residential: do you draw 4" or 3 1/2" stud walls?

[Jack_O'neill]

Jack's house is measured in Cubits..

dJE

LOL...you are closer to right than you think! These old hillbillies did things their own way. Funny thing is, it usually worked.

[ReMark]

I think I'm living in the twin of the house Jack lives in. Well, not quite. A 2x4 is really a 2x4 and rough sawn. Every stud has at least five nails in each end and none are shorter than 3". Nothing is plumb, nothing is level and there are no ninety degree corners. The foundation below grade is rock and mortar while above grade it is a double brick wall separated by a 2" space. No fire stops because it is balloon construction. Horsehair plaster walls on lath. The original electrical panel was a 60 amp. House has been heated over 108 years by wood, coal, oil and now natural gas. Renovation projects are always a challenge as one never really knows what to expect. Oh, and because it was built at the turn of the century it has the old gas piping for the lights (still have two gas fixtures in the attic) and some of the old "knob and tube" wiring is still in use.

[Dana W]

Jack's house predates written language.