Hello All,
I’m designing a house right now and have framed a few at Habitat for Humanities. Couple of details; full basement on ICF’s one story with 9 foot ceilings. How would you run your sheathing? I’m guessing minimum code says a 4×8 shear panel at each corner and every 25 feet of wall. I’m planning on all 1/2 plywood or osb for exterior sheathing.
Do you tie the wall and run your sheathing over the rim joist and mud sill? I have seen local builders stop it at the bottom wall plate and add a strip to cover the rim and sill. Others I have seen stop the sheathing at the bottom wall plate flush with the rim joist. What about 9 foot ceilings? Run the sheets horizontally and tie it from the mud sill up the gable? Thanks in advance?
John
Useless things in aviation. 1. Altitude above you. 2 Runway behind you. 3 Fuel in the fuel truck.
Replies
Run the sheathing however you want to. If you get 20 answers here, you will get 10 different methods. Our local code officials require blocking on any shear panel sheathing joints that do not occur on studs. We don't run it horizontally around here, but have the same requirement of on the corners and every 25'. Since you will have 9' walls and probably 8' sheets you are going to have sheathing joints in the shear panels anyway, so if you want to run the full sheets down on the rim, go ahead. The only disadvantage will be that you will not be able to sheath your walls before standing them - 1 story house - probably not a big deal. If you plan on hiring framers, you may have to pay a bit extra for this.
9 foot walls? I would use 10 foot sheets vertically, lapping them fully onto the rim joist and both top plates.