stud spacing help please

[lumpster1961]

Hello all. this winter I am going to build a coop, Inside then move it out. I live in the north snow country. every where I look here,online other places I see stud spacing from 16 on center to 20 inches on center, the coop will be 8x8 i am thinking 4-5 foot walls, high. what is the correct stud spacing? Thank ya'll

 

[ChickenCanoe]

16" will get you proper spacing for 4X8 sheets of plywood or other sheeting.
If you are sheeting the inside, the first two studs should be at 15 1/4 inches so sheeting will cover the entire stud. Otherwise all are at 16".
When in doubt, make a building more robust.

 

[Mtnboomer]

All load bearing walls require a max spacing of 16" o.c.
For ease of construction and proper support, i would hold the standard.
Roof decking supports may be spaced up to 24" depending on thickness of decking (osb or plywood). The decking will be printed with max spacing allowed. Northern climate with heavy snows should again be 16" o.c.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

This is intriguing and I am very curious! You are going to build an 8x8' building inside and then move it outside when it is finished. What kind of building are you going to build it in? Is this a garage, a gymnasium, a shop? Also, how do you plan to move it after it is built? Thank you.

 

[Mtnboomer]

This is intriguing and I am very curious! You are going to build an 8x8' building inside and then move it outside when it is finished. What kind of building are you going to build it in? Is this a garage, a gymnasium, a shop? Also, how do you plan to move it after it is built? Thank you.

I don't know about their plan, but we have built prefab sheds up to 12 x 12 and moved them with a forklift. Some were set on piers and others onto a block foundation. You can buy sheds from home depot up to 12ft x 8' that come prefab and are unloaded by forklift.

 

[Mtnboomer]

This is intriguing and I am very curious! You are going to build an 8x8' building inside and then move it outside when it is finished. What kind of building are you going to build it in? Is this a garage, a gymnasium, a shop? Also, how do you plan to move it after it is built? Thank you.

I don't know about their plan, but we have built prefab sheds up to 12 x 12 and moved them with a forklift. Some were set on piers and others onto a block foundation. You can buy sheds from home depot up to 12ft x 8' that come prefab and are unloaded by forklift.

 

[PetesChicks]

16” on center is standard, but I have seen sheds that go 24”. I think it depends on the strength of the sheathing material. I’d go 16” if I were you. Another thing to reconsider is the height. I would go taller, a minimum of 6’. Your back will thank you for it, believe me. You are going to want to be able to walk around inside, for cleaning, feeding, and caring for sick or injured chickens. You won’t want to be bent over the whole time, and banging your head on the roof.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Most standard building materials come in 8' or 4' dimensions. If you use 16" or 24" spacings it comes out even. Either one can work in certain circumstances but you often use 2x6's for 24" spacing. I don't know what your roof will look like but with the snow load I'd expect in New Hampshire you probably want to go with 16" if it is a load-bearing wall. Your local building codes may have requirements, some even cover sheds. If you are using standard doors and windows you might look at the framing for that, they are designed to work with a 16" spacing. As ChickenCanoe sort of said, pay attention to out-to-out dimensions as well as center-line dimensions to get your spacing right.

Not sure how you are prefabbing it, if you are building individual walls inside and erecting them onsite or building the whole thing inside and then moving it out. That can restrict you on height. But I strongly suggest you determine a way to build the walls taller. You need to be able to access everywhere inside that coop. In my opinion a 4x8 is about as big as you can build without needing to walk in. I think you will be upset with yourself if you don't build it taller, even if you have to put the roof on after you move it outside.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I agree with that.
I didn't comment on the wall height but that could be a problem depending on the roof style.
If it is a low slope roof, it will be a big problem. If it is a high peak gable roof or gambrel roof 5' walls may not be a problem. The issue will still be the height of the trusses, joists and the height of the person using the building.
In a climate like New Hampshire, snow load should preclude a low slope roof.
I have 2 gambrel roof coops some low slope roofs and a steep gable. The house and garage are flat roof but they are pretty beefy and we usually don't normally have deep snows.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The house and garage are flat roof

I hate a flat roof, they hold water. I recently bought this place, it has a 12 year old garage/shed with a flat roof that needs to be replaced. If he had a professional build it, maybe, but he built it himself. Water standing on a roof either rots, rusts, or leaks through. I'd want a roof sloped enough for water to run off as a minimum. In snow country the snow load can get really heavy.