Types of Bracing in Carpentry

Temporary Construction Bracing

• Temporary construction bracing holds stand-alone frame elements like trusses and stud walls in place, helping them resist wind gusts and gravity as they're tied into the rest of the structure. For example, as trusses are placed on the plate line, they'll tend to roll left or right due to their top-heavy nature -- a tendency amplified by wind. Bracing holds the trusses in alignment while they are tied together through roof sheathing.

Web Lateral Brace

• A web lateral brace is permanent bracing that runs horizontally, connecting to the side of each main truss riser. This brace, along with the bottom chord lateral brace, provides the majority of lateral stability for the truss system. On wall structures, this horizontal system is used to temporarily brace wall sections as they're raised into position.

Web Diagonal Brace

• A web diagonal brace is permanently placed between the last two trusses on both ends of a roof, above and below the lateral brace at opposing angles. Additionally, these braces are used to temporarily stabilize the corners of wall sections, from the plate line to the outer stud, as the wall is raised into place.

Heel Blocking

• On top of the plate line and between each truss end is a section of frame that needs to be filled to later facilitate containing ceiling insulation. Heel blocking ties in the end of each to discourage twisting and torsion as the frame loses moisture.