Sole Plate

When building a building, you have to anchor the building to the ground. Building on a slab requires anchor bolts to be set in the edge of the concrete. Those anchor bolts stick up through the concrete about 3 inches at regular intervals. They are a tripping hazard and in a project like mine, it may be a few days before I start framing. Kids are attracted to new concrete like a moth to a flame and those anchor bolts present a safety hazard. It is one thing to trip over one. It is another thing entirely to fall on a 3/8 threaded rod. That makes a nasty wound.

So, this morning Pawpaw put down a sole plate. A sole plate is simply a piece of 2x4 lumber bolted to the periphery of the slab. Everything on the building will be nailed to that sole plate. Three of the walls were fairly simple. Measure, drill holes and bolt it down. The fourth wall has all my drains, plumbing access, and electrical access. Putting that one down was a pain in the butt. However, it is done and the anchor bolts are in lumber and the ends are ground down to the bolts.

Pawpaw is going on vacation next week. It'll be another week before I can start framing, but the sole plate is there and we're ready to start standing lumber up.