Studs for use with a single top plate
I work with Habitat for Humanity in upstate SC (zone 3), and we are looking to incorporate advanced framing techniques, one being the use of a single top plate, rather than a double top plate. However, this presents the need to change our stud height.
The new stud height would need to be about 94 1/8″ to keep an 8-ft wall height. However, no lumberyard seems to carry this height. Thus, it seems they would need to be custom ordered, which would likely cancel out the savings we would get from eliminating the double top plate.
Am I missing something here, or do most lumberyards simply not carry stud heights to accomodate advanced framing techniques?
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Replies
Dylan,
For many years, carpenters didn't expect lumber to be trimmed perfectly to length. We always cut our studs according to our needs.
These days, many carpenters have grown up thinking that studs don't need to be cut. That's OK -- it's more efficient to buy studs that are the exact size you need.
You're correct that advanced framing has lots of disadvantages as well as a few advantages. Here's a link to an article summing up the pluses and minuses: The Pros and Cons of Advanced Framing.
Dylan,
I'm not a fan of Advanced Framing for many of the reasons Martin gives in his blog. However neither the cost of double top plates, or the time necessary to cut down studs are significant in terms of the wall framing on a house.