I recently bought a house and have been using the detached garage mainly for storage. Now I'm planning to remodel it into a gym. While taking off the drywall, I discovered that the studs in the garage don't have a top plate. The roof trusses are nailed directly into the vertical studs, spaced 16 inches apart. I'm concerned about the safety of this structure. Is this something I should worry about? The garage dimensions are 13x24 feet with a shingled roof. Thanks for any input!
2 Answers
While it’s not the usual setup, it seems like the structure has held up fine over the years—probably around 50 years old! Just make sure you’re using hurricane straps for some extra security. The load is coming down directly through the studs, which helps. I’m not a structural engineer though, so it's wise to consult one if you’re worried about it passing current code.
Hey! It’s definitely unusual for a garage to lack a top plate, but your structure has been standing for a while, so it might be doing okay. Could you share some pictures of it? It’d help give better advice on the situation.