When a staircase is located along the exterior foundation wall, framing a 2X6 wall against the stairs results in a break in the continuity of the R20 Blanket. Continuous insulation is REQUIRED by both OBC and ENERGY STAR^®.

But there is an easy method to do this which would reduce that doesn’t change the wall thickness and maintains the continuity of the R20 Blanket. It is as simple as rotating the studs 90 degrees. This means the studs compress the R20 blanket 1 ½” every 24’. One thing to note, the top plate for this stud frame must be a 2×6”. Rotating studs also makes drywall installation much easier.

Staircase framing with drywall.

Staircase framing detail rough-in.

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