pre-build wall section warp?

[NM_Shooter]

Okay.  I'm going to be snowed out for awhile.  I saw on the news last night that Chama still is covered in snow, and that Cumbres Pass still has 15' (!!!!) of snow on sections of the track.  I don't have anybody with an industrial sized snow blower mounted on the front of a train making a clear path to my property, so I'm stuck waiting for the sun to do its job.

In "light" of this (hah, I crack me up), I'm considering starting to build wall sections here.  I had planned on doing this later, after I had my piers in, but it looks like I am going to have to move fast once I can get up there.  Looks like I will be able to get up there just in time for the summer monsoons.  So good building weather will be at a premium.

the risk I see, is that if I start to build early, is that the framing might warp in the heat that we have here.  What I am thinking about doing is this..

In the area in my yard that I am going to be framing, I am thinking about building four short piers into the ground, that have a planar surface with one another.  I'll build a wall section on top of these piers.  The next section will lay flat on top of that.  As I get a stack of sections built up, I'll put strips of 1X6 on the outside of the plates and screw everything together to make one big bundle.  My hope is that I might be able to keep everything tied together and planar.  Then throw a tarp over it and call it a day. 

If I build a 16X24, I should have 10 pcs of 8' X 8' wall sections on the stack.  As long as my piers start fairly low to the ground, I should be able to build all the walls of the cabin stacked on top of one another.  What do you think... can I keep warping to a minimum?  they may need to be laying flat for 2 months.

Another good thing about sheeting in a horizontal position is that I could pretty easily glue the OSB on as well as nail it.

Thanks,

Frank

[MountainDon]

Well now Frank. I have wondered about this ever since we talked at Twisters.

When Frank says hot he should also say dry. Until it rains, then it's wet and the humidity is higher, but then it's dry again. Right now 67 F and 5%.

It would seem that given level off ground storage, the panelized sections should remain warp free, framed with 2X and sheathed one side with OSB sheathing glued and nailed in place. I just don't have any first hand experience. Other than watching stacks of sticks have some of them go wavy, twisty.

I'll be watching for others thoughts as well.    I'm still going to stick build on site, but I'm blessed with better building logistics than you.

[BiggKidd]

Frank,

  I don't see why you should go to the trouble of building piers. Just use a shovel to get a level space in your yard big enough for a block and set them 4 feet apart and build your walls it will be fine. Use a four foot level to keep all the blocks level and stack your walls. With the OSB nailed on and a base ( blocks) level it will work out great. Its a good idea to put a tarp under as well as over to keep ground moister from rising.

Good luck
Larry   

[NM_Shooter]

Thanks...

I think I'll put off building sections until I know I am no more than three weeks from needing them.  Wall framing goes pretty fast; I have decent tools and I think I can probably frame and sheath a section in 60 to 90 minutes depending on if I need headers or not.  If i can't get two done a night I'd be surprised. 

I thought about just putting down some cinder blocks to make them level, but I live on almost pure sand.  Wind erosion is crazy bad here.  Maybe I could get by with digging a small pit and putting gravel in as a base, then putting a block on top. 

Good idea about the tarp under as well. 

I'm back to debating 2X6 vs. 2X4.  I could go 24 O.C. with 2X6, but if i have my roof rafters on 16", that means that i am staggered above the studs, and I don't think I want that. 

Insulation is not really an issue, as this is a three season cabin at best.  ;

Anybody have a suggestion for window headers on eave walls for 2X4 vs. 2X6?  I'm thinking 2X8 headers for 2X6, and 2X10 headers for 2X4 construction.  Is there a span table for calculating headers?  My widest window will be 43.5"

Onward through the fog.

-f-

[MountainDon]

Header sizing depends on length of wall, clear opening in wall, lumber species and grade and Chama, NM snow load.

Go to the Southern Pine Council website, Publications Index, Domestic page

Select  Span Tables | Headers and Beams.  Download the free PDF file.
Lots of other informative downloads there too.

Those tables are for southern pine of course, but the other commonly used species are comparable.