Plywood Gusset or Simpson Tie for Posts
1000eyes
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
I have just finished the pour for new piers in my crawlspace. I am debating whether to attach the 4×6 posts to the girders with plywood gussets or use a Simpson product. My concern with the plywood is possible decay in the future, though the cost is substantially less. The girders are about 24″ above the ground and I also plan to cover the entire crawl space with a vapor barrier. Curious of various opinions, ideas , and comments.
Thanks
Edited 6/30/2007 1:54 am ET by 1000eyes
Replies
1000eyes,
Plywood gussets work just fine. Just make sure they are large enough, I usually cut them into a square that is twice the depth of the beam.
"Poor is not the person who has too little, but the person who craves more."...Seneca
Is your lumber pressure treated? If so, there could be a problem with interaction between the copper in the wood and the simpson ties. I think the may issue of fine homebuilding covers this problem in the article about rot resistant lumber. One thing I've done in the past is paint the gusset material with kilz primer. That was in the Portland, OR. area where moister is a problem, even with a vapor barrier. It seemed to work well.
Yes I will be using pressure treated lumber. I guess that is another advantage to using plywood.