Brace Removal

You just put up a new frame, there are places braces were left out for mechanical reasons. On comes the general contractor and wants to cut out some more braces because he doesn't want to build a wall around them. Then new wall will be sheathed in plywood on at least one side. Do you let him cut them or insist they stay?

If they are hidden in the wall, and the wall is sheathed... sure.
But I'm not your engineer on the job, so you might want to be sure they aren't working hard under certain load conditions.

FWIW, I try to leave them out when they get buried. Waste of effort... although, sometimes things change and you can't anticipate it during design / fabrication.


But, if the guy is just being lazy... well, then I'd almost want to make him keep them in.

What will the future bring? Walls move, additions are put up, houses change in ways we in the present cannot foresee. It could be the braces currently are a builders nuisance but the future may have a role for the braces. Besides the builder took a job to deal with a frame so he should deal, one thing about building trades is that everyone with a sawzall will "redesign" with only personal convenience in mind, no thought for future possibilities. Stand firm Tim.

There are enough spots with out bracing for me to say leave these alone, even if it is fully studded and sheathed. All brace decisions were well though out on the shop floor with the info at hand. At his point it would be wasting my time and effort to have another save a little, very little. As Roger points out the future may want them back in place. I will stand firm. Thanks.

Is the frame stamped by an engineer? If so its probably a lot cheeper to build around them. If the general isn't up to the challenge of framing around the braces he probably isn't up to the challenge of the finishing of a TF building.

I agree with Les on this (hey Les, how's things up in Saskatchewan?)

The braces are part of the frame. I personally don't believe in relying on sheathing to brace or provide stiffness. My own personal philosophy is to make bracing very redundant, for the simple fact that Roger points out so well, you don't know what's going to happen a few decades down the road.

A timber frame is designed like it is for a reason, and I'm sure Time knows this very well.

The G.C. asked if I really thought the frame purpose would change in the future. I replied there is a good chance and to have empty brace pockets would be sad. He grumbled and said "all right, it is what it is."

Hooray! Anther win for the good guys!