How to make shanks the right way. Struts and blocks in frame construction

We continue a series of texts about the nodes of the walls of a frame house. Finally, we got to the jigs. Frame house jibs- an important element of the wall, which is needed so that the house does not fold in any direction after construction. If you have read news about negligent builders on the forum, you have probably seen such situations.

Jambs in a frame house

In order for your frame house to stand for a long time and firmly, jibs cut into the racks of the walls of the frame house.

Important: the jib of the frame house should cut at an angle of 45-60 degrees into both trims (lower and upper). Sometimes the second upper trim also crashes (as in the picture above), but less often.

Video on how to embed a jib in a frame house? How to do it in 1 minute

jib must be used if slab sheathing (OSB-3, plywood) is not planned on the walls. With slab sheathing, jibs are not needed, it is more than 5 times stronger than jibs (if it is OSB or 12 mm plywood). But for a frame one-story house, jibs are enough.

In any case (with or without slab sheathing), you will need temporary jibs.

Temporary jibs in a frame house

Temporary braces are used at the stage immediately after the walls are raised, while they are not yet fixed on top with floor lags, and slab sheathing is not installed. Temporary jibs help the walls not to fall anywhere and stand in a given place. It is better not to save on the number of boards, then they are easy to remove.

It all looks like this:

Little bonus:
How to raise a paneled wall(a photo). Note that even with slab sheathing, the builder puts temporary jibs.


Although this is not often done, maybe someone will decide that it is more convenient for him this way. I did not translate, everything seems to be clear.

Little bonus #2:
How to fix the second upper wall trim frame (photo)

Ask questions in the comments or personally to me in individual consultations, and I also remind you that our design team will develop for you in accordance with all your wishes.

There is an opinion that jibs in a frame house are not needed, and that they can be completely replaced by exterior finishes. Unfortunately, this is not entirely true, and if for small buildings, such as a utility block, they can not be used, provided that they are finished with slab material, then they are mandatory for a residential building.

It is the braces that are needed, and not the spacers between the racks, for which illiterate builders try to replace them, without taking into account the physics of processes and loads. Such spacers only eliminate the “spring” effect of the board. They are used when the height of the rack is more than 3m with a section of 50 * 150, or when using a board of small thickness 40x150mm, for a house with more than one floor. Spacers do not add spatial rigidity to the frame, only vertical.

For spatial rigidity, it is necessary to use jibs, and preferably full-bodied or wooden ones, although the norms allow the use of flexible diagonal ties made of metal tapes, plates and studs for small buildings.

The ideal angle of the jib is 45 degrees, but it is not always possible to set them at this angle. Adjacent walls, windows, and doorways reduce installation angles to 60 degrees or more. This can be compensated by a large number of installed jibs on one wall.

In our projects, on walls from 6m we put 4 jibs at an angle of 50-60 degrees, on walls of a longer length there can be more jibs and at an angle closer to 45 degrees.

Jambs in a frame house are a must!

The consequences of building a frame house without jibs

The houses in the photographs below were built in compliance with all strict American and Canadian frame housing standards, but even this was not a panacea, and did not save the houses from destruction, with heavy snow and wind loads. Please note that instead of OSB, plywood was used, which has a much greater spatial rigidity and can withstand a large load without visible deformation. But this, unfortunately, did not save the house from destruction.

The reason for the destruction was the lack of braces both in the load-bearing walls and in the partitions, which were supposed to withstand lateral loads and displacement. The lack of a banal load calculation, which any designer-engineer had to do in the first place, affected.

It is important to select the technology for each building, what is suitable for a frame toilet according to the norms, most likely will not be suitable for a frame house due to large wind and snow loads.

Winds for evil

Small construction technology from Lari Khon

This manual gives a very good description of the device and method of strengthening the frame house. Recently, a sufficiently large number of "builders", and private developers, began to build frame houses, but, as practice shows, not all of them understand what a frame house needs to stand for decades, and not just until the moment when The builders will move out when construction is completed. A well-known master, builder and professional in his field, Lari Khon, shared the generally accepted standards for construction, given in the description above and in the video below.

And another small selection of photos

These houses were built quite recently, one of them is not even a year old. The builders felt that the jibs and OSB were a waste of money and time. What came out of it, you can see below in the photos. In the second house, apparently, there were only a few braces in the outer walls, but in the partitions there are already new, temporary braces that do not allow the house to tilt further and apparently were no longer installed by the builders, but by the customer. We, in our homes and projects, try to use braces both in walls and in partitions. When building a house according to our project, you will spend no more than half a day on all the jibs in total, but they will help to avoid many problems. Some short-sighted or inexperienced builders will insist that the jibs are not needed and that they will be replaced by a complete exterior cladding, but unfortunately practice has shown that this is not the case. Only OSB, jibs and high-quality assembly will allow you to build a good and reliable house!

You need to know the main rule - the installation of jibs. The jib is an important, one of the main elements to ensure the rigidity and stability of the structure of your wooden house. Without this detail, the house will be shaky, easily exposed to the forces of nature, and its service life will be reduced tenfold.

Jaws: necessity or myth

There is an opinion among the people, "myths" about the need for jibs:
1. jibs are an extra waste of time and money during construction. So, people far from the construction business can argue. As mentioned earlier, the fundamental role of this structural element lies in its rigidity.
2. They can be replaced with outer skin. You can do without them if you are going to build a barn or other outbuilding. However, the exterior trim must be tiled or trim boards must be at a 45-degree angle.
3. For internal walls (partitions), they can be neglected. In this case, the load taken by the house structure from wind, snow on the roof and static load from the roof itself will be taken only by the outer walls. Partitions without braces will undergo deformation, and the entire interior finish will be broken and cracks will appear.
4. Struts are jibs. Often developers confuse spacers with jibs. In construction, spacers are used when the height of the walls is 3 m or more. This is done to eliminate the "spring" effect on the board. But they do not give the structure of the house the necessary rigidity and stability in three-dimensional space.

Jambs in a frame house are a must!

If you still doubt the installation of jibs when building a house and hope that they can be replaced with sheet sheathing or slabs (chipboard, OSB), then on the Internet you can find a lot of photos of houses without jibs that refute your hopes.

Consider what gives the use of jibs when building a house:
Without the use of these parts, the frame and the whole house will not have sufficient reliability and durability.
Prevents deformation and damage to the exterior and interior of the house.
Eliminates the "walking" of the interwall insulation.
Stabilizes the house and prevents it from folding.
Wind load, "snow" load and static load from the roof itself are distributed evenly over the entire frame structure of the building.

Correct jibs

In the construction, it is important not only to provide for the presence of jibs, but also to make and fix them correctly:
1. The jib installation angle is 45 ° (ideal angle, provides maximum structural rigidity). In places where there are door and window openings, it is not always possible to maintain this angle. Therefore, an angle of 60 ° is allowed, and an increase in the angle is compensated by an increase in the number of jibs.
2. Do not use hollow jibs. An exception may be small one-story buildings with flexible diagonal connections.
3. Correctly install the jibs from the bottom from the center of the wall up to the ceiling of the vertical rack with the top trim. At the top, the jibs should fit snugly (without gaps) against the edges of the uprights and the top floor.
4. When installing the jibs under them in vertical racks, in the upper and lower trim, it is necessary to make grooves for the jibs. The depth of the groove is performed depending on the thickness of the jibs. In a steel frame, the jibs should go inside the metal profile of the racks.
5. The dimensions of the cross-section of the jib are calculated depending on the requirements of SNiP for each region separately.
6. Fasten the corner stiffeners to each upright with two nails.

Mistakes that can be made when installing jibs:

Use of wood with unnatural moisture. With further drying, the boards “dry out” and gaps form in tight joints. The rigidity of the structure is significantly reduced.
The cross-sectional dimensions of the frame elements are smaller than necessary to resist the loads.
The use of low-quality lumber.
Placement of jibs in the corners. It leads to a decrease in the rigidity and stability of the structure.

The consequences of building a frame house without jibs
Refusal to use jibs in the construction of a frame house can lead to disastrous consequences:
destruction of the house under the influence of snow and wind loads;
outer sheathing with plywood (it has a high degree of spatial rigidity compared to chipboard, OSB, etc.) does not provide the necessary rigidity;
under the influence of soil movement, the house can "walk" by itself;

Temporary jibs
The installation of temporary braces is a necessary step at the stage of erection of the building frame. They are used:
During the installation of corner posts. Temporary braces prevent the connection of the corner post with the lower trim from loosening until the upper trim is installed.
For leveling stud walls and resolving the following issues when installing doors, windows, interior and exterior trim. When the doors are not hung, and the finishing plates do not converge in the corner.
For installing and leveling roof rafters.

The procedure for installing temporary jibs:
1. First, align the corners. For this operation, you can use a bubble or laser level. You can also use the "American" method. Fix the level on a board as long as the height of the wall.
2. Temporary braces are fastened with blocks fixed below to the floor or platform, above to the upper lags.
3. The installation step of the jibs is from 1.2 m to 1.5 m. They are made from a board with a section of 25x150 mm.
With the help of temporary jibs, significant defects can be corrected by creating the necessary leverage.

Do-it-yourself jibs

The jibs, although a crucial element of the frame house, but making them yourself will not be particularly difficult:
1. As a rule, a board with a section of 25x100 mm is used (for areas with increased wind load, a section of 50x100 mm is recommended). The length of the board should be 30% longer than the height of the wall.
2. We apply to vertical posts at an angle of 45 - 60 ° (depending on the design of the wall, where it works). We mark the grooves in the racks, from the upper to the lower lags. The jib should come from the center of the wall, the top is directed towards the upper corner of the rack, the bottom, if possible, is retracted to the maximum distance.
3. With an ordinary hacksaw or hand-held circular saw, we make grooves and remove the tree with a chisel. The corners of the jib itself are also cut along the outsole.
4. The jib should fit snugly into the grooves made to ensure maximum rigidity.
5. In the places of window and door openings, it is recommended to place the jibs from the corner to the hole. Thus, additional fastening of racks of apertures is carried out.
6. The jibs are fastened with nails, 2 pcs. for each vertical rack and 3 pcs. on the top and bottom trim.
By following these jib building steps, you'll get the stiffness you need to handle wind and snow loads.

The reliability of a frame house, the degree of its resistance to wind, snow, other adverse weather conditions, the service life of such a structure are determined by the rigidity of its structure. The most popular method of strengthening the frame is the installation of jibs. Let's figure out whether it is worth spending your time and energy on installing the jibs, or is it quite possible to do without them.

What are jibs, and what are they

Struts are additional components of the house frame, which provide an increase in the degree of reliability of the structure of the structure and an increase in the life of the building. These elements are usually mounted at an angle of 45°, this figure changes to 60° if the jib is installed near door or window openings, as well as with wall junctions.

Most often, the jib is a wooden beam made from a board with a section of 25 by 100 mm. In most cases, this size is optimal and the use of larger frame reinforcement elements is usually not advisable. Jambs with the mentioned section strengthen the structure of the house, but at the same time do not make it heavier and do not create an additional load on the foundation.

The jibs are also made of metal. They are heavier and unpopular in Russia. In the USA, on the contrary, metal jibs are mostly found. The advantage of such jibs is a low price and high installation speed.

The disadvantage of these jibs in comparison with wooden ones is that the latter resist both compression and stretching, while metal ones resist only stretching. Therefore, when installing metal jibs, you have to put them crosswise for adequate resistance to the changing load vector. In addition, additional waterproofing work must be carried out before the installation of metal components.

Stubs can be installed both permanently and temporarily. The need to install temporary jibs arises if the tiled wall cladding (OSB boards) has not yet been equipped, however, the frame structure needs to be strengthened for the duration of this work.

Why you can not do without jibs

The frame house itself is a fairly solid structure, however, its design also needs to be strengthened. The fact is that the components of the frame before installing the jibs are only parallel and perpendicular to each other. This arrangement of the frame elements makes it unstable to ground displacements, wind and other "transverse" loads.

If there are no elements in the frame of the building that provide rigidity, then such a house is at risk of losing the geometry of the structure, deformation of both external and internal finishes. It is possible that under the influence of serious lateral loads, the house can “fold”.

The lack of rigidity of the frame leads to a decrease in the durability of the structure of the house as a whole. Not so radical, but rather unpleasant consequences of the lack of reinforcement of the frame are heat losses due to the fact that the thermal insulation layer loses its integrity when the walls are displaced.

The result of incorrect distribution of jibs and their insufficient number

So, the result of the correct installation of the jibs is:

• prevention of vibrations and destruction of walls under the influence of weather factors;
• no deformation of walls and internal partitions under loads;
• increasing the rigidity of load-bearing structures;
• more reliable fastening of heat-insulating materials inside the walls;
• ensuring uniform distribution of the load between the elements of the frame.

After the installation of the jibs, the frame house building will successfully withstand heavy winds, landslides and even earthquakes. Snow that has accumulated on the roof in winter will also not pose a threat to the integrity of the house.

Is there a possibility of waiver

Recently, plywood sheathing or OSB (oriented strand board) has increasingly become the jib. The use of plywood is more justified, since it has a greater coefficient of spatial rigidity in comparison with chipboard and OSB.

Nevertheless, even those frame houses that are sheathed with high-quality plywood, but lack braces, often do not withstand the impacts of the elements, although they are adapted for normal loads under normal conditions.

Jambs can be omitted only during the construction of small frame structures that are not residential buildings, but have, for example, an economic purpose. So, frame garages, sheds or toilets may well do with sheathing without installing jibs, since, due to the small area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe supporting elements, they are less susceptible to wind and other weather loads.

Consequences of a hurricane

You should be aware that the skin in this case must be made of strong material, supplied in the form of relatively large components. Finishing elements must be positioned similarly to jibs - at an angle of 45 °

Common Problems

In order for the jibs to really perform their function with high quality and justify the financial and labor investments in their installation, one should strictly adhere to the basic rules for the installation of these structures.

Here are some setup tips:

• the jibs should be cut into the upper, lower horizontal strapping of the frame and into the vertical racks - this is the only way the frame will become as rigid as possible;
• installation of jibs from the inside is less convenient, but ensures the guaranteed absence of "cold bridges";
• when attaching the jibs to the frame elements, you need to use only nails, but not self-tapping screws;
• on one wall it is quite enough to install only two multidirectional jibs. A larger number of reinforcing elements is unlikely to significantly increase the degree of rigidity of the frame;
• installation must be carried out from the central part of the lower beam to the corners at the top. This installation order will ensure the formation of a right triangle between the stiffeners and the corner post;
• if the jibs are installed exclusively on the external walls of the structure, then most of the static load falls on them, and not on the internal partitions.

Remember: the installation of jibs does not at all guarantee protection of the house from external loads if the material of these elements is chosen incorrectly or the installation process is carried out with errors.

Consequences of errors in material selection and installation:

• the use of hollow jibs - the degree of their wear resistance is low;
• a similar problem occurs when choosing jibs with a small cross section and generally low-quality lumber;
• the choice of metal strips or ribbons as jibs for large houses - such reinforcing elements are more suitable for small buildings;
• the use of poorly dried wood - after drying, gaps form in the areas of component connections and the rigidity of the structure decreases;
• installation of jibs in the corners is fraught with a decrease in the stability index of the structure as a whole.

Obviously, the use of jibs is a prerequisite for strengthening a frame residential building. Structures in which such a solution was implemented will serve for a sufficiently long period, during which they will successfully withstand the elements and other loads. Thus, the jibs will actually insure the owner against much greater losses than those associated with the manufacture and installation of these elements.

The reliability of a frame house, the degree of its resistance to wind, snow, other adverse weather conditions, the service life of such a structure are determined by the rigidity of its structure. The most popular method of strengthening the frame is the installation of jibs. Let's figure out whether it is worth spending your time and energy on installing the jibs, or is it quite possible to do without them.

What are jibs, and what are they

Struts are additional components of the house frame, which provide an increase in the degree of reliability of the structure of the structure and an increase in the life of the building. These elements are usually mounted at an angle of 45°, this figure changes to 60° if the jib is installed near door or window openings, as well as with wall junctions.

Most often, the jib is a wooden beam made from a board with a section of 25 by 100 mm. In most cases, this size is optimal and the use of larger frame reinforcement elements is usually not advisable. Jambs with the mentioned section strengthen the structure of the house, but at the same time do not make it heavier and do not create an additional load on the foundation.

The jibs are also made of metal. They are heavier and unpopular in Russia. In the USA, on the contrary, metal jibs are mostly found. The advantage of such jibs is a low price and high installation speed.

The disadvantage of these jibs in comparison with wooden ones is that the latter resist both compression and stretching, while metal ones resist only stretching. Therefore, when installing metal jibs, you have to put them crosswise for adequate resistance to the changing load vector. In addition, additional waterproofing work must be carried out before the installation of metal components.

Stubs can be installed both permanently and temporarily. The need to install temporary jibs arises if the tiled wall cladding (OSB boards) has not yet been equipped, however, the frame structure needs to be strengthened for the duration of this work.

Why you can not do without jibs

The frame house itself is a fairly solid structure, however, its design also needs to be strengthened. The fact is that the components of the frame before installing the jibs are only parallel and perpendicular to each other. This arrangement of the frame elements makes it unstable to ground displacements, wind and other "transverse" loads.

If there are no elements in the frame of the building that provide rigidity, then such a house is at risk of losing the geometry of the structure, deformation of both external and internal finishes. It is possible that under the influence of serious lateral loads, the house can “fold”.

The lack of rigidity of the frame leads to a decrease in the durability of the structure of the house as a whole. Not so radical, but rather unpleasant consequences of the lack of reinforcement of the frame are heat losses due to the fact that the thermal insulation layer loses its integrity when the walls are displaced.

The result of incorrect distribution of jibs and their insufficient number

So, the result of the correct installation of the jibs is:

• prevention of vibrations and destruction of walls under the influence of weather factors;
• no deformation of walls and internal partitions under loads;
• increasing the rigidity of load-bearing structures;
• more reliable fastening of heat-insulating materials inside the walls;
• ensuring uniform distribution of the load between the elements of the frame.

After the installation of the jibs, the frame house building will successfully withstand heavy winds, landslides and even earthquakes. Snow that has accumulated on the roof in winter will also not pose a threat to the integrity of the house.

Is there a possibility of waiver

Recently, plywood sheathing or OSB (oriented strand board) has increasingly become the jib. The use of plywood is more justified, since it has a greater coefficient of spatial rigidity in comparison with chipboard and OSB.

Nevertheless, even those frame houses that are sheathed with high-quality plywood, but lack braces, often do not withstand the impacts of the elements, although they are adapted for normal loads under normal conditions.

Jambs can be omitted only during the construction of small frame structures that are not residential buildings, but have, for example, an economic purpose. So, frame garages, sheds or toilets may well do with sheathing without installing jibs, since, due to the small area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe supporting elements, they are less susceptible to wind and other weather loads.

Consequences of a hurricane

You should be aware that the skin in this case must be made of strong material, supplied in the form of relatively large components. Finishing elements must be positioned similarly to jibs - at an angle of 45 °

Common Problems

In order for the jibs to really perform their function with high quality and justify the financial and labor investments in their installation, one should strictly adhere to the basic rules for the installation of these structures.

Here are some setup tips:

• the jibs should be cut into the upper, lower horizontal strapping of the frame and into the vertical racks - this is the only way the frame will become as rigid as possible;
• installation of jibs from the inside is less convenient, but ensures the guaranteed absence of "cold bridges";
• when attaching the jibs to the frame elements, you need to use only nails, but not self-tapping screws;
• on one wall it is quite enough to install only two multidirectional jibs. A larger number of reinforcing elements is unlikely to significantly increase the degree of rigidity of the frame;
• installation must be carried out from the central part of the lower beam to the corners at the top. This installation order will ensure the formation of a right triangle between the stiffeners and the corner post;
• if the jibs are installed exclusively on the external walls of the structure, then most of the static load falls on them, and not on the internal partitions.

Remember: the installation of jibs does not at all guarantee protection of the house from external loads if the material of these elements is chosen incorrectly or the installation process is carried out with errors.

Consequences of errors in material selection and installation:

• the use of hollow jibs - the degree of their wear resistance is low;
• a similar problem occurs when choosing jibs with a small cross section and generally low-quality lumber;
• the choice of metal strips or ribbons as jibs for large houses - such reinforcing elements are more suitable for small buildings;
• the use of poorly dried wood - after drying, gaps form in the areas of component connections and the rigidity of the structure decreases;
• installation of jibs in the corners is fraught with a decrease in the stability index of the structure as a whole.

Obviously, the use of jibs is a prerequisite for strengthening a frame residential building. Structures in which such a solution was implemented will serve for a sufficiently long period, during which they will successfully withstand the elements and other loads. Thus, the jibs will actually insure the owner against much greater losses than those associated with the manufacture and installation of these elements.