Header Nailing and Jack Stud Calculation

height. You can go up to the top plate or it can sit down at any height. If you don't install cripples, weight on your top plate can cause this to flex. The cripples transfer weight down, around, and into the footings. This makes the top plate strong. If we remove our cripples, roof loads can damage your top plate. If you install your rafters over the top of your studs, it gives it a point load. The point load from the rafter runs all the way down the stud into the bottom plate and down into the foundation. This can be important with places with high snow loads or if you have a really long rafter that puts a lot of weight in one place. You can install cripples on your header first, but if the cripple's short, it can be hard to get your gun in here to nail. But, if you attach it to your header first, it'll be easier to nail. Sheathing is what locks your structure in place. And nails resist shear forces. When you don't properly fasten the sheathing, the structure can still move. Until the sheathing gets fully fastened on the studs, typically you'll have five in the field, but just with one sheet attached, this is much stiffer. Before we attach sheathing, we need to square up the wall. Pull a