The forces of nature, particularly wind and seismic activity, can put heavy pressure on a home. To enable homes to withstand wind and seismic activity, all building codes require reinforcements to the framing, particularly at the framing connections. Building code requirements are aimed at keeping homeowners and the surrounding public safe. Not installing framing connections to code can result in a wide range of problems, from minor issues like cracked drywall to catastrophic ones like structural failure. If a home suffers damage because the framing connections weren’t installed to code, the builder is financially responsible for repairing the damage. In addition, the builder likely faces unhappy customers, higher insurance premiums, inability to get insurance, and other problems.

To understand more clearly why framing connections need reinforcement, it helps to understand how wind and seismic activity affect a home. The wind blows against all sides of a home, potentially causing structural problems like uplift, racking, sliding, and overturning. Seismic activity places lateral and upward-acting loads on the home. Lateral loads move the soil surrounding the home back and forth, carrying the footings and foundation with it. This force sends waves through the upper floors, which resist the movement, causing shearing at roof-to-wall and wall-to-floor connections, racking, and wall collapse.

The International Residential Code (IRC) provides prescriptive requirements for homes built in low wind regions (less than 100 mph). For areas with wind speeds between 100 and 150 mph, the IRC refers builders to the Wood Frame Construction Manual (WFCM).

The IRC and WFCM recommendations center on the practice of creating a continuous load path down through the home to connect and strengthen the structural frame. This is accomplished by tying the home together, from the roof to the foundation, using a system of framing materials, metal connectors, fasteners (nails and screws), and shear panels. A home built with a continuous load path is better equipped to resist additional loads from high wind and seismic activity by redistributing the pressures to the frame and then to the foundation and footings, which transfer them to the surrounding soil.
 
Here's a checklist of the wind and seismic reinforcements needed in all homes:

• Bottom story bolted to the foundation. Embed anchor bolts in the foundation, and use them to secure the sill plate to the foundation. Anchor bolts also can be used to connect the foundation to the first-story studs. Anchor bolt connections help prevent racking, sliding, and overturning.
• Walls within a story properly connected. Connect the wall plates to the studs and to the rim board using tie plates. This helps prevent uplift and racking.
• Walls among stories connected to one another. Connect the wall studs on the top story to the wall studs on the lower story with straps. Also, use straps to connect headers to jack studs. Connect the sill plate to the first floor studs with foundation ties. Some connectors can be installed before a wall is in place, while others have to be installed after a wall is in place.
• Roof connected to the top story. Securely fasten roof rafters or trusses to the top of the wall with metal connectors, such as hurricane ties. Securely nail the roof sheathing to the roof rafters or trusses.
• Shear panels installed per plan. The number and location of shear panels is engineered into the design of each home to resist racking and overturning forces. Also, the type of fasteners used to secure shear panels will vary depending on the home’s design and local code requirements.

Homes built in areas with high wind and seismic activity have these requirements and more. Because homeowner safety and the financial well-being of builders are at stake when it comes to framing connections, many online resources, such as PATH's Roof Framing Connections in Conventional Residential Construction guide, are available to support builders in their efforts to keep homes together. To help builders in high-wind areas, Simpson Strong-Tie provides a High Wind Framing Connection Guide.

Other Best Practices® for framing connections can be found in the following online training courses from BuildIQ University:

• Framing: Floors
• Framing: Walls
• Framing: Roofs