The tiny house sheathing process is the same as a regular house. We start adding sheathing after we are done framing. I used huber zip system sheathing in 4’ by 8’ sheets to sheathe the outside of the house. Luckily the walls were 8 foot tall so the 8 foot sheets lined up perfectly with the height of the wall. The walls were also divisible by 4 feet lengthwise.
The 12 foot walls were 12/4 = 3 sheets and the 8 foot walls were 8/4 = 2 sheets. Try to lay the sheet so the so all the edges lay on top of the framing. This way you can make sure all of the edges are nailed in.
Tiny house sheathing of back wall
I started the tiny house sheathing process with the 24 foot wall on the back side of the house. For the first 12 foot section I laid the 3 sheets on the wall with the edges of the sheets laying on the wood of the framing. Make sure there are no gaps between your sheets. Shoot a nail every 4 inches on the sheet and make sure it is properly penetrating the framing below.
Second section
Once the sheathing is properly nailed down for the first 12 foot section I moved onto the second 12 foot section. Same deal 3 sheets nailed down on the 12 foot section. Once you have both sections sheathed you can stand them up. Warning: Standing up a wall is a dangerous process and you should get some helpers to help you lift. I did 99% of the house myself but this is a part where I asked for some help.
Standing back wall
Start with the 12 foot wall that is laying on top of the 8 foot wall. Use three people to lift the 12 foot section onto the bottom plate that is already nailed into the subfloor. Hold the wall in place as someone uses a level to make sure it is stood up plum. Also get some wood support pieces to hold up the wall temporarily while you are nailing everything down.
Nail the bottom plate of the wall section into the bottom plate that is in the subfloor. You can nail the support pieces in temporarily and remove them later after all the walls are installed. The wall should sit on the edge of the subfloor platform.
Standing side wall
Then nail the 2 sheets of sheathing onto the 8 foot wall and stand that up. The 8 foot wall should be stood up plum and and then use braces to support it. Finish by nailing the 8 foot section onto the 12 foot section to create an L shaped corner of walls.
Standing front wall
Then stand the other 12 foot section of wall up and nail it in place on the bottom plate already nailed into the subfloor. Use the level to make sure it is completely plum and level with the other 12 foot section. End by nailing the two 12 foot sections together.
You can now lift the other 8 foot section onto the subfloor platform and install the two sheets of sheathing onto it. This was the 8 foot section previously laying in the yard. Stand up the other 8 foot section into place making sure its plum and nail it into place. Nail the bottom plate of the 8 foot wall into the bottom plate already nailed into the subfloor. Put support pieces onto the 8 foot section to hold it in place. Nail the 8 foot section to the 12 foot section so the walls are making a U shape.
Standing up side wall
I now have two 8 foot sections and one 24 foot section stood up and nailed in. These walls are also nailed to each other. Before you stand up the front 24 foot, wall you must cut a hole in the sheathing where the door will be. You must do this otherwise you will have 4 walls with no way in or out of the house. Use a circular saw to cut a rough opening in the tiny house sheathing where you can walk in and out of a door. It doesn’t have to be perfect you can clean it up later, just an opening in a doorframe.
Standing up the front wall
I was now prepared to stand up the final 24 foot wall. I pulled each 12 foot section from the yard and laid them on the subfloor platform. After nailing three sheets of sheathing onto each wall I stood them up on the bottom plate attached to the subfloor. Same process as the other walls I used a level to make sure they were plum and then used supports to brace the walls. I then nailed the walls down to the subfloor through the bottom plate.
How many sheets of sheathing do I need
| Square footage | 200 | 300 | 400 |
| Sheets of sheathing need | 30 | 45 | 60 |
Conclusion: Installing tiny house sheathing
I now had four walls! Starting to sort of look like a house.
The last step was to add some sheathing to cover up the rim joists of the subfloor platform. The current sheathing covers the walls but the rim joists of the subfloor platform need to be covered to reduce wood rot and allow the addition of siding later. The last siding that needs to be added is 8’x1’ sheets to cover the rim joists. Once complete we are ready to add a roof to cover the 4 walls.
Next Step: How to Install a Roof on a Tiny House
More resources: https://www.huberwood.com/zip-system