Interior nonbearing walls shall be permitted to be constructed with 2-inch by 3- inch (51 mm by 76 mm) studs spaced 24 inches (610 mm) on center or, where not part of a braced wall line, 2-inch by 4- inch (51 mm by 102 mm) flat studs spaced at 16 inches (406 mm) on center.
In nonload-bearing walls and partitions, that are not part of a braced wall panel, studs shall be spaced not more than 24 inches (610 mm) on center. In interior nonload-bearing walls and partitions, studs are permitted to be set with the long dimension parallel to the wall.
Utility-grade studs shall not be spaced more than 16 inches on center or support more than a roof and ceiling, or exceed 8 feet in height for exterior walls and load-bearing walls or 10 feet for interior nonload-bearing walls.
16” o.c. is the traditional spacing, but 24” o.c. can often be more economical and decrease construction time. The proper solution often depends on the project's structural, financial, and performance goals.
Research has shown exterior framed walls can be adequately supported by 2x6 studs spaced 24-inches on-center.
For example, a 2x6 joist would have a 12-foot, 6-inch maximum span, and a 2x10 joist would have a 21-foot maximum span. Additionally, wood species and grading determines how far apart floor joists can be spaced. Harder woods can be spaced farther apart, and can be cut into larger joists.
Interior nonbearing walls shall be permitted to be constructed with 2-inch by 3-inch (51 mm by 76 mm) studs spaced 24 inches (610 mm) on center or, when not part of a braced wall line, 2-inch by 4-inch (51 mm by 102 mm) flat studs spaced at 16 inches (406 mm) on center.
They are usually placed 16 inches apart on all walls. It can vary in older homes, but rarely would you find studs more than 24 inches apart. Windows and doors are also framed by studs for support. Above wide windows and doors, you might even find a wide header board.
In nonbearing exterior walls, 2x6 studs spaced at 24 in. on center can be up to 20 feet in height (Table 3). Framers and builders may be reluctant to switch to 24 in.
Stud Spacing
Another important factor is studs, which are generally required to be no further than 16 inches apart in most homes. Within sheds, though, some builders will stretch this to 24 inches to save on their costs, and because building codes are not the same for these buildings.
Utility grade studs shall not be spaced more than 16 inches (406 mm) on center, shall not support more than a roof and ceiling, and shall not exceed 8 feet (2438 mm) in height for exterior walls and load-bearing walls or 10 feet (3048 mm) for interior nonload-bearing walls. 2.
The greater width of the 2 x 6 wall allows for more insulation at external wall corners and more flexibility in framing methods. The matrix below illustrates the many ways to frame a 2 x 6 exterior corner wall: If you have any questions about wall framing please contact us.
Any stud shall be permitted to be bored or drilled, provided that the diameter of the resulting hole is not more than 60 percent of the stud depth width, the edge of the hole is not more less than 5/8 inch (16 mm) to from the edge of the stud, and the hole is not located in the same section as a cut or notch.
You can cut the nails with a reciprocating saw first along the top and bottom plates or just use a hammer (or sledge hammer) to knock the studs outwards until the bottom is released. You can then pull out the upper end of the stud and remove it.
Most outlets and light switches will have a stud on the right or left side. The trim in your home, such as baseboards, crown molding, and other decorative finishing is usually nailed to a stud.
Any stud in an exterior wall or bearing partition may be cut or notched to a depth not exceeding 25 percent of its width. Studs in nonbearing partitions may be notched to a depth not to exceed 40 percent of a single stud width.
The studs shall be 2x6 at 16 inches on center with a maximum height of 20 feet. The wall shall be sheathed with wood structural panels on the exterior and gypsum board or equivalent on the interior.
The total bearing area of three 2x4s is 15 3/4 square inches; two 2x6s have a bearing area of 16 square inches. In bending, however, such as from a wind load, a 2x6 wall is considerably stronger. In tall walls, where column buckling might be a factor, a 2x6 wall would be stronger if a structural sheathing was used.
Interior nonbearing walls shall be permitted to be constructed with 2-inch by 3- inch (51 mm by 76 mm) studs spaced 24 inches (610 mm) on center or, where not part of a braced wall line, 2-inch by 4- inch (51 mm by 102 mm) flat studs spaced at 16 inches (406 mm) on center.
A very common PCD found on many vehicles is '5x114. 3' which means there are 5 studs arranged equally on a circle that is 114.3mm in diameter.
When a home is framed, the wall studs are usually spaced 16 or 24 inches apart. If you start in a corner and measure out 16 inches and you don't find a stud, you should find one at 24 inches.
Load-bearing headers are not required in interior or exterior nonbearing walls.
The first and most obvious reason for 16 inch stud spacing is that this is what most building codes call for in terms of structural integrity. It is worth noting however, that some applications might call for something different.
The following numbers represent the maximum hole size allowed in a 2"x4" wall stud. 7/8" = 25% 1.5" = 40% 2" = 60%. For example, if a plumber needs to run a horizontal pipe run in a nonbearing 2"x4" wall, he can remove up to 40% or 1.5" of the stud material.