# Laminating top plate, spacing joins help?



## deepstuff (Jan 8, 2017)

Hi,

I'm laminating three layers of 2x6 lumber together to form the top plate of a 32' long garage wall.  We have a lot of wind.  The longest 2x6 I have available is 26' long.   

1. I have the bottom layer formed out of two 16' long pieces with join at the center of wall.

2.  Middle section is formed from two 8-foot sections, a 16-foot, and another 8-foot section.  So that there are two joins, one 8-feet from each end.

3. How should I make up the top layer?  Should I keep the joins so that they do not align up with those in either the bottom or middle layers?  Use 12'-8'-12',  or 4'-16'-12'?

Thank-you


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## nealtw (Jan 9, 2017)

Most times, the top plate is double and the joins are about 4 ft apart. So I am sure that if you are off setting the joints, it should be fine.
It is the structure above that gives resistance to wind.


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## deepstuff (Jan 9, 2017)

nealtw said:


> Most times, the top plate is double and the joins are about 4 ft apart. So I am sure that if you are off setting the joints, it should be fine.
> It is the structure above that gives resistance to wind.




Wall Is 32' long and contains two 10' wide garage doors.  It butts a lot of wind and I'm just beefing it up so I have more to brace the gable end.


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## nealtw (Jan 9, 2017)

I would check with inspectors first. It's not the normal and if they are not sure they ask for an engineers report.
With a truss gable sitting on the wall wind resistance is looked after with cat walks ( 1 x 4 ) every 10 feet and sometimes angle cat walks all laid out by the truss supplier.
The top of the gable is braced back down to the top of trusses 12 to 14 ft away. and a long gable maybe more than one angle brace.


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## slownsteady (Jan 14, 2017)

So it is actually more of a beam than a top plate. Why are you using the boards flat instead of on end?


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## JoeD (Jan 14, 2017)

Wall is 32'. Your lumber is 26'. Why would you not do it in two pieces for each layer. The less joints the stronger the wall.
I would have done
26-4: 18-12: 4-26

You should not line up any of the joints for the strongest wall.


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## slownsteady (Jan 14, 2017)

...And if I am misunderstanding, and there is adequate support over the two garage doors, why do you need such a beefy top plate? I am not a pro, so if I am off-base, I would appreciate an explanation from the pros.


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## bud16415 (Jan 14, 2017)

I also don't understand what that buys you in terms of strength with wind loads. If you have lots of wind things like hurricane strapping would be what i would do.


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## Snoonyb (Jan 14, 2017)

I use only dbl top plates and for bracing I let a dia. 2X into the top plate 10' from each corner each way. Let the wind blow.


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## slownsteady (Jan 15, 2017)

Snoonyb said:


> I use only dbl top plates and for bracing I let a dia. 2X into the top plate 10' from each corner each way. Let the wind blow.


dia. means diagonal I am guessing.........


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## Snoonyb (Jan 15, 2017)

Correct. cigar.


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## nealtw (Jan 15, 2017)

See his other thread.
http://www.houserepairtalk.com/showthread.php?t=22242


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## slownsteady (Jan 17, 2017)

...still not sure how a triple top plate protects against wind. Re: "wind" what are we talking about? Tornadoes?, hurricanes? Siroccos?????
And yes, I can appreciate a good cigar


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## nealtw (Jan 17, 2017)

He was talking about three plates instead of two, nothing fancy


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## JoeD (Jan 17, 2017)

slownsteady said:


> ...still not sure how a triple top plate protects against wind. Re: "wind" what are we talking about? Tornadoes?, hurricanes? Siroccos?????
> And yes, I can appreciate a good cigar


A 32 foot long wall with no interior walls against it is subject to serious stress when a wind blow against it. It can bow in and buckle if it is not properly engineered. It will be worse if it is a gable end cathedral ceiling.


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## slownsteady (Jan 17, 2017)

Understood. But this would be below the gable, right? Still nothing here that is behind the gable as a support. I see a mention of spanning two garage doors, but this is not a rim joist AFAIK. And even if three ply is no big diff from a standard two-ply, then I can't see...still as a homeowner, non-pro.............how it helps the initial problem.


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## nealtw (Jan 17, 2017)

slownsteady said:


> Understood. But this would be below the gable, right? Still nothing here that is behind the gable as a support. I see a mention of spanning two garage doors, but this is not a rim joist AFAIK. And even if three ply is no big diff from a standard two-ply, then I see...still as a homeowner, no-pro.............how it helps the initial problem



:agree:..........


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## bud16415 (Jan 17, 2017)

nealtw said:


> :agree:..........



:agree::agree:


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## nealtw (Jan 17, 2017)

Simpsons have all kinds of goodies to tie a building together for wind, very similar to what we do for earthquakes.
https://embed.widencdn.net/pdf/plus/ssttoolbox/kxp9dytivz/F-C-HWRCAG16.pdf?u=40wek1


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