# Help: How to fix a wall plate.



## Fitzroy (15 Oct 2021)

Replacing the roof on an outhouse. Pulled the old one off and plan to put a wall plate on the top of the brickwork to build from. 

I plan to drill holes and use a chemical anchor and threaded bar to hold in place. 

There is a gap under the timber as the top of the brickwork is not flush. I was thinking of a layer of DPM under the timber, but do I then bed it in some mortar or something else?

Fitz.


----------



## baldkev (15 Oct 2021)

Heya, usually the wallplate gets bedded down on a sand/cement bed and screws/ plugs to hold it down ( i usually do that after cement has gone off. ) also, don't forget the backstraps , which are inverted L shape straps, screwed to the 4x2 on to and down the wall inside the building. Dpc shouldnt be necessary as the eaves usually overhang, then fascia, so the wallplate is usually above the lowest points anyway. On a twin skin wall, the wallplate sits on the inner skin with exterior skin blockwork filling inbetween rafters


----------



## baldkev (15 Oct 2021)

P.s, if you wanted to, you can use short screws on the underside of the plate so they grip into the cement while its going off. Its also worth using good straight timbers for the plate


----------



## Fitzroy (15 Oct 2021)

@baldkev thanks so much for an amazing speedy reply!


----------



## Jones (16 Oct 2021)

Not much to add to Baldkev but try and make sure wall plates are parallel even if walls are not, that way you can pattern cut rafters and roofings a much quicker and easier job.


----------



## Lard (16 Oct 2021)

Here you go…..


----------



## TomGW (16 Oct 2021)

This building appears to be un-rendered, bare brick/block and single skin. In that case I would use a dpc under the wall plate, as you will get rising damp from rain soaked walls. 
Is it a flat roof building, or is there a gable to be rebuilt?


----------



## Fitzroy (16 Oct 2021)

Yes single skin wall, I think originally heavily lime washed in Victorian times, all crumbling off now. Flat roof, was corrugated iron, will be EPDM. 

The back wall was wet when I drilled holes for chemical anchor and threaded rod, so I stapled a layer of spare epdm on the back of the wall plates.

A long slog of a day but ended with a roof base up and a temporary tarp over it. Just as the rain arrived. 

Thanks for all the advice. Fitz


----------

