Great information. I have been watching a lot of your videos to help me understand how to do retrofitting on my house. Thanks for spending the time to do these very helpful videos. I have some plans from a structural engineer - approved by the building department in San Diego - who specified 6" on center for the staggered edge nailing although from what I have been reading and watching it should be more like 3 - 4". Presumably the 6" will pass code as it's on the approved plans? What is your opinion about this?
6" is the minium. Why not go for 3" and double the capacity. He might be worried about overturning and the need for hold downs. Look at my video on hold downs. I don't think they are a big deal and I always prefer nailing as close as I can so long as the framing does not split. Shoot some nails into the framing without plywood on it and see how close you can go without splitting the wood. Try and get good studs, pick them out carefully. The tree farm wood is often very low quality.
Hi Howard, Nail charts state that an 8D's nail shank and length are 0.134" x 2 1/2", respectively, but I'm only able to find .131" x 3" nails for my 21 degree nail gun. Can you please confirm the required nail dimensions for 1/2" structural plywood on 2x4 studs? Also, do the nails have to be ring shank? Your expertise would be much appreciated as well as any brand recommendation. Thanks for the great videos!
Hi Howard, Nail charts state that an 8D's nail shank and length are 0.134" x 2 1/2", respectively, but I'm only able to find .131" x 3" nails for my 21 degree nail gun. 8d nail diameters vary between common, box, or sinker nails. It looks like ring shanked is 0.134. If you look at the video on How to Build Shear Walls at the bottom corner of the homepage it should answer all your questions. I prefer to use 10d common "shorts" 2 1/8 or 2 1/4" long. None of the tests were done with ring shank so I am not sure about that. Please do some research and post it here so all of us can learn. The brand does not matter, they are all code approved. I am delighted the videos are helping you and you even watched one of them which I only expected one or two people to ever watch. I just find this kind of thing interesting and am happy to meet someone else who also does. Please make sure and subscribe and help the channel.
Geeeez, sorry. I just saw this. Testing has shown you need at least 1 3/8" penetration into the framing so 3" at say 3" on center should work find. Before you nail up the plywood shoot some nals into the framing without plywood on it and see if the framing splits.
Great information. I have been watching a lot of your videos to help me understand how to do retrofitting on my house. Thanks for spending the time to do these very helpful videos. I have some plans from a structural engineer - approved by the building department in San Diego - who specified 6" on center for the staggered edge nailing although from what I have been reading and watching it should be more like 3 - 4". Presumably the 6" will pass code as it's on the approved plans? What is your opinion about this?
6" is the minium. Why not go for 3" and double the capacity. He might be worried about overturning and the need for hold downs. Look at my video on hold downs. I don't think they are a big deal and I always prefer nailing as close as I can so long as the framing does not split. Shoot some nails into the framing without plywood on it and see how close you can go without splitting the wood. Try and get good studs, pick them out carefully. The tree farm wood is often very low quality.
Hi Howard, Nail charts state that an 8D's nail shank and length are 0.134" x 2 1/2", respectively, but I'm only able to find .131" x 3" nails for my 21 degree nail gun. Can you please confirm the required nail dimensions for 1/2" structural plywood on 2x4 studs? Also, do the nails have to be ring shank? Your expertise would be much appreciated as well as any brand recommendation. Thanks for the great videos!
Hi Howard, Nail charts state that an 8D's nail shank and length are 0.134" x 2 1/2", respectively, but I'm only able to find .131" x 3" nails for my 21 degree nail gun.
8d nail diameters vary between common, box, or sinker nails. It looks like ring shanked is 0.134. If you look at the video on How to Build Shear Walls at the bottom corner of the homepage it should answer all your questions. I prefer to use 10d common "shorts" 2 1/8 or 2 1/4" long. None of the tests were done with ring shank so I am not sure about that. Please do some research and post it here so all of us can learn.
The brand does not matter, they are all code approved.
I am delighted the videos are helping you and you even watched one of them which I only expected one or two people to ever watch. I just find this kind of thing interesting and am happy to meet someone else who also does. Please make sure and subscribe and help the channel.
Thanks for the quick response Howard. If I find any info on the ring shanks, I'll post.
Geeeez, sorry. I just saw this. Testing has shown you need at least 1 3/8" penetration into the framing so 3" at say 3" on center should work find. Before you nail up the plywood shoot some nals into the framing without plywood on it and see if the framing splits.