2x4 Or 2x6 Exterior Walls

2x6 walls are bigger than 2x4 walls.

2x4 or 2x6 exterior walls. There are no circumstances in which a 2x4 wall should be on the table in your location. 2x6 walls are bigger than 2x4 walls. Theyre harder to lift and the headers on exterior walls require more work.

So if you see such framing and are wondering how it passed they probably also used blue insulation on the outside or something else to achieve r20. Also know should exterior walls be 2x4 or 2x6. Ive also had 2x4 and 2x6 is FAR superior at least in this climate both for energy saving and quietness.

To see what effect these different R-values have on the size of the heating and cooling systems in a home we have to put in actual numbers for a house. The 2x6 wall is roughly equivalent to a 2x4 wall with a half-inch of exterior insulation. Using 24 lumber for shed exterior walls is more than adequate for a standard single-story shed.

The difference then between the two is too small to justify the added cost of the 2x6 and the necessary extended jambs. The 26 wall is roughly equivalent to a 24 wall with a half-inch of exterior insulation. But what happens when you have air permeance there is a loss of performance- and that batt insulation becomes an air filter.

Theyre harder to lift and the headers on exterior walls require more work. Two staggered 2x4 frame walls with exterior foam sheets and interior fiberglass or cellulose will get you a better thermal break higher R value and a much quieter house than 2x6 construction. That means that for a 2400-square-foot house the interior of a 2x6-built house will be about 335 square feet smaller overall than that of a 2x4-built house.

There is a big difference in compressive strength resistance to buckling and lateral deflection between a 9 2x4 wall and a 9 2x6 wall. The wider lumber allows you to install. Great builders add 25 inches of closed-cell foam to the headers over windows and doors to help cut down on energy bills.