24 Inch On Center Wall Framing
If you're building a home and you want to cut costs just
a little bit further, you can always frame all of your interior
non-bearing walls 24 inches on center. You cannot however use this for
your exterior or bearing walls. I would suggest that you check with your
local building department, before you frame any of your walls 24 inches
on center.
The overall savings in the house framing might not even add up to $100,
but if you're project is running a little bit in the hole, you can
always save a little bit of lumber this way.
The disadvantages to framing your interior walls 24 inches on center
will be.
1. Studs that bow or twist can create uneven walls. If you have two
studs that are bowing three quarters of an inch in their overall length,
in the same direction, you're going to have a visible curve in the wall.
If you have three studs in a row and two of the studs are bowing in the
opposite direction, you're going to have a pretty uneven wall. Using 16
inch on center measurements, most of the time, this problem won't be as
bad.
2. Any plumbing or electrical running through the walls can severely
weakened these walls.
I have never framed a house using 24 inch on center studs and probably
never will, the cost savings really isn't worth it in the long run.
There are other ways to cut corners and still produce a nice product.
I did run into a house that was built during World War II that had studs
spaced every 6 feet. Someone told me there was a lumber shortage because
of the war at that time. If you wanted to build a house, you had to
build homes very creatively.