Floor Sheathing At Balloon Framed Walls

In buildings including residential structures framing systems typically consist of the roof structure that supports the roof.

Floor sheathing at balloon framed walls.

With balloon frame construction shown below studs run full height from mud sill to the top plate to a maximum of 20 feet. Framing systems use structural elements and dimensional lumber to support the wall and sheathing. Deck exterior and interior load bearing walls beams girders posts and floor framing. The international code council icc is a non profit organization dedicated to developing model codes and standards used in the design build and compliance process.

The framing system is the structure of the building holding up the walls floors and roof. Because walls can be fabricated down on the floor the safety level for workers is higher with platform framing. Additionally smaller pieces of wood can be used on the wall frames. The sheathing shall be shown by experience to pro vide lateral support and shall be adequately fastened.

And panel sheathing products. And improved performance because the roof diaphragm is directly attached to the wall system. Instead of platform framing the walls can be framed taller and joists can hang from the top plate or a ledger attached to the wall figure 1. Platform framing utilizes less wood.

This method was popular before the 1930s and is still used on occasion for stucco and other masonry walled two story houses because such structures shrink and settle more uniformly than do platform structures. He explains the advantages of building walls tall including safety for the workers who can do more building on the ground. The technique also requires less labor. The walls are framed with 2x4s in most areas of the house.

So what options exist for the specifier to properly detail the wall to floor intersection. When stud walls in light frame construction are adequately sheathed on at least one side the depth rather than breadth of the stud shall be permitted to be taken as the least dimension in calculating the le d ra tio. A reduction in the amount of hardware needed. Framing must transfer all gravity uplift and lateral loads to the foundation.

From a comfort standpoint here in climate zone 4 we think this will be a good tradeoff to using 2 6 walls that have a moderately higher r value but a bit more thermal bridging. The sheathing offers some additional r value and it s a continuous insulation layer outside of the framing. No fire stopping is necessary because the stud spaces are enclosed by the floor platforms.