shear wall question

[countryborn]

We need to have a brace wall near the middle of one of the 48' long walls.  We have the wall framed in.  On one side will be the utility room, on the other, the stairs down to the basement.  Does it matter on which side we attach the 1/2" CDX plywood that will make this the brace wall?  (I know the nailing pattern - 4" o.c. on edges, 6" in the field)
I think it should go on the room side, husband thinks on the stair side.
Does it matter?
should the plywood sheets be vertical or horizontal?   Does that matter?
Do I have to ask the local building inspectors?  That office is closed on Fridays, to reduce operating costs.
Thank you

[PEG688]

If it's a 4 foot  interior brace wall they make us sheet both sides.

So this is a wall 90 deg. to a long exterior wall?  If so both sides nail all edges, generally the easiest way to meet that requirement, nail all edges is to soldier the sheets.

  You could wait, on the inspector, or just do it , your only looking at one extra sheet.

Another thing to consider is any wiring that may be in that wall, generally we put at least one outlet in those walls and we leave one side "off" for the electrical inspector but we have it tacked up for the building insp. so he knows we'll be sheathing that wall on both sides.

       

[countryborn]

It is perpendicular to the long wall, & 9' long, so long enough we only have to sheet one side with the sturdier material & tight nail pattern.  But will sheet both sides, one with CDX plywood.
Does it matter if the the sheet goods are running horizontal or vertical?  We have some disagreement in the ranks here.

[MountainDon]

While placing the sheets horizontally does seem to provide more bracing it also raises the question of requiring blocking along a long side, to enable that edge to nailed properly. Most often these panels are placed vertically with all 4 edges on studs or plates. The inspector would be the last word on what they want to see.

[PEG688]

It is perpendicular to the long wall, & 9' long, so long enough we only have to sheet one side with the sturdier material & tight nail pattern.  But will sheet both sides, one with CDX plywood.
Does it matter if the the sheet goods are running horizontal or vertical?  We have some disagreement in the ranks here.

 I don't think  the "length" of the interior brace wall matters as far as sheathing it.

Yes you'd have to "fir"out the rest of the wall but I think , (((((and very well could be either misunderstanding your question or just flat out wrong,)) that the first 4' provides the "letter of the code/ law" the rest of the wall does NOT really have to be there.
So when you say it's 9' long and you only need to do one side I sort of question that aspect of your statement.

 I answered the where horizontal or vertical or "soldered" =  stood the   long way. with the comment that all edges need to be nailed , so IF you lay the sheets horizontally you add a row of blocking and "nail all edges at the shear wall spacing.

So to save labor ( mainly)  and blocking materails ( which generally there are plenty of 14 1/2" blocks left over and isn't really a added cost as you have them )  So the time is all you are out, if you have 4'x4' sheets left over I'd use them IF that saves $$ .

Maybe DonP should / could  chime in he's really up on the codes and how inspectors interpret said codes.


Good luck , let us know what the inspector says when you are done or after you ask him/ her. 
 




 

[countryborn]

re: length of brace wall panel - I know it needs to be at least 4' long.  Seems to me that in our county if the wall is 8' long, it needs to meet brace wall requirements on only one side.  of course we will have both sides sheeted, the only question is, do we need 1/2" material & the tight nailing pattern on both side?
County offices are open only 4 days/week now, that is why I didn't ask them yesterday.  and I work all the days they are open.
will let you know what I find out, thanks. 

[PEG688]

 Yanno I was thinking I've done a few "interior brace walls panels" that where sheeted with 1/2" Drywall on both sides the the only requirements where nailed all edges, at 4"OC , 6" in field,   8'  lineal feet of wall  had to be done that way, IIRC both sides also had to be sheeted that same way.

We stood the first two sheet vertically, and the sheet-rockers screwed off per the set schedule.

The good thing about this was the wall didn't need to be sheeted with ply or OSB then "redone" with D/W.

 You might ask about that idea, it may save you a step and some dollars.

   

[Don_P]

This is the Oregon version of the IRC;
http://www2.iccsafe.org/states/oregon/08_Residential/08Res_Frameset.html
This is the index of all their codebooks;
http://www2.iccsafe.org/states/oregon/

Walls, chapter 6 of the IRC, contains the bracing info. Your requirements are more stringent than mine.
My wall chapter is 3.81Mb yours is over 16Mb. All I'd be doing is reading along with you. Actually I'm on dialup and haven't been able to stay on long enough to get it, you'll have it read and figured out by the time I get it downloaded  .

[PEG688]

Well I'm disappointed Don I figured you had every code committed to memory

Those PDF down loads, YUK! 

I wish they where available in some other format, my lap top doesn't do PDF's. 

[Don_P]

Not even close to committed to memory PEG, I struggle to keep up anymore.

I wish they where available in some other format, my lap top doesn't do PDF's.  

A carpenter should have a print copy, it's also easier to use for me.  With the exception of Seattle I don't think WA posts their codes online. I'm pretty fair on producing a good frame, the front half of the book. I rely on subs knowledge alot as I move towards the back of the book, and that's alot of ground. Wall bracing really varies and alot of it reads to me something like "do it this way, except on Tuesday". For us a braced wall would be 4' of length if ply or osb, 8' of wall if sheetrock,1 side, no need to nail all edges, although I would. When the word switches from "braced wall" to "shear wall" is I believe the trigger for nailing all edges... not positive of that though.

There is more generic info on the wallbracing.org site.

[Don_P]

countryborn, How'd it go?

These updates from APA came in the email today, still generic, a day late and a dollar short
form F430, Introduction to Wall Bracing ;
http://newsletter.apawood.org/t?r=1364&c=745071&l=32503&ctl=147B356:DF7C5A50A119C3E1F95E010775B419F5CD3A4514C61A116D&

form K325, Designing for Combined Shear and Uplift,
http://newsletter.apawood.org/t?r=1364&c=745071&l=32503&ctl=147B354:DF7C5A50A119C3E1F95E010775B419F5CD3A4514C61A116D&