Wall Construction Q's

Hey all, I'm still in the planning stages for my home studio, and I'm having a hard time figuring out how to tackle construction of the walls. Please see the attached pics (not to scale). The studio will be built on the 2nd floor of an existing pole barn style garage. The exterior walls are made of steel siding, attached to vertical 2x6 framing 24"oc, and horizontal 2x4 framing 24"oc, with vertical 6x6 posts every 8'. Right now the floor is just 3/4" plywood, screwed to 14" I-beams (I think that's what they're called), spaced 16"oc. The dimensions are roughly 40'L x 24'W x 8'6" (at the highest point). The E and W walls are vertical for about 3', then they are angled roughly 45 degrees towards the ceiling. This makes a 12' wide area where the room's ceiling is at maximum height, and 6' on each side where the ceiling is sloped. I want to bring the E and W walls in about 2' on each side, making them about 5' high, and the overall room width 20'. What I'm having the most trouble figuring out is how to build the CR and LR walls while maintaining a 2-leaf m-a-m system. Afterall, the anything-but-airtight steel siding is considered a leaf, correct? For example, I want to build a double wall for the live room. Would I have to use the steel as my 2nd leaf, and just beef it up somehow? If I built the double wall separate from the existing siding, wouldn't that siding act as a 3rd leaf? I wish to construct the control room using the same double wall construction, but I'm still a bit confused on how to accomplish it within the existing structure. I have very little construction knowledge, but I'm doing to my best to learn. I've bought and read Rod's book as well, and it has helped me a great deal, but I'm still having a hard time with this one. Any help anyone can offer is much appreciated. Also, if I've left out any vital info, please feel free to ask. Thanks in advance, Colorblind

I think sometimes it's easier to live with and compensate for the effects three leaf system by making two leaves as massive as possible, rather than trying to beef up a very wimpy leaf. This is especially true of corregated steel which is nearly impossible to beef up due to its waviness. However, you're probably going to have difficulty doing anything along those lines because you're on an upper floor, and we're talking about adding literally tons of building materials on a structure that may very well not be engineered to handle that much weight. On another note, I'm concerned about the framing of that window! :shock: See this page for correct methods of framing a window. Are there any other skeletons in the framing closet? :roll: I hope you can appreciate that the risk of error could very well be the untimely death of the building's inhabitants if it were to collapse. :!: --Keith :mrgreen:

[deleted] See Rod's post below (and the post with newer pics; the 'window' was not clearly seen in the old pics and I guess there was an over-reaction)

Thanks for the quick reply. Here's a more recent pic of the window. I guess I just assumed that a construction company would know what they are doing, especially with something as common as framing a window. Is the window really unsafe? As far as the floor goes, I am extremely concerned about the sturdiness as well, and I've expressed my concerns to the builder, who assures me that it will be plenty strong. I tried to use one of the online span calculators just to be sure, but it confused the heck out of me. Each of the 6x6 posts has a 2x8 "notch" cut out, and a 2x8 board is inserted in each notch. This goes all the way around the garage, with another 2x8 running parallel to it on the other side of the 6x6's and that's what the 14" I-beams sit on. I added a couple more pics to hopefully make up for my lack of construction terminology. Should I be worried about the floor as well? :shock: Colorblind

Colorblind, don't get nervous - everything I see here (including the window) is pretty standard in post and beam barn construction. The 2 2x8's installed on the inner and outer face of the posts essentially create a beam - plenty capableof carrying the load they need to carry. The window is a non-issue - it's located in a non-bearing gable end- doesn't require a header - and the 2 studs flanking it - along with the fact that the 2x4 purlins carrying the siding help to transfer the wind load on the wall to the 2 studs adjacent to them. So no - I don't see any big problems here with the existing. Sincerely, Rod

Awesome! 8) Thanks, Rod! Obviously I've been fixated on framing dos and don'ts lately, and that looked really wrong to me from a distance! --Keith :mrgreen:

Ahhh... Music to my ears. :D Thanks so much, Rod! Colorblind

sharward wrote:

Awesome! 8) Thanks, Rod! Obviously I've been fixated on framing dos and don'ts lately, and that looked really wrong to me from a distance! --Keith :mrgreen:

Keith - that's because you are used to seeing framing where the stick built frame is carrying the building load. This would include gravity loads - seismic loads and wind loads. In post and beam construction - the only load carried by the framing is the wind load...... and then only part of it. The posts carry the majority of the wind load - and 100% of seismic and gravity loads. Thus the framing does not have to be held to as high a standard as it is in stick built construction. Sincerely, Rod