Vertical 2x4 spacing

[Chicken-poodle]

My husband and I are building the run and we have a footprint of 15 x 10.5 feet. Yes, we don't know what we're doing. Now we need to figure out the verticals and buy the 2x4s. How should the 2x4's be spaced? For house construction, I think it's 16". Is 36" spacing too flimsy? I am trying to figure this out considering the hardware cloth spacing.
Also, can the 2x4s be oriented with the 3.5" face oriented parallel to the outline of the run? (opposite of the usual orientation). I am trying to make up an inch or two, with the odd sizing, to accommodate the standard hardware cloth widths.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

16" OC is typical for stick built home construction. You aren't building a people house, you don't need that. 36" spacing is too flimsy for a host of reasons, and more importantly, most materials (and most load charts) aren't designed to break evenly on that spacing.

Use California corners, with your timbers spaced 24" OC. Now all your plywood will fall where it should, and all your span tables are valid for your roof. Yes, you can set your timbers so the wide face is parallel with your wall. The good news is that its easier to hit the face when you are attaching hardware cloth, plywood, and anything else. The bad news is that it will have minimal stiffness in the narrow plane. Some additional bracing can be used to correct that.

 

[saysfaa]

Is the run roofed?

If not, I would put two in each corner (much better would be a 4x4 in each corner) and one for the other side of the door.

I have that size welded wire for my garden and to divide the interior of the shed. Inside the shed, I put it sideways for the same reasons you are considering doing it. It works well.

If you roof it, it depends on what kind of roof you use.

 

[Krugerrand]

Is this for a coop or run? How high will the run be, if that's the project.

 

[Chicken-poodle]

Is this for a coop or run? How high will the run be, if that's the project.

Is the run roofed?

If not, I would put two in each corner (much better would be a 4x4 in each corner) and one for the other side of the door.

I have that size welded wire for my garden and to divide the interior of the shed. Inside the shed, I put it sideways for the same reasons you are considering doing it. It works well.

If you roof it, it depends on what kind of roof you use.

It's a run, the coop is inside. The plan was going to be to put hardware cloth on the flat top, to seal it easily from predators, and then add an angled roof- thinking about a metal one, but could do something lighter.

 

[3KillerBs]

Our build was a post and beam type arrangement with the 2x4 verticals 4 feet apart because we were using 4-foot wide hardware cloth.

IMO, it's really important to keep the size of materials as they come in mind when designing -- and you're not going to get 15 x 10.5 to work out right when materials come in multiples of 4 feet.

Maybe a little redesigning? Unless you're intensely constrained by available space, of course, in which case you're going to have a wonky part to hide at the back of the structure.

 

[saysfaa]

...IMO, it's really important to keep the size of materials as they come in mind when designing -- and you're not going to get 15 x 10.5 to work out right when materials come in multiples of 4 feet.

I agree. But 2"x4" garden fencing comes in 5' and 6' widths and 25' and 50' lengths.

It's a run, the coop is inside. The plan was going to be to put hardware cloth on the flat top, to seal it easily from predators, and then add an angled roof- thinking about a metal one, but could do something lighter.

Hardware cloth is pretty heavy and expensive to use as a roof. It is especially expensive if you put a roof over it.

Also, even if you don't have a roof, there is no need to go with hardware cloth (1/2" gaps) across the top if the sides are garden fence (2x4" gaps). Something lighter and less expensive would work against ---- what do you want to protect against?

I think the garden fence is a reasonable choice for a run. It isn't fort knox but gives pretty good protection against most daytime predators.

 

[perkolator]

I went with 4ft spacing, as I used 4ft hardware cloth and wanted all my seams hidden on the wood structure. The spacing hasn't seemed to be an issue for me, the structure is pretty stable and there's no sagging on the HC between them - last 6 months we've been having a large bobcat show up that likes to hang off the HC and try to claw in, and it's fine.
Hardware cloth is quite easy to cut cleanly with an angle grinder if you need to shorten up a section to deal with frame spacing, I'm sure you'll use the extra piece somewhere. Personally I wouldn't waste my $ adding HC overhead if planning to add a roof over the top of it