Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum banner
21 - 37 of 37 Posts
The plans you guys frame from must be detailed and well put together. I have never seen a plan that calls out specific fasteners for wall sheathing. Perhaps I am not looking at it well enough or our plans suck. I am leaning toward the latter. I only brought this up because 8d nails have more shear strength than staples. I was going to suggest we use 8d's instead of staples on every wall, not just the shear walls at my work, but wanted to know what everyone else was doing.
They are.

 
I always use 8d ring shanks with full round heads. 9 nails on the butts and 7 in the field. Sheathing is ran horizontally.:thumbsup:
 
Is this a King County thing?

As far as I know King County is using the IRC code same as every other county in the state, and staples are allowed under the IRC, except in engineered shear panels where 8d nails are specified. A engineered shear panel can be specified with staples and is allowed in the IRC, but most engineers just specify 8d's.

Check IRC Table R602.3(2)

I looked at the King County DDES website, and I didn't see any exceptions or sections not adopted applying to this. The only chapters not adopted are 11, and 25 thru 40.

16.05.010 Adoption. The International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings Code, as amended in chapter 51-52 WAC, effective July 1, 2007, as published by or jointly with the International Code Council, Inc., together with appendices, amendments, additions, deletions and exceptions hereinafter adopted by reference, together with the Washington state building code and with King County modifications which shall be adopted and codified in this chapter are adopted as the King County International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings code and hereinafter referred to as the International Residential Code, "IRC." Chapter 11 and Chapters 25 through 40 are not adopted. The energy code is regulated by chapter 51-11 WAC; the plumbing code is regulated by chapter 51-56 WAC; the electrical code is regulated by chapter 296-46B WAC; and Appendix G is included in adoption of the International Residential Code. (Ord. 15802 § 74, 2007: Ord. 14914 § 269, 2004).
I haven't looked into it that much. I learned by word of mouth, I remember people were trying to sell their staple guns because staples weren't allowed anymore.
 
Around here, we use 7/16 osb, 7/16 staple's, and staple per plans for residential.

However 8d's are code on commercial projects, osb or cdx. Flush Nailer's are required to keep from over-penetrating though!

:rolleyes:
 
Is this a King County thing?

As far as I know King County is using the IRC code same as every other county in the state, and staples are allowed under the IRC, except in engineered shear panels where 8d nails are specified. A engineered shear panel can be specified with staples and is allowed in the IRC, but most engineers just specify 8d's.
I used to do most of my work in northern Minnesota. Now I'm living and working in the Seattle / Bellingham areas of Washington.

Even though the code in both states is based on the IRC the difference in terms of strictness and enforcement regarding both plans and construction is shocking.

In northern Minnesota you could throw up anything. Nails, staples, whatever... Heck you might be able to get away with slapping on a load of construction adhesive as long as you can get the sheathing to stick long enough to bond.

Here in Washington things are much more strict. My current project has plans that specify nailing schedules in great detail on each section of the house (8d except on the ABWPs which have 10d). Granted the seismic requirements here are not an issue in Minnesota. It was still shocking how much more difficult it is to get to the point where you can even pick up a hammer in Washington.
 
We shoot whatever the print or GC specify. Also if thers no spec then follow manufactures recomendation on staples or nail pattern. Staples are faster and less expensive and if its not specethere great. Ive framed quite a few where the engineer put an optional schedule for staples move 6 edge 12 field to 4 edge 12 field 16 gauge staples 4 inch edge was 2 in oc and there was even portal frame with 3 rows 2 oc. Still way faster and cheaper than nails.
 
I always consider any sheathing on bearing walls structural. So I always use 8's. Full round head ring shank galv. Or hand 8's galv common. No box nails. The only thing I use staples for is stuff that needs to be temporarily held in place before something else gets nailed over it. Used staples on cedar sidewall shingles till i had to pull some with the rip. Now back to nails only with shingles.
 
I used to do most of my work in northern Minnesota. Now I'm living and working in the Seattle / Bellingham areas of Washington.

Even though the code in both states is based on the IRC the difference in terms of strictness and enforcement regarding both plans and construction is shocking.

In northern Minnesota you could throw up anything. Nails, staples, whatever... Heck you might be able to get away with slapping on a load of construction adhesive as long as you can get the sheathing to stick long enough to bond.

Here in Washington things are much more strict. My current project has plans that specify nailing schedules in great detail on each section of the house (8d except on the ABWPs which have 10d). Granted the seismic requirements here are not an issue in Minnesota. It was still shocking how much more difficult it is to get to the point where you can even pick up a hammer in Washington.

Welcome to the land of seismic, wind, and snow loads.

And yes some of these engineers go a little overboard, I think just to cover themselves and make sure the plan gets approved. Kind of funny when you see 2 similar approved plans engineered by different engineers and how overboard one will be.
 
21 - 37 of 37 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top