Framing wall intersects and outside corners

Nowhere · Oct 4, 2016

I am not on the job making sawdust. I'm in a darkened room making construction documents that carpenters will use to build.

Where an interior wall tees into an exterior wall I specify not a cluster of studs, but 2x horizontal blocking in the exterior bay or bays for the tie-in.

Less timber, more void for insulation. 24-inch centers for the cats gives all one needs for sheetrock fastening.

For the outside corners, I specify a three-stud corner plus the inside horizontal blocking for sheetrock, if the job has claps and cornerboards for exterior finish. If the outside is stucco, I go with a two stud corner and the 2x4 cats.

Again, as little timber as possible and more void for insulation.

META · Oct 4, 2016

Nowhere said:
I am not on the job making sawdust. I'm in a darkened room making construction documents that carpenters will use to build.

Where an interior wall tees into an exterior wall I specify not a cluster of studs, but 2x horizontal blocking in the exterior bay or bays for the tie-in.

Less timber, more void for insulation. 24-inch centers for the cats gives all one needs for sheetrock fastening.

For the outside corners, I specify a three-stud corner plus the inside horizontal blocking for sheetrock, if the job has claps and cornerboards for exterior finish. If the outside is stucco, I go with a two stud corner and the 2x4 cats.

Again, as little timber as possible and more void for insulation.

Why the "2x4 cats" on the three stud exterior corner? I just use three studs, unless the stud is warped and I can't get a clean and straight bead for the drywall.

Nowhere · Oct 4, 2016

It's all about the drywall. And maxing the void into which we can put cellulose dens-pac. SPF's a lousy insulator. Pictured below.

I built without the cats, no stud backing, told my rocker to use the Simpson clips. He didn't, spiked some scrap there for something to screw to. I said WTF and have done cats since.

The two walls teeing into a 16-o.c. exterior wall scene used actual dimensions from a job where a closet at 2'1" depth was up against an exterior wall.

greg24k · Oct 4, 2016

You tie your wall in at the top plate, blocking is pretty much there so first stud can be fastened to it to stiffen the corner up to prevent movement.

Nobody uses "cluster of studs" unless there is a header or a some sort of a point load bearing from above. You have your typical 2 studs on each side of the wall and usually 3 pieces of blocking,i.e top mid span and at the bottom plate.

Give this to your framing crew or buy them a book Framing 101 :thumbsup:

Nowhere · Oct 4, 2016

I could show you clusters, but you would not be interested. The spanish framers here use a full length stud where you are showing blocks.

Racimo is cluster in espanol. Maybe "cut me some blocks" doesn't translate. I'm learning it, but have a way to go.

My wall has exterior studs at 16" and I wish it were 24" but everyone thinks I'm crazy.

Your wall, in the case of my closet layout, has four extra studs in that exterior wall, and if you think that's OK, I don't. Every stud in an exterior wall is a conduit for the heat the property owner paid dear money for. And every cubic inch of timber costs money.

Winter started here already up in the high country, where a couple of the passes were closed this morning. We'll get our first freeze this week, and if I drive around a little past dawn and see the stud witness lines in the Hardiplank side elevations, the heat bleeding through enough to clear the condensation the cold makes on the house exteriors.

It's even easier to see in the tracts where vinyl is king.

Tying in the top plates at the intersect? Duh. My bad. Forgot that in my model, and will correct.

META · Oct 4, 2016

You can eliminate the blocking and only use three studs on outside corners.

platinumLLC · Oct 4, 2016

META said:
You can eliminate the blocking and only use three studs on outside corners.

This is how we do it also. Allows for the best insulation in my opinion.

gbruzze1 · Oct 4, 2016

Outside corners get California corners, as we call them. I believe it's what Meta was illustrating.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nowhere · Oct 4, 2016

As was said in post 1, if doing stucco we'd do the two stud corner, plus the 2x4 cats. We're doing 4.5 inch corner boards and clapboards for finish, and want some nailing for the corners and first-nail on the claps, thus the two-way 2x6s.

I'm rounding numbers, but a two-buck stud will make six cats and do two 8 foot corners, whereas it takes two three-buck 2x6s to do the three stud corner, one to the inside for sheetrock nailing.

sunkist · Oct 4, 2016

Great thread

txgencon · Oct 5, 2016

I do California corners and Ts are made with a 2x6 and a 2x4 (if the interior wall is 2x4). Not sure what the Ts are called when made that way.

Golden view · Oct 5, 2016

txgencon said:
I do California corners and Ts are made with a 2x6 and a 2x4 (if the interior wall is 2x4). Not sure what the Ts are called when made that way.

I was going to mention this method. Have to figure in labor. Possibly a precut stud vs 3 horizontal blocks, marking spacing, installing, etc. Plus stronger drywall backing.

tjbnwi · Oct 5, 2016

Califorina corners on all intersections.

Tom

Rio · Oct 5, 2016

For insulation, in addition to the batts in the bays continuous foam sheets are going to become the norm in California with the new energy code cycle coming up. It actually already is per the prescriptive energy code but has been relatively easy to do a work around with specialized software but it's almost going to be impossible to do so starting this January.

It does make sense from an insulation point of view but brings up a bunch of other issues that have to be addressed.

dutchroots2 · Oct 5, 2016

txgencon said:
I do California corners and Ts are made with a 2x6 and a 2x4 (if the interior wall is 2x4). Not sure what the Ts are called when made that way.

We do this, too. But sometimes the 2x6 warps and makes the corners for drywall a little difficult, so you might end up sticking some blocking in there anyway to keep things in line.

dutchroots2 · Oct 5, 2016

I like having solid blocking on all corners, at the very least at the bottom for baseboards. Also nice to have something solid inside closet corners in case you need to nail shelf cleats.

Texas Wax · Oct 5, 2016

Nowhere said:
I am not on the job making sawdust. I'm in a darkened room making construction documents that carpenters will use to build.

California corners all day long.

:laughing: You really believe the carpenters look that close at the "funny papers" anyway?

ScipioAfricanus · Oct 5, 2016

Texas Wax said:
California corners all day long.

:laughing: You really believe the carpenters look that close at the "funny papers" anyway?

Ha!

This is exactly why I do not specify any type of framing other than stud size, span and other very general specs.

Carpenters here would have my guts for garters if they thought I was dictating to hem how to frame a house or they would find me and hound about how stupid it is to frame this particular way as it is not the way they do it.

Andy.

dutchroots2 · Oct 5, 2016

ScipioAfricanus said:
Ha!

This is exactly why I do not specify any type of framing other than stud size, span and other very general specs.

Carpenters here would have my guts for garters if they thought I was dictating to hem how to frame a house or they would find me and hound about how stupid it is to frame this particular way as it is not the way they do it.

Andy.

There are some builders in my area (and yours too, I'm sure) that have their framing materials figured down to the last stick. All studs 24" on center, floor joists also 24" on center, absolute minimum of bracing, backing, "superior" foundation walls, etc. If you get near the end of the job and run out of material you have to pay for whatever else you need.

I don't work for those guys, and I pity the people that do.

Texas Wax · Oct 5, 2016

dutchroots2 said:
There are some builders in my area (and yours too, I'm sure) that have their framing materials figured down to the last stick. All studs 24" on center, floor joists also 24" on center, absolute minimum of bracing, backing, "superior" foundation walls, etc. If you get near the end of the job and run out of material you have to pay for whatever else you need.

I don't work for those guys, and I pity the people that do.

Their fricken foundations and drawings best be spot on, right? :laughing:

Framing wall intersects and outside corners

Nowhere

META

Nowhere

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greg24k

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Nowhere

META

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platinumLLC

gbruzze1

Nowhere

sunkist

txgencon

Golden view

tjbnwi

Rio

dutchroots2

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Texas Wax

ScipioAfricanus

dutchroots2

Texas Wax

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