How to Lay Sills on a Foundation | This Old House

Norm teaches the apprentices how to lay a sill on the new foundation
#ThisOldHouse #AskTOH
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How to Lay Sills on a Foundation | This Old House
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[@barryhaynes103]

I love Norm and agree he is a master carpenter.... I’ve built houses since 1981 and agree this is the classroom method for drilling holes for anchor bolts ... however, when trying to make a living, the method shown is laborious and time consuming ... a more expeditious method is to lay the sill on top of the anchor bolts, use a speed square for alignment and tap with a hammer creating an indentation for drilling from the underside of the sill leaving the blowout for the drill bit on top ... I have installed thousands of miles of sill plate using this method from Oklahoma to New Jersey and back again ...

[@jaydaytoday3548]

They are extremely fortunate to be getting taught by a master carpenter, who also happens to be a very good teacher.

[@XPStartupSound]

I love the part where he mentioned what to do if it wasn't level! I swear, 99% of the videos from DIY channels (TOH included) mention checking for level, but never what to do when it isn't level!

[@Physign]

Tommy always tells us what to do if it isn’t level or plumb

[@tracycolorado]

Miss you Norm . learned so much from you . you are a Good Teacher

[@larrymoore6640]

Real good educational video. It's nice to see Norm and his easy way of explaining each step.

[@Peter-.H]

Absolutely awesome to see Norm again 👍👍👍

[@bigdogpete43]

If you want to learn how to frame, watch Larry Haun.

[@oscarjr2679]

Boone Docker Larry was a god in framing. Rip

[@justarandum7959]

Norm looks younger. Good to see him doing well

[@ChrisR1270]

Miss him in the New Yankee Workshop.

[@godbluffvdgg]

He does look great! Hard work will keep you healthy...

[@RadDadisRad]

A small chunk of conduit works great for plumbing up sill plate bolts.

[@kiwdwks]

Always learn something from your videos...appreciate it!

[@jd415]

Norm! OG This Old House

[@frankortolano5886]

I miss Norm,,,,,with Norm teaching them,it's like Gold

[@jayceterry3691]

the projects on tv ALWAYS come out perfect lol. but i’m glad norm explained what to do when it’s not perfect

[@Dominick_Calvitto.]

They Certainly Have The Master Teaching Them Great Job Norm.

[@hellolater4181]

Great vlog!!

[@GGallion7]

Thank you, great presentation.

[@rickjohnson1632]

Can’t ask for a better instructor , You rock Norm 👍

[@johnroberts9560]

Hi TOH ,Merry Christmas & Happy New Year !! 🎅🎄🎁☺

[@cognitor900]

Great to see Norm at work....still!! Ask him to come help me build my house please....? I need that expertise and experience..... thanks TOH for the best diy on the interweb. Greetings from the south western corner of Australia.

[@slicktype001]

The GOAT 🔥

[@Quadrille763]

I love norm. I hope these kids realize who their learning from and pay attention. They will never have a better teacher. He gave them a lot of golden nuggets

[@joshuasmith1215]

More videos like this please.

[@PatrickPoet]

Really love seeing the apprentices. Would love to see them get through a project to the end.

[@riyadaltallaa2934]

I'm proud shes using a estwing

[@Alexander84129]

Norm taught me everything I know about woodworking

[@chevellechris1]

Norm, talking her though keeping the bit straight around 4:00 was great, good job as a teacher sir.

[@loganpatterson4674]

Worm drive on the east coast? Great video thanks TOH and norm

[@cliffp.8396]

I watched Norm Abrams in the New Yankee Workshop when I was younger than these two young carpenter apprentices. Of course I'm thinking boy are these kids lucky to have Norm "The" master carpenter teaching them.

[@allancampbell8274]

some people are pro's some are master's like good old Norm

[@sgvpotter]

talk about lucky students, I would be geeking out if i got to meet Norm, let alone work with him.

[@johnsmith-wc8gs]

A bearing plate should be used instead of washers. Pipe should be used to straighten the bolts. It doesn't appear they are used here but you don't want the plate to overhang the foundation because you typically will have a strap or hold down attaching the wall to the foundation. Don't forget you still have sheathing/rain screen/siding which will add at least another 1 1/2".

[@johnsmith-wc8gs]

@Wogden 700 interesting. Here in the northwest hold downs are required typically every 8' to 12' depending on shear wall locations. I've never built anything where H ties aren't required. I'm surprised because the northeast does get high winds. If I remember correctly the highest air speed recorded was on Mt. Washington.

[@cgaccount3669]

If you don't have a pipe you'll still have a nut. 😉 And building codes are likely different depending where you build. Some places don't even have concrete foundations which seems crazy to me. Personally I'd sooner over do it then save a few bucks and wish I'd made it stronger

[@cindyjohnson5242]

Norm has lost a lot of weight. Hope he is doing well. Always one of my favorites!

[@Marcus7469]

Norm the master

[@callmedee123]

Just an FYI people the washers have to be a 3x3 inch metal plate per ICC code.

[@charlescho]

Is norm wearing the same bags from Yankee workshop? 👍

[@gregoryboden5139]

Norm, A great video! i think that the students should have had safety glasses on when chipping the concrete and hammering the bolts. Great video, thanks.

[@chevy6299]

Looks like Norm hit one out of the park with the fans. New Yankee Work Shop anyone?

[@bjornjoseph]

I'm seriously considering career change from chef to carpenter

[@moisesrobles7884]

Mis Roger hope will be back like always smashing my like botton kaboooooooooooooom

[@todd4468]

Great video but im left with some questions. What would you use for shims and how do you square everything with the bolts making things virtually immovable?

[@sixertogo]

Norm, an american treasure

[@larrybair8074]

Norm, good to see you. I didn’t hear why you overhung the sill board.

[@general4str]

So that when the siding and/or sheer paneling is put on it can go lower than the top of the concrete to make a weather seal. If you didn't overhang it your paneling would run into or be touching the concrete which would wick moisture back up and into the sill.

[@aaronbryant8315]

We always use a scraper and clean off top of wall after we stripped the forms that way it’s easier for the carpenters 😁

[@danielmains4914]

If you have an 8 inch poured foundation wall with a 4 inch ledge for brick. Only 4 inches extends up for the sill plate. Our walls are 2 x 6 walls, is it ok to have 2 inch overhang on the sill plate?

[@deboz8793]

Just wondering, is there any harm to double up on the sill seal foam? Instead of one layer, why not use two layers?

[@otiscampbell2194]

Why not lock washers ? Just wondering ! Great video , NORM ! !!👍👍👍👍👍

[@cgaccount3669]

Just a guess but gravity holds everything down later once an entire house is sitting on it. And with wood I doubt a lock washer alone would work. But for wind and earthquake protection I'd use flat and then lock washers and even thread lock paste . When I build on my own house I like the ancient Roman method... better to over do it lol

[@cgaccount3669]

@E C good point lol. But I'm referring to the entire building. Reinforced everywhere. Sure it won't help in a 9 earthquake or hurricane but I don't live in areas with those risks.

[@GrahamDIY]

What a wasted opportunity. The hardest part is to shim to level whilst ensuring however you shim is not going to settle over the years. At least settle too much. I can imagine someone would would just throw in a single bit of thin pine 2x4 shim in one single spot and call it “fixed” 😕

[@Fe7Ace]

Yeah, when he said to shim it if it's not level I think.. that probably could use with a bit more of a pointer. It's not exactly squaring up a door jam. What sort of shims suite a structural load, how important is it to fill any gaps caused by shimming with secondary shims, would you try identify the stud placements and shim to those? Things that could be unimportant or very important for all I know.

[@rangerbull]

Had some vinel siding blow off. How would I repair it

[@anthonyyoung3826]

History shows a tornado strips the threads of a single nut, need to double nut the bolt. The top board should have construction adhesive applied to help secure it in place.

[@ncooty]

Interesting. I'd have thought he'd whack the boards to mark the bolt locations and that he'd have lapped that corner joint.

[@MrTBoneMalone]

I was thinking the same thing. You never see a framer do it the way he was teaching them

[@defy2598]

Marking is slow

[@billrudolph8185]

@@defy2598: WAY slower than setting the sill green board on top of the bolts and striking with your hammer to find bolt location, a good framer would be done with the whole foundation before he got 1 green board on lol. BUT the technique he shows is good to learn for noobies.

[@cgaccount3669]

If you're alone then holding a long board and hitting it could be difficult and less accurate. A lot of builders use fast techniques cuz they don't necessarily care if the job isn't well done. I'd prefer a builder would did it accurately rather than quickly

[@berniemac8413]

What’s the reason for the double bottom plate? 🤔

[@rivernet62]

Glad to see I'm not the only one wondering this.

[@rebeccaramirez-]

❤🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[@godbluffvdgg]

Any news on Roger?

[@shaneletson]

U no this old house me and my ole lady is having a debate over this flooring shes says u put the 2x8 n first then put the plywood n i say u got to change the foundation boards that lay on the house blocks on the ground change them then first then put the plywood n then put the 2x8 in am i correct about this or is she right about this

[@PBS-nm1uu]

the anchor bolts measurement are??

[@JasperLoki]

Put them safety glasses 🥽 on. They’re not an accessory.

[@TheDizzack]

Miss Haun

[@jonathanmorgancharleson4262]

How about teaching them the most important part... checking that the concrete is square prior to snapping line...

[@jimmytantum7965]

@E C I can tell you've never framed before..because if the foundation isn't square, you need to ADJUST your sill plates, not just place it on and assume the foundation is square..

[@jonathanbrazeau970]

So does the sill always go toward the outside of the foundation like that? WTF? my dad told me it goes on the inside, I just spent 3 weeks building a CAD model, now I have to change it?

[@Brian_yeah_that_brian_Strang]

Man what happened to Norm he was my favorite. Sorry Tom

[@user-lg2uj4he6i]

А где рубероида два слоя и слой джута на фундамент? 😮

[@tonybaggett1984]

I wonder if they even know what kind of legend they’re working with. There’s only one “celebrity” I could ever get star struck over and it’s Norm. He’s the F’n man!

[@simonsonjh]

No eye protection while hammering :(

[@Nill757]

No hammers on sill bolts please Norm, with or without nuts. Courtesy of Larry Haun: 3/4 gas pipe 3' long straightens them in a second or two. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pGWynoppbNGijNE A few other steps are missing. Check the foundation for square across the diagonals (or whatever angle is called out in the plans), as the sill is the place to correct it if not. Last, when working with the youngsters I notice Tom Silva presses them to both i) do it right *and* ii) not waste time. The latter is critical to learning because there is only one way to be both right and fast: think about the basics of the task (e.g. square drilling, using a line, consideration of next steps, etc) before execution, otherwise they usually fall back to moving slowly and making it up as they go along.

[@Guardducks]

Don't forget boys and girls to read and understand all the directions for your power tool and most importantly to wear eye protection. ❤ ya Norm.

[@feralbigdog]

i dont understand why its a quarter of an inch outside, or why there is a double sill plate.

[@kiwioleskool9438]

Safety glasses on kid's

[@glenford5254]

Has norm Abraham retired?

[@SSMJWolf]

0:51 that a funny why to use a hammer

[@billgateskilledmyuncle23]

That obtuse corner. Why? My OCD screams WHYYYYYY!!!

[@ThingsTerrestrial]

Norm was imprisoned in Cuba.

[@justinromero8662]

Safety first don't hammer on concrete without safety glasses!

[@tomdale1313]

Norm!, hardly remember that he was still in the mix...

[@T.E.P.]

Norm is great. He's epic. However this is not the way. unlike holding Gamestop. that is the way.

[@shannaheckler1933]

There are many similar projects in Woodglut's plans.

[@irfanahmad6568]

No termite protection below sill/plate? No good.

[@Nill757]

Treated sill plate.

[@cgaccount3669]

Termites? That's not an issue in much of the world.

[@shaneletson]

People r putting floors n these house wrong because theres not one video that can put these foundation boards n the right way there all wrong everyone of them u put the plywood n a house floor first then u put them 2x8s n not put them 2x8s n first then just cut around the edge that wrong

[@ramiroaguilar7781]

Larry haul is the real master this guy is to slow

[@Ichabod_Jericho]

If you need the speed square to get the J-bolt straight, you’re fired.

[@Ichabod_Jericho]

Mark Crawford I think I’ve just discovered the most pretentious moron on the earth. I wish I won something more than disgust. One of us is going to show you what a real man is

[@rraborn]

Poor sill sealer. Stop using the cheap foam that deteriorates in a couple of years

[@MemoGrafix]

Well, what does work?

[@rraborn]

@@MemoGrafix EDM Rubber Sill Dealer See at Risinger Framing Tips-Super Sill Dealer.

[@MemoGrafix]

@@rraborn - Thanks

[@cgaccount3669]

A couple years? Doubtful. It's code for a reason. Hundreds of years is more likely. Sometimes the more expensive fancy new stuff has other issues or is just a waste of money for the same results

[@joejr9653]

They will have to move a lot faster than that.

[@jesseramos1561]

They're just starting out as apprentices.and this was a tutorial for them speed will come with time put in.or you cant remember when you were wet behind the ears son.

[@lotharhamburg5343]

2green sills always your forgetting the termite shield 🛡️ awful Way to start you tart