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Installing a Sill Seal on Plate with Metal Strapping

bongo30 | Posted in General Questions on

Hi, we are required by our building code to use metal strapping with our sill plates. This is for new construction. Where and how would you place the sill seal or sill gasket? The only diagrams I had seen so far is where no metal strapping is used. Also, where would we place beads of acoustical sealer?

Thank you!

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Replies

  1. Expert Member
    MALCOLM TAYLOR | | #1

    BB,

    Can you be bit more specific about the requirement for the strapping. Why is it needed and where does it go?

  2. bongo30 | | #2

    This is what my contractor proposed. I highlighted the metal strapping in red (is it called hurricane strapping in other jurisdictions?). Does this look right? Just want to make sure we get the air sealing part of it correctly. Thank you.

    1. Expert Member
      MALCOLM TAYLOR | | #4

      BB,

      The sill-seal is primarily to provide a capillary break, so the straps won't affect it. You can air-seal the gap between the sill and foundation wall below with caulk on either the inside or outside, or tape on the outside. If you choose to caulk the inside of the sill-plate, do it before you install the floor system, or the task becomes immeasurably harder.

  3. Expert Member
    BILL WICHERS | | #3

    Yep, those are hurricane straps. Their purpose is to keep the studs from lifting up off the sill plate in a hurricane. I don't see any problems with that assembly, although I'm not sure why they propose caulk AND the sill gasket. I suppose it won't hurt anything to use both though.

    Bill

  4. bongo30 | | #5

    Thank you!

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