During a home inspection, the inspector notices that the double top plate on a load-bearing wall has a large splice in both plates directly above a door opening. What is the structural concern?
-
A
The splice creates a visible seam that affects the drywall finish
-
B
Splices directly over openings weaken the top plate where load transfer is most critical
-
C
The splice indicates the wrong nail pattern was used during framing
-
D
Top plate splices are only acceptable in non-load-bearing walls