Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

porcelainvacation t1_j9d9lxv wrote

Reply to comment by UpgradeCarton in How do I find these g-d studs?? by WaterChestnutII

They can be 24” OC, especially in older buildings.

186

WestWoodworks t1_j9di6v4 wrote

I’m currently renovating a house with 19.2 OC main floor joists, 16 OC main floor studs, 24 OC attic joists and roof rafters.

The attic joists also simply meet end to end in the center over a non-load-bearing 2x4 wall with a single top plate, and zero headers in the doorway openings in said wall.

Point load, and a great many other pretty essential things, basically don’t exist.

Shockingly, it’s one of the straightest, most level and plumb homes I’ve ever worked on… which likely has a lot to do with the fact that it’s all rough cut old growth Douglas Fir. Beautiful lumber, and still really straight.

But yeah… it’s a 1920s house built by the original occupant. The client is that guy’s granddaughter.

74

Is_This_A_Thing t1_j9e59zy wrote

19.2 is a metric layout. Some tape measures have little black diamonds on this layout.

8

TheCreat t1_j9egdnd wrote

48,768 cm doesn't really scream metric to me. 50 cm would be 19.685".

This seems just weird and random? Might've just been what evenly decides one (or some) of the walls or something?

3

Dsiee t1_j9ekmei wrote

Metric doesn't use 50cm as a common spacing. It is all 300, 450, 600, 900, etc. basically using 1200 mm increments a base metric and then using factors of that.

1

WestWoodworks t1_j9ie5nm wrote

It isn’t metric. It’s just the only way to divide eight feet into five even parts.

It was meant to simplify, but it failed. Which is why it didn’t really stick.

1

MortalGlitter t1_j9e7txp wrote

>19.2 OC main floor joists, 16 OC main floor studs, 24 OC attic joists and roof rafters

My eye is twitching Hard reading this.

7

shalafi71 t1_j9dgabi wrote

LOL, my house has both. Drove me nuts trying to hit in my outdoor closet (interior wall).

39

ChainOut t1_j9dlbgi wrote

My house was built in the 90's and has some on 16" and some on 24". Annoying.

11

EmptyAirEmptyHead t1_j9dsxpo wrote

24" is non-load bearing interior walls. Some interior walls are load bearing depending on the span of your roof. 16" is load bearing.

5

gravitologist t1_j9e5nhp wrote

24 can be load bearing too if you do stacked framing. In regions w low live loads it’s common and more than adequate.

6

PersnickityPenguin t1_j9e8drp wrote

“Advanced” framing

2

Dsiee t1_j9ekobf wrote

Well "Cheap" framing doesn't sound quite as nice on a quote.

1

gravitologist t1_j9fkfsb wrote

Well, yes, there is less lumber and thus it’s less expensive. But it is arguably a superior construction method because there is less thermal bridging and so the insulation performs better.

1

Dsiee t1_j9ix1dp wrote

I agree, I used much of the methodology in my recent build but it is still cheaper.

1

WestWoodworks t1_j9dzwz1 wrote

Eh… not always… not even usually, in my area. At least for interior walls.

Typically only walls perpendicular to the joists are load bearing (though there are rare exceptions).

Load bearing walls should all have proper point load (translating the actual load all the way down to the foundation in a direct path).

Though not always required depending on the region, double top plates are almost always used for load bearing walls, and not for partition (non loading bearing) walls. This is especially noteworthy if you are in a situation like I am right now with 19.2 OC main floor joists, 16 OC main floor studs, and 24 OC joists and rafters in the attic/roof. The double plate gives you a bit of latitude to work with for adequate point load.

For simplicity and consistency’s sake, I frame every wall at 16 OC in a typical stick built home. And that’s typically the case for most other builders in my area.

But, it’s also worth noting that some areas are fully ok with 24 OC 2x4 walls throughout. I definitely don’t recommend it. But you can get away with it in some places without a fuss.

Then, of course you get into engineered lumber, trusses, etc., and shit gets exciting. Suddenly, you have no interior load bearing walls, exterior load bearing walls are mostly header to accommodate an insulting number of floor to ceiling windows… all sorts of tomfoolery and poppycock.

But, anyway… when in doubt consult a structural engineer… don’t be that asshole that has to dig someone’s dead dog out of the rubble of the house you just destroyed by removing something you shouldn’t have. Engineers are often pompous douche bags (at least in my area), but they’ve saved my bacon a few times when things weren’t so cut and dry because of prior shoddy work that disguised major structural issues.

1

hicow t1_j9e6dd3 wrote

And some newer - it's more efficient to use 2x6s on 24" centers vs 2x4s on 16s, in terms of exposure for exterior walls.

But it's also worth knowing older houses took "on center" measurements as more of a suggestion. I insulated the crawlspace in my 120-year old house last year and the joist spacing was interesting, to say the least.

11

porcelainvacation t1_j9e9hiw wrote

It only means anything to have even on centers when you build with sheet goods.

2