Diagonal Floor Sheathing

There are several types of sheathing each having a specific function based on its application.

Diagonal floor sheathing.

The most basic function of sheathing in any application is to form a surface onto which other materials can be applied. Sheathing strengthens a building s frame provides a nailing surface for siding and in some cases functions as diagonal bracing to help a wall resist lateral forces. By installing tongue and groove boards diagonally across the studs of the home you can create an extremely stable and strong exterior perfect for covering with siding. Sheathing is the board or panel material used in floor wall and roof assemblies of both residential and commercial construction.

Inch diagonal sheathing and 4 by 10 inch joists spaced 6 feet apart. M 107 130 12 figure 11. The use of diagonal tongue and groove t g wood boards was standard practice for sheathing until after world war ii but it has waned since then. Assessment and restoration of sheathing sub flooring and underlayments.

In some homes this sheathing actually became the finished floor. An old house built before the late 1930s and early 1940s often had straight edged or tongue and groove boards as sheathing laid perpendicular or diagonally to the floor joists. Solid wood sheathing is still a good if pricey choice to offer the best structural support however. It s almost always completely hidden under some type of finished flooring material.

Diagonal tongue and groove sheathing is not very common today but prior to world war ii it was the standard way to sheath an exterior. Diagonal tongue groove. Eight roof or floor panels 20 by 60 feet in size and seven dual wall panels. 2015 michigan building code 23 wood 2304 general construction requirements 2304 8 floor and roof sheathing 2304 8 1 structural floor sheathing 2308 4 7 wood structural floor sheathing structural floor sheathing shall comply with the provisions of section 2304 8 1.

Diagonal sheathing on the other hand connects the studs to the floor structure either rim joists or the top and sole plates depending on the frame type and creates a whole lot of the triangles that engineers love for bracing. This form of bracing works so well that it is still in the codes as an acceptable method of bracing a building.