Single top plate?

Mcn_selfbuild · 17 Jul 2018

hi guys, I’m hoping to get some help on building my timber frame. I have some previous experience framing and now I am doing it on my second storey side extension. Normally a double top plate is used, however on my plans it seems to me it’s designed with a single top plate with the trusses landing on kingstuds(except across the window opening.)
My question is how do you join the front and back panels together with the gable side if there isn’t a header across the join? I am going to do my gable end in 3 sections, it’s only 6M long but i’ll Be erecting most of it by myself and space is limited due to the width of the extension (2.5 M) and the neighbors lean to extension doesn’t allow for much space.
Any info is appreciated, and if it matters I am in Scotland. I’m not sure if the diff area regs.

^woody^ · 18 Jul 2018

The plate goes all the way around at one level to brace all the panels

Mcn_selfbuild · 18 Jul 2018

So a double header would still be required on the front and back or can you extend the single top plate to overlap the joint to the side panels? Apologies if i am complicating things, i noticed on my plans that the detail of the front and back have a single top plate but the side panels have double top plates. I have asked for some clarity from my architect but he is out of office

^woody^ · 18 Jul 2018

I'm confused about your reference to a double top plate "normally" being used, as it's normally just a single. Is it a Scottish requirement? I can't see why it should be.

Is it double just to make up a specific distance - ie the top plate to brace the frame and then an additional wall plate for the trusses?

Mcn_selfbuild · 18 Jul 2018

I may be confusing things with my terminology . When i referred to a double top plate i probably should have said head binder?

I had read on the NHBC webpage that a 'single top plate' could be used if the trusses landed on a stud. I'll add a picture of the detail showing the plates.

Mcn_selfbuild · 18 Jul 2018

I have uploaded 3 pictures of the plans showing the frame detail at the eaves ( with a single top late or head plate? But no head binder?
Another of the gable detail and one of the rear plan showing a head binder on the side wall panels

Apoligies again for the confusion and thanks for your input, as you can tell I don’t normally work from plans but have built many frames albeit for sheds/garages etc.

^woody^ · 18 Jul 2018

The plan drawer is confusing things with drawing a gable pitched roof section that looks like a flat roof section, and then possibly with his terminology

In each timber frame panel, the horizontal timber is the top and bottom rail.

Then to frame all the panels, you have a sole plate at the bottom, which the panels rest on, and a top plate at the top which binds all the panels and anything above rests on. The top plate can be call a binder or plate, or head instead of top, and it can also function as the wall plate for the trusses.

It appears that your plan drawer is calling the top rail the "headplate" and the top plate a "headbinder", giving the impression that there ate two timbers on top of the panels, when in fact there is only one and the other is just the top timber rail which is part of the panel.

If you look at the section above the window frame, you can see just one timber on top of the lintel

Mcn_selfbuild · 18 Jul 2018

It’s the window frame picture that is confusing me, it shows what I thought was the top rail. But is in fact the top plate ?
So this section should have both a top rail and a top plate to connect with the side panels ?
Here is another picture from the top showing the front and rear panels are connecting the side panel on the inside.

E7CBBF47-89EF-4061-A0AD-16F995065A1C

Mcn_selfbuild
18 Jul 2018

So I should be running a top plate across this junction (the full length of the front and back panels plus width of the side panels?
I have already fitted the soleplate like this so the top plate will replicate this and secures the side panel both top and bottom.

Mcn_selfbuild · 20 Jul 2018

Thanks for clearing that up for me Woody, one last question about Detail C, when framing with a lintel. Does the top rail need to run along the top of the lintel?

To match my existing window size/height/position if the top rail was broken by the lintel and then connected by the top plate to the rest of the panel my window size etc would be perfect.

^woody^ · 20 Jul 2018

Yes, the top of the lintels can be level with the top of the panels and the plate run across the top.

Mcn_selfbuild · 23 Jul 2018

Thanks for your help Woody, it’s good to know the finer points to watch out for and this also helps me get my sizes perfect to match too!

Thanks again

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Single top plate?

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