FRAMING – APA NARROW WALL DESIGN

What in the world is APA Narrow Wall Design? The International Code Council for the State of Virginia prescribes how a garage, accessory structure or home is built, CORRECTLY. The consumer has no idea how a wall, a roof assembly or a floor system is affected by Mother Nature. When framing a garage, wind shear is a serious concern. There are lateral, vertical and horizontal uplift that can cause the roof assembly to be ripped off of the building. There is lateral and horizontal force that is created by wind speed that affects the walls and therefore the floor systems. Reinforcement of each component of a building project has to take into consideration these natural forces that push and pull up on a new construction garage, accessory building, home or light commercial storage building.

If the trusses aren’t properly secured, the roof assembly is compromised and at risk to uplift forces. While garages and habitable buildings are built with a thermal envelope concept, those places that are required to have ventilation are letting air circulate and conversely, that can work against the stability of the construction project. The roof assembly is supported by the walls and floor systems. If the walls of a garage or other new construction projects are not properly framed, they can bow, shift or collapse in turbulent weather.

APA NARROW WALL DESIGN is a systematic approach to securing a building and providing a quality product that will remain in place for years to come. The reinforcement of framing walls with braced wall panels help secure the building even more so than headers. When you have openings in walls, for windows, garage doors or other entrance applications, the walls must be reinforced from the sole plate to the ridge. Utilizing the proper fasteners and framing technique for the building help to ensure the force of wind and shifting of the ground beneath the new garage, home or accessory structure.

The walls must have an approved band joist. This joist is a rim board that goes above the foundation all the way around the building. The joist is fastened with nails, anchor bolts, washers, blocking and fastening plates to that band joist. The sole plate is fastened both to the band and through it to the footing of the garage. That holds the walls down. It also must support the weight transfer from the roof to the walls. Continuous structural panel sheathing is required to build a garage door opening. The span of the opening is reinforced with a header, jack studs, blocking and the sheathing technique which will support the header and the walls from blow-out. This type of wall framing is essential to building a garage without concern to the natural forces that can wreak havoc on a wall or roof system.

An experienced building contractor along with these prescribed guidelines will know of this application. Proper execution of the APA Narrow Wall system will be guided by the support of the local building inspector. Call H.W. Enterprises, Inc. for your next project. We take great pride in our perfection of application and these results, every time, in an incredibly well built garage. Visit us at: www.hwenterprisesinc.com or at 757-595-4562 or 757-696-1927. We will be honored to build your next garage, shell home, accessory building or light commercial storage facility. And our quality and attention to detail will show in every aspect of your project.