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What do you nail your wall sheathing with?

115K views 36 replies 28 participants last post by  PA woodbutcher 
#1 ·
I was wondering what you guys nail your wall sheathing with? 7'16" crown staples or 8d nails? That new shear wall code requires 8d nails every three inches on some walls and it made me question why we stapled everywhere else.
 
#2 ·
Anytime we use real plywood, we always use nails. Whenever it is osb, we use staples. The nails tend to blow apart the osb, while the staples don't seem to have the holding power to prevent the plywood from lifting. Shear walls specifically call for nailing and sometimes other hardware, as well as different header details.
 
#7 ·
8's and the quick adjust tips on the guns make all the difference in the world, seems to be alot easier for me to just pull it back a click or two vs messing with air pressure, some of my guns get rather finicky at anything below 100psi.

We did help recently on a big room addition, the guy who sold it never had the materials needed for the job and we ran him out of nails sheeting everything so he brings up a staple gun and staples. I've seen it done a few times, but it was my stubborn state of mind to get the job done with what i am used to doing so i just lent out some nails from my stash.

With staples do you have to fire more in frequently in the feilds and butts?
 
#14 · (Edited)
Since I still have my old ancient Bostitch sheathing stapler and a pallet of galvanized staples I still use staples, and use 8d nails on the shear panels.

And 1/2" crown not 7/16", and never have a problem with them pulling out, They seem to stay in better than the nails, and if a panel has to be pulled off will rip right through the wood and stay in the stud instead of pulling out of the stud with the panel.
 
#16 ·
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).
 
#25 ·
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.
 
#17 ·
Just replying

I'm going to have to jump on the 8d bandwagon. As long as I've been swinging a club people have been using 8's. I've never actually used staples to fasten sheathing to a wall. I've had to remove it before and usually whosoever initially applied it decided it would be a good idea to use no less than 167 staples per sheet. Now that wouldn't be a problem except when I was a young lad starting out and encountered said situation, job safety was, (as it should be) a must. So I was therefore required to remove all 167 fasteners from the sheet, and boy was it fun. Yes, I understand that one must remove nails as well, however, it's not very often you encounter some trigger happy fella that wants to see just how many nails a standard sheet of plywood can accommodate. So, yeah, 8d ring shank has been the norm to which I've encountered. Just sayin...
 
#20 ·
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.
 
#21 · (Edited)
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.

 
#31 ·
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.
 
#32 ·
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.
 
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