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Small Cabin Forum / Cabin Construction / 2x4 or 2x6 wall studs
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paulz
Member
# Posted: 6 Jun 2014 07:19pm
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I'm going to mostly follow the plan for the 12x24 Tiny House Homesteader's Cabin

http://www.tinyhousedesign.com/12x24-homesteaders-cabin-free-plans/

12 foot walls with loft. Are 2x6 studs a necessity with this design? I'm just thinking of the extra couple of inches in room with a 2x4 wall.

bldginsp
Member
# Posted: 6 Jun 2014 07:35pm - Edited by: bldginsp
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It's an engineering question, dependent on the specifics of your particular situation. I'm pretty sure the prescriptive rules in the building code say no more than 10 feet for 2x4 walls and for 2x6 walls as well.

But I'm going venture an uneducated (unengineered) guess that in such a small building, with plywood nailed on the outside of the walls, with loft floor joists stabilizing the mid height of the studs, and 2x4s on 16 inch centers, that you would be fine until you get a 120 mph wind.

And I would suggest using select and better studs, not #2, to avoid the worst ugly knots in the center of the studs.

paulz
Member
# Posted: 6 Jun 2014 11:25pm
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Thanks bldginsp. On the plans they notch the 2x6 studs for a 2x4 ledger that the loft joists rest on. What would you suggest I do with 2x4 wall studs, put a ledger with no notch? Also I was only planning on a half (12x12) loft and open beam ceiling for the other half.

Don_P
Member
# Posted: 7 Jun 2014 01:23pm
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Building code for the walls calls for a 1x let in ledger and doesn't allow for notching more than 1/4 the depth of the stud.

More importantly the rafter pairs need to be tied together across the building either at the top plate or within the lower third of roof height. If that cannot be done then a ridgebeam is used to support the rafters. The ridgebeam needs to be sized and supported correctly for the load and span.

paulz
Member
# Posted: 7 Jun 2014 05:12pm
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Thanks Don. I'm not well versed in construction terms, you are saying I can notch the 2x4 studs for for a 1x4 ledger I believe. That sounds pretty good.

I just notice the University of Tennessee plans, similar 12x24 with 12 foot walls, does use 2x4 studs but I can't see what they are using to hold up the loft joists. Here they are.

http://bioengr.ag.utk.edu/extension/extpubs/Plans/6267.pdf

bldginsp
Member
# Posted: 7 Jun 2014 06:42pm
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The ledger does not have to be let in, but if it is not, it should be lagged onto the studs with at least two 3/8" lags per stud, lags at least 4 inches long.

Don_P
Member
# Posted: 7 Jun 2014 07:58pm - Edited by: Don_P
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Provide a cite for that please

The UTK plans show a 1x6 let in ribbon under the joists. Do remember those plans predate current codes so often need modification. (I wish our land grant universities would update those. When the land grant universities provided those plans they were obeying their mandate. Nowadays, not so much.)

Scroll down to the drawing in this section of the codebook, look at the let in ribbon on the right side. The right side of the drawing shows balloon framing, the left side shows platform framing.
http://publicecodes.cyberregs.com/icod/irc/2012/icod_irc_2012_6_sec002.htm

bldginsp
Member
# Posted: 7 Jun 2014 08:46pm
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My citation for that is out of the 'Official Book Of How I Think It Oughta Be Done'. But really, whenever I see an engineered design for a ledger attached to studs alone, the engineer always calls for at least two lags per stud, min 3/8 dia., unless they call for SDS screws which are less than 3/8 dia, in which case they call for more than two. So it is my guesstimate that two 3/8 per stud, with adequate depth into the stud, will work in a very small cabin.

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