- Q.The local framing inspector told us that our
L-corners are not acceptable. He says that an L-corner is not
as strong as a corner framed with two studs separated by
blocking. Is he right?
A.Corresponding editor Paul Fisette responds:
As long as you install nailed structural sheathing, an L-corner
is certainly strong enough. Extra studs at the corner of a
house are unnecessary for supporting the building’s
vertical load and provide little significant benefit to improve
a frame’s racking resistance, which is provided by the
nailed sheathing.
When it comes to supporting the vertical (compression) load
from upper stories and the roof, the stud at the end of a wall
carries about half the load of most other studs. A stud in the
center of a wall carries 16 inches of load (8 inches on either
side of the stud), while a stud at the end of a wall carries
only 8 inches of load — from the stud to a point halfway
to the next stud in the wall. Furthermore, most gable ends have
studs that redistribute some of the roof loading at the end of
the wall.
In most cases, the easiest way to resolve a dispute with an
inspector is to agree with the inspector. But in this case
it’s worth trying to persuade the inspector, since there
is an energy conservation benefit to framing with
L-corners.