Garage Portal Framed Walls

In light of recent events, I will discuss proper framing and tie downs for high wind zones.  While proper framing methods cannot stop all structural damage to homes, doing so can help.  Properly anchoring down the roof system to the foundation is imperative to help maintain the building integrity and increase the safety to the residents.  It is all of our responsibilities, from the designer, to the roof truss manufacturer, to the code inspector, and to the builder, to see that the load paths of the building are properly secured.  By cutting corners or ignoring code issues discredits our industry and puts the homeowner at risk.  One topic that code officials are starting to ensure gets done properly are garage portal walls.  Attached is a technical bulletin by the American Plywood Association which covers narrow shear walls.  ALL walls that do not meet the minimum code requirements for the braced wall method should be framed in this manner.  Below is a link to the APA website.  You need to be a member, but membership is free and APA provides many technical bulletins and information concerning high-wind zones.   APA Portal Frame Walls for Garages