APA has updated the I-Joist Construction Details - Performance Rated I-Joists in Floor and Roof Framing. This installation guide provides updated information on recommended construction details for Performance Rated I-joists in floor and roof applications. The publication also includes recommendations for cantilevers and placement of web holes. The 55-page interactive PDF contains links to exploded views of various construction details.

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APA recently released a new Technical Note that provides specification and installation recommendations for panel subfloors to be used under hardwood flooring.

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APA has updated two publications pertaining to glued laminated timber (glulam) design specifications and layup combinations.

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APA recently released a new Technical Note entitled, Technical Note: Temporary Construction Loads Over I-joist Roofs and Floors, Form J735. This new technical note provides recommendations for proper placement of heavy loads in a partially completed light-framed structure to prevent damage to the structure and/or injury to the work crew.

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The APA Publications Index, Form B300 NN, has been updated. The revised 2008 index provides a complete listing of APA design and construction guides, product guides, builder tips, case histories, industrial publications and other materials available from the Association.

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Question: Plans call for five- ply plywood roof sheathing but the lumber yard sent out four-ply. They say they won’t have five-ply in stock until next month. What is the difference between the panels?

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New structural insulated panel (SIP) CAD details are now being offered at www.apacad.org.

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APA just issued the 2007 Engineered Wood Construction Guide, the major reference manual for using engineered wood products in residential and commercial construction.

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Question: What purpose does tongue-and-groove (T&G) serve on a roof deck or balcony with inhabited space below? What are the advantages of using T&G in an exterior deck application if, for example, the deck is a subfloor to an exterior balcony with waterproofing and 2-inch topping slab over inhabited space, or a low slope roof deck?

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Glued laminated beams (glulam) are used in a wide range of applications in both commercial and residential construction.

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I recently received an email questioning the correct orientation of plywood for maximum floor strength and stiffness when not using plywood with tongue-and-groove (T&G) edges. This question was specifically inquiring about the correct orientation of APA Underlayment plywood when used to support ceramic tile flooring systems.

All APA trademarked plywood, and most APA trademarked OSB, is stiffer and stronger when the long axis (8-foot dimension) is oriented perpendicular to the supports.

If the panels don't have T&G edges (8-foot-long sides), there are a few options:

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