Why 16" Centers

TNRocks

Why do we use 16" as centers and not 15" or 18"???

Patrick

cause its easily divisible into 96

cleveman

I always use 15" centers and just rip the sheathing down to 45". It's a bit lighter and easier to carry that way and I never have any problems with people cutting in on my work.

The trouble is getting the other folks to convert over to this system.

TimelessQuality

Cleveman that's awsome! I've been using 17" OC and always seem to come up short

BRILLIANT!!

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-Steve

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science." ~ Albert Einstein

TempestV

Is it really worth it to rip 3 inches off the side of every sheet of sheet goods just for weight savings? that seems like a lot of work for very little gain. Not to mention all the headache down the road with sheet rockers, ect.

dayspring

Blame it on the guy that started the FREE ESTIMATE scheme.

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KillerToiletSpider

Cause those copper straps they make for holding the copper pipes are only 18" long.

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JustaFramer

so is 19.2 or for the layman 19 diamond.

Patrick

I am very aware, I just made the assumption that this man was talking about conventional 2x4 framing.

masterk

One builder I work for uses 4x4's every third stud. That way if he's a little short or long he's got it covered.

Riverside

19.2 is a pain in the butt especially when you need to insulate, its lovely when your trusses are specked for that. why not just go a little overkill and go 16 on center.

JustaFramer

Are you sure that is not to accommodate 4" oc shear nailing?

JustaFramer

Nothing is conventional about todays construction. Unless you live in some assbackwards midwest town.

Milhaus

Anyone framing with advanced building techniques to reduce lumber?

mark

K2

16 inch centers started long before demensional sheet goods. Sheathing boards and lath were random lengths and subfloor sheathing was run diagonally. Layout was generally done with the tongue, (16 inch side), of the square and it was "about 16 inches". No batt insulation, no drywall, no plywood. Who cared if it ended up off a little. But why 16? I don't know.

Chris Johnson

Spray Foam insulation fixes your problem

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Chris

Susan Betz

Because we're not using the metric system like the rest of the world.

If we were, it would be multiples of 10... nah, that would be too easy.

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K2

Then you have your engineers and surveyors giving you dimensions in tenths of a foot. Have to remember which tape you have in your hand,

orson

how many other people here measure everything in 1/16th's ?


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Tscarborough

Concrete and steel have very similar coefficients of thermal expansion. This simple coincidence allows the construction of reinforced concrete structures as we know them. Water ice floats, thus allowing life on earth as we know it. The dimensions of a horse in harness dictates the gauge of railroads and the standard track of automobiles.

Given enough trial and error, things like this just work themselves out to the LCD "best" way to do things.

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