I wasn't planning on framing up the second floor in my garage build. However circumstances have changed and now I have started to put up walls. However where the top plate meets the other top plate I can't splice them together since it's been framed. Any ideas on how to correct this so it will pass a framing inspection? Thank you!
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Top plate question
- Thread starter anomm701
- Start date
duneslider
Well-known member
I'm pretty sure interior walls don't have to be spliced in. Technically, they don't even need to be double top plate. The double top plate is for when trusses or floor joists don't line up directly over the top of a stud. Is the engineer calling out the splice?
There are advanced framing techniques in the code that allow for single top plates on exterior walls also. I have also seen a growing number of passive house designs that call for the ceiling to be fully drywalled before the interior walls are installed. These houses don't have the walls top plates spliced in from what I have seen.
There are advanced framing techniques in the code that allow for single top plates on exterior walls also. I have also seen a growing number of passive house designs that call for the ceiling to be fully drywalled before the interior walls are installed. These houses don't have the walls top plates spliced in from what I have seen.
No engineered plans just drew them up myselfI'm pretty sure interior walls don't have to be spliced in. Technically, they don't even need to be double top plate. The double top plate is for when trusses or floor joists don't line up directly over the top of a stud. Is the engineer calling out the splice?
There are advanced framing techniques in the code that allow for single top plates on exterior walls also. I have also seen a growing number of passive house designs that call for the ceiling to be fully drywalled before the interior walls are installed. These houses don't have the walls top plates spliced in from what I have seen.
duneslider
Well-known member
I don't think you need to splice in the top plates then. I don't have my code book in front of me but I am pretty sure interior walls don't need to be. I think simpson does make a splice plate that can be used in single top plate construction. I also want to say there is a provision for adding a Splice piece of wood over or under the splice.
Thank you I'll check out Lowe's tomorrow! I appreciate itI don't think you need to splice in the top plates then. I don't have my code book in front of me but I am pretty sure interior walls don't need to be. I think simpson does make a splice plate that can be used in single top plate construction. I also want to say there is a provision for adding a Splice piece of wood over or under the splice.
Toolfool
Well-known member
Last house I framed ( 6-7 years ago ) , interior walls had to be spliced into exterior walls (ext. walls were 2x6 ). Splice was only to be half the width of the ext wall top plate, not a complete pocket ( we said WTF ). We ended up just notching out the top plate with an oscillating tool as we framed interior walls.
billconner
Well-known member
Very few rules for non load bearing walls.
Jeff C
Well-known member
Ask whoever will be doing the inspection but typically use a Simpson TP37 plate or something equivalent.
duneslider
Well-known member
I checked my code book (IRC 2015 but I doubt this has changed in more recent editions). Non-bearing walls don't have to be tied in and if you can't splice in a metal plate can be used 3" x 6" x .036" or 3" x 8" x .036 (depending on seismic design area). With 6 or 9 8d nails each side. Simpsons splice plates most likely will not be this same size or the same nailing as they are an engineered product and will meet or exceed this requirement.
Since these are non-bearing walls don't worry about it, just nail them so they won't tip over.
Since these are non-bearing walls don't worry about it, just nail them so they won't tip over.
Innovate1
Well-known member
Depends on where you are. I don't live there any longer but the pacific northwest has rules that interior walls must be a minimum spacing and have more than drywall on one side (as I recall) for bracing for earthquakes. I am sure there must be some requirement to tie these to the exterior walls as they are intended for support of the exterior walls.I checked my code book (IRC 2015 but I doubt this has changed in more recent editions). Non-bearing walls don't have to be tied in and if you can't splice in a metal plate can be used 3" x 6" x .036" or 3" x 8" x .036 (depending on seismic design area). With 6 or 9 8d nails each side. Simpsons splice plates most likely will not be this same size or the same nailing as they are an engineered product and will meet or exceed this requirement.
Since these are non-bearing walls don't worry about it, just nail them so they won't tip over.
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Unless there's a truss sitting where it meets, I would just cut it with a recip saw.
While it may not be required, I would rather have a double top plate for the extra strength and to help tie it all together.
While it may not be required, I would rather have a double top plate for the extra strength and to help tie it all together.
duneslider
Well-known member
They are only intended to brace the exterior walls if they were designed that way. In this case it is the OP's garage that was NOT designed with interior walls and he is adding them later. Whether the wall is there or not the structure is sound and the walls are not needed to provide any support to anything but creating a partition within the structure.Depends on where you are. I don't live there any longer but the pacific northwest has rules that interior walls must be a minimum spacing and have more than drywall on one side (as I recall) for bracing for earthquakes. I am sure there must be some requirement to tie these to the exterior walls as they are intended for support of the exterior walls.
Innovate1
Well-known member
Maybe for this case but you stated that no tie was required by code which is what I was saying may not be true depending on location. And it isn't clear to me from the original post that this is an addition to a completed structure. In any case, the best bet is to ask the AHJ what is needed since the OP clearly stated they were concerned with passing inspection.They are only intended to brace the exterior walls if they were designed that way. In this case it is the OP's garage that was NOT designed with interior walls and he is adding them later. Whether the wall is there or not the structure is sound and the walls are not needed to provide any support to anything but creating a partition within the structure.
billconner
Well-known member
Some confusion in
so maybe these are load bearing walls. Still, could be independent of exterior walls. Hard to tell based on information available but still doubt top plates have to overlap for code.I wasn't planning on framing up the second floor in my garage build. However circumstances have changed and now I have started to put up walls.
Thank youI checked my code book (IRC 2015 but I doubt this has changed in more recent editions). Non-bearing walls don't have to be tied in and if you can't splice in a metal plate can be used 3" x 6" x .036" or 3" x 8" x .036 (depending on seismic design area). With 6 or 9 8d nails each side. Simpsons splice plates most likely will not be this same size or the same nailing as they are an engineered product and will meet or exceed this requirement.
Since these are non-bearing walls don't worry about it, just nail them so they won't tip over.
rayra
Well-known member
You could plunge cut it with an oscillating saw. But easier to put a piece of blocking at the top of the wall cavity, mounted flush vertically to the new wall, as an attachment point. If the new wall doesn't abut a stud / falls on a stud bay.
claymont
Well-known member
Non-loadbearing, I put a stud in the existing wall widthwise where the new wall will be and tie it to that. Load-bearing, I cut the double top plate out to make room for the intersecting double top plate and support each cut side with a stud, and sandwich a stud widthwise between them. Some just use blocking, but I like using a full stud.I wasn't planning on framing up the second floor in my garage build. However circumstances have changed and now I have started to put up walls. However where the top plate meets the other top plate I can't splice them together since it's been framed. Any ideas on how to correct this so it will pass a framing inspection? Thank you!
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Overlapping top plates is not the only way to tie a wall together and it isn't even the "best", it's just easiest when framing. If they need to be tied together, a Simpson strap will be stronger anyway, not that it needs it