Holes in bottom plates
Thanks to feedback from readers, we clarify some of the issues around holes and penetrations in bottom plates.
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By Roger Shelton – 1 June 2022, Build 190
Thanks to feedback from readers, we clarify some of the issues around holes and penetrations in bottom plates.
By Alide Elkink – 1 October 2021, Build 186
Recent calls to the BRANZ helpline asked about the implications of removing a section of bottom plate from wall framing. Good planning is needed to avoid this as it compromises the wall’s loadbearing integrity and means it will no longer act as a bracing wall.
By Bruce Sedcole – 1 June 2021, Build 184
In Build 156 Tolerances tables, we outlined some of the allowable construction tolerances for a quality result. We have now revisited this information and added some more for plasterboard and fibrous plaster, an area that can cause disagreements between contractors and clients.
By Roger Shelton – 1 February 2021, Build 182
While the use of dragon ties in New Zealand residential construction has decreased over recent decades, they remain a simple and cost-effective method to provide bracing solutions to larger rooms. However, BRANZ helpline queries suggest there is still some confusion around when they should be used.
By Verney Ryan – 1 February 2021, Build 182
Research has found the percentage of timber framing in walls of new houses is much higher than assumed in compliance calculations. This means more thermal bridging, less insulation and lower thermal performance. Why is this and what can be done?
By Bruce Sedcole – 1 February 2020, Build 176
The need for dwangs, those horizontal blocking pieces used between wall studs, has lessened over the years. Using fewer dwangs and making them narrower than the studs could improve a building’s thermal performance.
By Alide Elkink – 1 December 2019, Build 175
The correct fixings are needed at the various junctions of a timber-framed building structure to resist uplift in windy conditions. In this article, we summarise where to find them in NZS 3604:2011 and what is required.
By Alide Elkink – 1 December 2019, Build 175
A best-practice guidelines publication on working safely with prefabricated timber framing should help prevent site accidents such as an event 3 years ago that left a worker permanently disabled.
By Gerard Finch – 1 December 2019, Build 175, Feature article
More thought is needed on how the construction industry, known for its waste, can fit into the circular economy. In New Zealand, timber framing technology is being developed that allows for future reuse.
By Trevor Pringle – 1 April 2019, Build 171
Proper on-site management of the delivery, storage, exposure and protection of building materials is critical to delivering quality buildings. In the second of this series of articles, we look at the correct care of framing materials.