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Building Materials HOME > PRODUCTS > BUILDING MATERIALS > SINGLE OR DOUBLE TOP PLATE—DIMINISHING RETURNS?

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Posted on: April 06, 2011 7 0

Who's In? Who's Out?


The 2018 Builder
SINGLE OR DOUBLE TOP PLATE—DIMINISHING RETURNS? 100...
With half the wood use, a single top plate seems like the smarter (and greener) option. But complicating 0
factors can quickly erode bene ts. undefined
By Tim Garrison
KB Home, BUILDER,
and a Dream Team
Green framing is a terrific concept, not much debate in that. But is there a point of diminishing returns? Yes, of course there
of...
is. Remove too much wood, and strength suffers.
0
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Take the humble top plate of a stick-framed wall, for example. For centuries builders have used the double top plate rather
than the single top plate. But seeing as the single cuts the amount of top plate lumber precisely in half, any progressive, Minto Creates a New
Division--For
green-thinking framer ought to wonder why he or she should even consider the double.
Parrotheads
0
I wasn’t around when the double was invented, but I bet I know how it became the standard.
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For one thing, joining intersecting walls is easy: overlap and nail off. The same goes for in-line joining of the plate itself: just BUILDER Honors
overlap 48-inches and slap in eight 16ds.And with a double top plate, you don’t have to worry about lining up rafter heels or Lennar as 2018
Builder of...
joists with studs. The double plate can take those loads no matter where they fall.
1

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Single or Double Top Plate—Diminishing Returns? | Builder Magazine | Lumber, Construction, Codes a... http://www.builderonline.com/products/building-materials/single-or-double-top-platediminishing-retu...

Also, nobody cared much about saving trees. undefined

Nowadays we’re deeply concerned with being green, making the single top plate a sexy option. But how to overcome the
issues of joints and rafter/joist loads that fall between studs? Fortunately, the building code folks have burnt the midnight
oil and conquered these predicaments. (See section 2308.9.2.1, 2009 IBC.)

In essence, a single can be used:

On bearing and exterior walls when joists/rafters fall within one inch of a stud, andthejoints, intersections, and
partitions are connected with a 3-inch x 6-inch galvanized steel plate with six 8ds on each side.
On interior, non bearing walls. An interesting note here: Section 2308.9.2.3 says, “single top plate installed to provide
overlapping at corners and at intersections with other walls and partitions.” So how do you overlap single top plates?
The code does allow in-line joints to be connected with a 2x, 16-inch-long block, or “1/2-inch x 1 1/2-inch metal tie with
two 16ds on each side of the joint.” That’s a tiny patch of metal with large 16d nails. I see those nails splitting the single
and poking through way too far. Why not use a bigger plate and more 8d nails?

But wait, as with most things in the building code, there’s more! Should your building be located in a moderate to high
seismic risk area (seismic design category D, E, or F—the entire West Coast as well as other U.S. areas) and the calculated
shear force in your wall exceed 350 pounds per lineal foot (a modest value), you must use 3x or double 2x boundary
members. This would include top plates, bottom plates, and at all sheathing edges. (See table 2306.3, footnote i, 2009 IBC.)
With all the rigmarole involved in using single top plates, I question whether it’s truly worthwhile. In rough numbers, given
a 1,800-square-foot home, a person could save about 400 lineal feet of interior and exterior top plate material using singles.
At 40 cents per foot, this works out to $160. But offset that with the cost of all those metal tie plates and the hassle of lining
up trusses and joists and are you truly ahead? Not to mention that you can’t even use singles in many parts of the U.S.

If I’m making the call, I’d stick with doubles and rack up framing savings elsewhere, like right-sized beams, headers, posts,
trimmers, king studs, cripples, wall studs, and foundations.

All that glitters isn’t green.

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Single or Double Top Plate—Diminishing Returns? | Builder Magazine | Lumber, Construction, Codes a... http://www.builderonline.com/products/building-materials/single-or-double-top-platediminishing-retu...

Tim Garrison, of ConstructionCalc Software, Inc., is an author, professional engineer, and speaker who lives and works in
Mount Vernon, Wash.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


TIM GARRISON

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Subject:

Lumber Construction Codes and Standards Building Codes Green Building Framing

Product Types:

Framing & Other Structural Systems, Dimensional Lumber

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Packet 1372 days ago


The only advantage in using a single top plate I see would be to get a header an inch and half higher into a
short wall for a window or door to fit. Which brings up another cheap design I have built with. No structural
headers with double rim joists above the exterior bearing wall openings in floors. The last million dollar over
priced green house built here used that cheap method and speaking as a framer I would not pay a million
dollars to have that cheap exterior headerless design in a house. I first saw this method used while joisting
a retirement building. Whats odd too is they didn't adjust with cripples below to make it look normal instead
the entire house has windows that are high and wide like 50's rambler in a 3 story building with a roof top
deck that fits a small small triangular lot. Rather hard to look out a 6020 window at the top of a 9' wall. But
its green right? 4x8 cement board siding. ROFL. Million dollar house. Some of these software engineers
have no clue what they are looking at but have to live in this neighborhood and thus it sells.

This building replaced a very small 1 story house with a small basement. Calling it green with hard bamboo
laminate and just a small modern heat pump for heat its laughable. The builder is cheat that cheated the

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Single or Double Top Plate—Diminishing Returns? | Builder Magazine | Lumber, Construction, Codes a... http://www.builderonline.com/products/building-materials/single-or-double-top-platediminishing-retu...

city on the permit process calling it a remodel claiming he would use the foundation then removed it and put
in a new one. The only green in this building is the green going into the builders pocket.

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Anonymous 2568 days ago

One of the most important non-structural functions of the double top plate is as a firestop. Three inches
nominal of wood is as good as 5/8" FRGWB
and allows 5A continuous protection without the requirement that the ceiling FRGWB be continous over the
partition construction.

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Anonymous 2568 days ago


When I read "you must use 3x or double 2x boundary members" I thought this could really be a good idea
for structure in Florida because the single 2x bottom plate has serious problems due to cross grain
bending. Why not just use a 3x bottom and 3x top plate and maybe it would add up to enough market for
someone to start selling them.

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Anonymous 2568 days ago


I have been building and remodeling since 1983 and have learned to keep my ear to the ground rather than
pitching my preferences to customers. I have not had one customer ask me for anything "green", not one. I
built a passive solar house for myself and would be happy to do the same for a client, but I'll have to hear
some interest first.

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Anonymous 2594 days ago


It is not the energy savings you think, if you use a 3.6 exterior Tuffr sheeting and Tyvek accross the studs.
Savings will not be noticed. I'd rather have a house that will not fall down during an earthquake or tornado,
than to worry about Al Gore's America. This Green crap needs to stop before someone gets hurt. I always
use double top plates and a 2x4 with a 2x6 full stud on exterior wall partitions. No more horizontal blocks for
exterior wall backing. I want to be able to sleep at night. You "Greeners" can take your treeless crap and
stuff it. My homes are one of the best in Colorado for energy efficiency and I do not use this green junk.

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Anonymous 2595 days ago


....that continuous double top plate also provides known (no searching) blocking for cornice molding, as
well as for sheetrock.......enhancing the sheetrock's capacity to serve as a structural membrane.

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Anonymous 2595 days ago

But you neglected to include the energy savings in your calculation. Replacing the wood with insulation,
especially if it is spray foam, will save energy costs every month the house is lived in. Tests indicate that
the energy savings is the big deal, not the lumber savings.
Richard C. MacCrea mountainhomeshowDOTcom

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