SELECTED HOME SAFETY STRUCTURE DETAIL CONSIDERATIONS

6)  Narrow return, or weak returns (e.g., short walls at corners on one or both sides of a garage or garage vehicle doors) 

a)     shall be defined as

i)       an exterior wall at a corner (usually next to a garage door)

ii)     less than 3 linear feet wide

b)     shall be braced and fastened to code, except that Home Safety - Fastening hereunder shall take precedences

c)     the proximate header

i)       shall be extended tight to the 4-stud corner and

ii)     supported at its terminus by not less than 1 jack stud

d)   the preservative-treated sill plate or mudsill shall be tripled

i)       therewith requiring a longer pair of anchor bolts

ii)     therewith requiring a longer hold-down

iii)   which extra two members shall be set BETWEEN studs and NOT BELOW them

g)     plywood sheathing shall extend not less than 4 linear feet from the weak return’s interior jack stud

i)       with not less than 16d deformed, galvanized nails

ii)     at not greater than 6 linear inches on center both ways

7)  A collar tie

a)     shall be of not less than 2 linear inches x 6 linear inches lumber on not greater than 48 linear inches centers

b)     shall not be greater than 1/3 of the rise from the ridge bottom of face to the collar tie bottom of face

c)      shall not be applied in lieu of ceiling joists or rafter beams

8)  A rafter beam, or rafter tie, or tie beam  

  a)     as distinct member or as ceiling joists

  b)     may be elevated over their rest on top plate top of face for a raised ceiling or for increased structural stability

  c)      by not greater than 1/3 rise as measured from top plate top of face to joist top of face

  d)     if applied in lieu of a ceiling joist, the rafter beam shall be sized as a ceiling joist

9)     Top plates butt joints – both upper and lower top plates 

a)     shall be supported by not less than 1 stud

b)     set to share both butts equally

a)     shall be overlapped at corners and wall intersections

b)     laps shall be staggered at not less than 4 linear feet

c)      laps shall be fastened with not less than 18-16d common nails evenly spaced, not less than nine on each side of a lap

d)     shall be continuous over cripple studs

10)     In wall studs

a)     notch depth shall be limited to 20% of the actual (not nominal) stud depth whether load-bearing or nonload-bearing

b)     bored holes in nonload-bearing studs

i)        shall be limited to 40% of actual (not nominal) stud depth and

ii)      shall be limited to 60% of the actual (not nominal) double- stud depth and

iii)    shall be on-center

c)      bored holes in load-bearing studs

i)        shall be limited 20% of the actual (not nominal) stud depth and

ii)      shall be limited to 60% of the actual (not nominal) double-stud depth and

iii)    shall be on-center

d)     a notch or a bore shall not be made within 3 linear inches of a butt

e)     a notch or a bore shall not be made within the middle third of a member as measured in length not width

f)     a notch and a bore shall not occur in the same stud and

g)      only one notch or (not “and”) one bore shall occur in the same stud

11)     Exterior, right-angle corners shall be built of not less than 4 studs, laid out as depicted in Four-Stud Corner, Section in Plan View, of not less than 2x6 members

a)     in applications of significant wall amendment by large or numerous door or window features

i)        then each header shall be strapped

ii)      with longest appropriate length of Simpson TS or equivalent

iii)    from header, across top plates, and onto either ceiling joists or braces to ceiling joists or

iv)    by solid blocking or bracing

        b)  in any case at not greater than 24 linear inches on center

12 )   There shall be no framing member that is

        a) standard or utility grade lumber

        b) including

              i)    all lumber in quality less than #2

              ii)   lumber finger-jointed

              iii) lumber end-jointed 

               iv) members scabbed 

                v) members butted  

               vi) members spliced

. . . . . . .