trusses all around the eaves and between purlins along verges to allow fixing of soffits. getting the house ready for building inspection. making sure braces are in position as specified in drawings.

roofers lifting sheet into place before fixing

sarking and roofing sheets being installed at house 124

close up of roofing sheets, gutter and barge

additional noggins to facilitate installation of shower

trimmed opening for ceiling manhole to provide access to roof void

space brace at gable end spanning across two roof trusses

dragon tie across the corner spanning diagonally across the bottom chords

gib system braceline 1 metal strap chased into wall frame

week 14 unitec carpentry 22-24 june 2011

week 14. fixing purlins and ceiling battens this week. purlins are nailed to the top chords. ceiling battens to the bottom chords. much easier work with a nailgun. wire dogs are fixed between purlins and roof trusses to prevent wind uplift. metal bracing straps are fixed in diagonally opposed pairs at each corner of the house. then tightened with tensioner blocks. bracing straps as well as wire dogs are also used at the wall plates to hold down the roof against wind uplift. different fixings are used to transmit vertical loads as well resist horizontal forces in the construction of a timber frame house.

fixing diagonally opposed metal bracing straps to underside of purlins across top chords of roof trusses

fixing purlins to top chords of roof trusses with wire dogs to prevent wind uplift

cantilevered outriggers forming verge; note space brace at gable end and continuous ceiling runner fixed to king posts of roof trusses, space brace also fixed at other gable end and in the middle of the house

week 13 unitec carpentry 15-18 june 2011

week 13. roof framing. roof frames have been delivered. we mark out purlin positions on the top chords of each truss with tack nails. setting back 150mm from ridge and 30mm from eaves. we also mark out positions of roof frames on the double top plates along the external walls. we then lift the frames into place, beginning with the gable ends. each roof frame is secured to the wall frame by wire dogs and skew nailed to the double top plates. a stringline between the apexes of the gable ends is used to ensure correct alignment of the intermediate trusses.

double top plates are fixed to bind wall frames together and provide a level seat for roof frames

verge at this gable end is formed by cantilevered purlins

roof frames are secured to wall frames with wire dogs and to each other by purlins

when roof frames have been lifted into position purlins are fixed

verge at this gable end is formed by cantilevered outriggers

week 12 unitec carpentry 8-10 june 2011

week 12. completed scaffolding this week. once the wall frames are in position, we set up the scaffolding to provide a safe working platform all around house 124 matching the adjacent house 122. metal tubes are used as vertical standards and horizontal transoms, rails and braces. sitting on steel sole plates and timber sole boards, we set up the transoms, handrails, mid rails, diagonal braces as well as timber planks for the platform and toeboards and a ramp with cleats to provide easy access. scaffold must be triangulated for rigidity. planks must overlap transoms and be secured.

metal tube scaffolding with timber planks as toeboards secured

metal tube scaffolding with standards, transoms and braces

view below working platform showing diagonal braces required to stiffen the scaffolding

week 11 united carpentry 1-3 june 2011

week 11. wall framing this week. pre-nailed wall frames have been delivered. we move them into position, using blocks at the boundary joists to align them and prevent any frames from slipping off the floor. frames are heavy and require team lift. once in position, they need to be squared, plumbed and braced temporarily. we also fabricate one wall frame, from cutting and setting out to nailing the studs, trimmers, noggins etc. bracing straps are also fixed to lock wall frames to boundary joists so as to prevent wind uplift.

all hands on deck to position wall frames, square, plumb and brace

moving pre-nailed wall frames into position

fabricating and fixing an exterior wall frame with gs 1 bracing strap

routing out rebate to receive bracing straps CT200

CT200 bracing straps are in place 1200mm from external corner as required; 6 nails to stud and 6 nails to boundary joist

week 10 unitec carpentry 25-27 may 2011

week 10. flooring this week. treated plywood sheets for wet areas (kitchen, toilets and laundry) and chipboard sheets for dry areas (the rest of the house). to provide additional adhesion to the joists, slots are cut in the underfloor foil insulation for gluing. joints are also glued. glue must protrude out to ensure a good seal thus preventing water absorption at the end grain of sheets. sheets are nailed at crossing with floor joists as well as the perimeter. 10mm rebate along perimeter from face of boundary joists to allow for expansion.

close up photograph of junction between plywood and chipboard flooring sheets

junction in flooring sheets: treated plywood to wet areas and chipboard to dry areas

chipboard flooring sheets in position; note 10mm rebate from boundary joist to allow for expansion

week 9 unitec carpentry 18-20 may 2011

week 9. completing floor joists this week. floor joists are trimmed. boundary joists fixed all round the perimeter. openings for wc and shower outlets are trimmed. full depth noggins are fixed to prevent the floor joists from overturning. flitch plates are fixed at the joist butt joints along the middle bearer to strengthen the floor structure. underfloor foil insulation is laid before flooring sheets are fixed. we use a timber cradle template to form the 100mm drape to the foil which is required to facilitate condensation drainage and also forms the foil into a parabolic shape for better radiant heat insulation.

floor joists with noggins in position but need to be checked for correct alignment

fixing underfloor foil insulation with 100mm drape for condensation drainage

flitch plates are fixed to butt jointed floor joists at the middle bearer to stiffen the floors

close up view of underfloor foil insulation - note slots cut out for gluing to stop floorboards squeaking

simple timber cradle template used to achieve 100mm drape in foil insulation

week 8 unitec carpentry 11-13 may 2011

week 8. we started work on the floor joists. cutting and nailing joists and fixing into position, beginning from the middle bearer. full depth noggins are then nailed into position to stiffen the joists and stop then overturning. full depth flitch plates are fixed over the middle to strengthen the floor for relocation. floor openings are also created for wc and shower waste outlets.

fixing floor joists to bearers: "pink" joists for dry areas, "green" for wet areas

floor joists in position, including noggins; note double joists to carry internal wall frames for wet areas

trimmed opening in the floor for wc waste outlet with doubled trimming joists and trimmed joist supported by joist hangers on trimmer

week 7 unitec carpentry 4-6 may 2011

week 7. constructing the bearers. jack studs have to be checked for alignment, levelled and braced. then we positioned the bearers on top of the temporary jack studs. the bearers at essentially laminated beams which run the length of the house. the bearers carry the house by transmitting the load of the entire house to the permanent piles at its actual site. the bearers also allow the entire house when completed to be moved to any location. positioning the bearers requires teamwork to lift and set in place.  bearers are checked for alignment, levelled and braced as well.

preparing the bearers which are laminated and nailed to specific pattern

bearers are in position on top of temporary jack studs

week 6 unitec carpentry 13-15 april 2011

fixing the batter boards to the site profiling pegs

week 6. we started out to profile our site. this involves pegging the four corners of the site about 1m away from the profile of the house to set up a working area around the building. then fixing batter boards which we will set to match the finished floor level of the house no 124. then stringline between the batterboards to provide the datum from which we will lay out the temporary jack studs. bearers in the form of laminated 190x45mm joists nailed to a specified pattern will then be built on top of the jack studs.

using the dumpy level to check the levels of the batter boards

timber sole plate set on concrete strip for temporary jack studs

temporary jack studs in place with laminated bearers about to be fixed on top