eHow: How to Close an Exterior Wall

Sheathing goes on the outside of the wall studs.

House construction follows standard procedures, starting with excavation that's followed by foundation construction; floor, wall and roof framing; the installation of sheathing and protective surfaces to close in the roof and the exterior walls; the installation of plumbing, wiring, ducting and other infrastructure; the installation of interior surfaces and fixtures; and finish work including painting and trim work. As soon as the wall and roof framing is in place, it’s essential to close in the exterior to achieve a weather-resistant shell before you move on with the rest of the home construction.

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Wall sheathing panels
• Tape measure
• Nail gun
• 8-penny nails
• Hammer
• Circular saw or table saw

1. • 1
     Place one 4-foot-by-8-foot panel of 1/2-inch or 7/16-inch plywood or oriented strand board (OSB) horizontally at one edge of the exterior wall. The bottom edge of the panel must line up with the bottom edge of the sill plate. The sill plate is the wood board that sits directly on top of the foundation wall.
   • 2
     Align the side edge of the panel with the center of a wall stud. Wall studs are spaced to accommodate 4-by-8-foot sheets of plywood, so the edges of the panels should fit from the center of one stud to the center of another stud. This is called “breaking on center.”
   • 3
     Drive one 8-penny nail, with a nail gun, every 6 inches along the side edges of the panel center and every 8 inches into the studs beneath the flat center of the panel, called the plane.
   • 4
     Butt the next horizontal 4-by-8 panel loosely against the first panel, leaving a 1/8-inch gap between the panels for expansion. Nail the second panel the same way you nailed the first one.
   • 5
     Continue adding horizontal panels until you reach the far end of the stud wall. Measure and cut the last panel to fit and nail it in place using the same nailing method.
   • 6
     Drive two 8-penny nails, with a hammer, into two studs, evenly spaced, just above the top of the last panel you installed -- but don’t insert the nails more than 1/2 inch or so. The nails will rest on the top of the last panel and act as temporary spacers for installing the panel above. This keeps the panels from butting tightly, which allows room for expansion later.
   • 7
     Position the next panel on top of the nails, aligning the edges with the stud centers as before and attaching the panel with the same nailing pattern. Pull the two hammer-driven nails out when you’re done, and reinsert them above the next panel in the same manner.
   • 8
     Continue installing panels until you reach the top of the wall. For a standard 8-foot wall, you’ll need just two rows of horizontal panels. If the house is a multistory or if the walls are a custom height, however, you may have to cut the uppermost row of 4-by-8-foot panels horizontally to fit.

Tips & Warnings

• Install the panels right over window and door openings. This gives you the best panel fit and helps protect the interior of the house from rain until you're ready to set the windows. You can cut out the openings from the inside of the house later with a reciprocating saw.
• Once the walls and roof are closed in, install moisture barriers such as house wrap on the walls and felt paper on the roof to prevent damage to the panels from rain.

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