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Wall assembly

colt 4607 | Posted in Green Building Techniques on

If a 4 or 6” wall works good, what is wrong with a 12” version of it?

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Replies

  1. GBA Editor
    Martin Holladay | | #1

    Michael,
    Many cold-climate builders build 12-inch-thick walls. Two common approaches are the double-stud wall and the Larsen truss wall.

    For more information, see:

    Double-Stud Walls

    All About Larsen Trusses

  2. STEPHEN SHEEHY | | #2

    If by a 4" or 6" wall, you mean a wall framed with 2x4 or 2x6 studs, then a wall framed with 2x12 studs would be difficult to frame (2x12s are very heavy) and you'd get the same thermal bridge problem as with thinner walls. Much better to use either a 2x4 or 2x6 wall with exterior insulation, a double stud wall full of cellulose or something like a Larsen trust, all of which avoid the thermal bridge issue.

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