Code Library › Volume 1 › Section 9.23 — Wood Frame Construction
PART 9 — HOUSING AND SMALL BUILDINGSUpdated for the 2024 Ontario Building Code

9.23.11.3.Top Plates

(1) Except as permitted in Sentences (2) to (4), at least 2 top plates shall be provided in loadbearing walls. (2) A single top plate is permitted to be used in a section of a loadbearing wall containing a lintel provided the top plate forms a tie across the lintel. (3) A single top plate is permitted to be used in loadbearing walls where the concentrated loads from ceilings, floors and roofs are not more than 50 mm to one side of the supporting studs and in all non-loadbearing walls. (4) The top plates need not be provided in a section of loadbearing wall containing a lintel provided the lintel is tied to the adjacent wall section with not less than (a) 75 mm by 150 mm by 0.91 mm thick galvanized steel, or (b) 19 mm by 89 mm by 300 mm wood splice nailed to each wall section with at least three 63 mm nails.
← Previous9.23.11.2. Bottom Wall PlatesNext →9.23.11.4. Joints in Top Plates

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Code text is reproduced for reference from the Ontario Building Code (O. Reg. 163/24, 2024 Building Code Compendium). This page is provided for general information and is not an official copy. Always verify requirements against the official Ontario Building Code and confirm with your local building department.