(http://www.watchspot.net/ebay2007/upper.jpg)We are building the universal 2 story which has a lot of walls on the 2nd floor. I understand that the 2nd top plate on the exterior walls should ovelap the corners and if the wall is built in multiple sections it should over lap the joints in those wall sections by 4 feet.
My question is regarding interior walls and their location respective to the laps. Can I have interiors wall lapping into the exterior wall within 4 feet of the end of one of my multiple wall sections on the exterior wall?
Take the picutre above for example. If I build the 32' exterior wall which runs by the bathroom in the middle of the house (long wall at the top of the page) in two 16' sections will my building inspector reject my double top plate lapping since the splice in the exterior wall is only about 2.5 feet from where the each of the interior walls making up the bathroom lap in?
What I do in cases like that is cut out a U shaped knotch leaving 3 1/2" of 2x6 exterior top plate , you have a 2" interior plate lap which is more than enought along with the nails that nail the interior stud to the exterior backer.
So run your exterior wall top plate as a 16' IF thats the lenghts you have centering it on the subplate splice.
BTW the knotch does not need to be rounded in the corners like a U. Closest thing on the key board, that I know of, for a visual reference.
thanks for the tip.