Sheathing corner lap must extend far enough past the corner studs to ensure nail penetration and structural continuity.

For plywood sheathing at a corner, extend the panel at least two inches beyond the face of the corner stud so each fastener has solid wood to bite into and to preserve diaphragm load path. Place nails at the required spacing and pattern specified in the nailing schedule so the edge fasteners secure into framing rather than only into panel edge. When panels end near a stud or at a seam, install blocking between studs so the sheet edge has backing for nails and to prevent edge crush under load. Offset seams on adjacent walls so the vertical joints do not align with seams on the perpendicular elevation; staggering joints by at least one stud space reduces a continuous weak line. Keep a short gap for panel shrinkage where specified by the manufacturer, but do not rely on gap alone for fastening capacity. Always follow the engineered or code nailing pattern and use corrosion resistant fasteners for the chosen sheathing and exterior system to maintain long term capacity.

Three common problems are lack of adequate edge backing which leaves nails with nothing to grip, seams on orthogonal walls aligning which creates a weak plane, and insufficient panel extension past the corner so nails miss the framing. For missing backing, add solid blocking cut to fit between studs and fasten it prior to sheathing so every panel edge has full thickness support. If seams line up, reorient panels or trim and slide one panel so the seam lands over a stud and the perpendicular wall seam is offset by at least one stud bay. When panels do not extend past the corner, trim and install a larger sheet or sister a short piece over the corner so nails penetrate full thickness framing; do not simply rely on edge nails into the thin panel margin.

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