Framing guns

[Scooterwrench]

Not sure what earthquake codes all entail. But nails have way more sheer strength than screws. That's why building code up here for framing walls, deck and joist hangers and truss plates all call for nails, not screws.
They both have their uses, just gotta know when to use what.

Huh,never would have thought that. This is why I don't do carpentry. My thinking was screws wouldn't tend to split the wood and would be a lot harder to pull out.

 

[Drunkcanuk]

Huh,never would have thought that. This is why I don't do carpentry. My thinking was screws wouldn't tend to split the wood and would be a lot harder to pull out.

You are correct...screws are for where pulling resistance is needed, nails for shear loads. All depends on the application.
I would never nail a cupboard to a wall, because it needs more pull resistance than sheer.
Sometimes it's tough to know what's needed where. And I'm a JM carpenter!!! Lol
But remember....all those old cabins and farm houses that have withstood a century or so of hurricanes, wind storm etc....not a single screw installed anywhere that matters structurally. They weren't invited yet.
So when in doubt, nail structure.

 

[PlayingWithTBI]

You are correct...screws are for where pulling resistance is needed, nails for shear loads. All depends on the application.

There are screws available for shear strength. Simpson makes ones that are approved for that but, they're fairly expensive. I built my front deck using all screws on Simpson Strong Ties hangers. They make ones for earthquake and wind applications too. When using their products, you really don't need an engineer to sign off, the building inspector will approve them on sight (if they're any good). YMMV

Here;s an example of different brackets using their screws. IIRC they're T25 screw heads.

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Even the 2X6 deck boards are screwed in. The Makita screw gun makes it fast work and hardly any back strain

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Sorry about the high jack - anyway, joist nails are easier if you have a palm nailer, otherwise I prefer screws to swinging a hammer - they don't fit my hands anymore.

 

[df2x4]

My dad's construction company ran Hitachi pneumatic framing guns for decades. Not sure exactly which models but I can check, he still has all of them. I think the only time he ever had a problem with one was after it was accidentally dropped off a ladder onto concrete. Still worked, but the magazine was bent so you could only load it about half full.

 

[Sean Buick 76]

Look into “Simpson” brand hurricane ties. Add them anywhere you can and it won’t matter what nail gun you use. Also buy a few boxes of PL-3000 adhesive, a few dabs of that in the right places will make things stay tight.

Or look into some of the modern IFC forms/insulation styles that allow you to build a structure with foam blocks or large sections and then pour concrete into them once setup. Lots of amazing technologies, I’m always learning about the new options to potentialy save time and money for cabin building as im gonna build a new cabin soon.

 

[Supercharged111]

Look into “Simpson” brand hurricane ties. Add them anywhere you can and it won’t matter what nail gun you use. Also buy a few boxes of PL-3000 adhesive, a few dabs of that in the right places will make things stay tight.

Or look into some of the modern IFC forms/insulation styles that allow you to build a structure with foam blocks or large sections and then pour concrete into them once setup. Lots of amazing technologies, I’m always learning about the new options to potentialy save time and money for cabin building as im gonna build a new cabin soon.

ICF, not IFC. Insulated concrete forms.100% what I'm going with on my house build. You want to look into something else that's schwanky? Check out t-studs, easy way to kill thermal bridging without getting too weird on your construction method.

 

[Erik the Awful]

In my opinion the only way to make your home more earthquake proof is a better foundation, and that's not feasible after the fact. If you have a well built foundation, your home won't flex as much. My house was built on a bare-minimum foundation, and now I have a few doors that stick, and there are visible cracks in the paint in a few places. Several years ago we had a 6.0 earthquake about 30 miles away, and that's when our bathroom door started sticking.

The construction codes in Oklahoma are barely above dirt shack construction. We have a fair amount of vertical heave in our soil, we have near constant mild earthquakes, and our foundation requirements are minimal. We have the worst hail and our roofing code is bare minimum. There's no requirement for storm shelter, but people have been talking about adding it to the code.

 

[Scooterwrench]

In my opinion the only way to make your home more earthquake proof is a better foundation, and that's not feasible after the fact. If you have a well built foundation, your home won't flex as much.

There you go,set it on some Monroes!

The construction codes in Oklahoma are barely above dirt shack construction. We have a fair amount of vertical heave in our soil, we have near constant mild earthquakes, and our foundation requirements are minimal. We have the worst hail and our roofing code is bare minimum. There's no requirement for storm shelter, but people have been talking about adding it to the code.

Probably because of the twisters y'all have out there they try to keep the rebuild costs down.
I can see where storm shelters would be a good thing to have.

 

[Erik the Awful]

Probably because of the twisters y'all have out there they try to keep the rebuild costs down.

No, it's cheapskate builders who have connections to keep the building codes easy.

I had a coworker who had his house built, and he insisted on digging crossbeams for the foundation - making the footing into a waffle pattern instead of just the perimeter of the foundation. Apparently that works pretty well. So does actually putting down a bedding of sand and stone instead of just pouring the concrete onto the dirt, which is how foundations are usually done here. I found out my foundation was done that way when I had a slab leak. I watched the guy sledgehammer through the slab right to the clay underneath.

 

[Supercharged111]

No, it's cheapskate builders who have connections to keep the building codes easy.

I had a coworker who had his house built, and he insisted on digging crossbeams for the foundation - making the footing into a waffle pattern instead of just the perimeter of the foundation. Apparently that works pretty well. So does actually putting down a bedding of sand and stone instead of just pouring the concrete onto the dirt, which is how foundations are usually done here. I found out my foundation was done that way when I had a slab leak. I watched the guy sledgehammer through the slab right to the clay underneath.

You sure code is still that way? That sounds like the way it used to be done. Nowadays more care is put into drainage.