More walls heights on Victoria Studio--I'm sorry for being slow

[Wsgain]

I am sorry for being kinda dense on the question of wall heights.  I am new to this stuff but I am motivated to learn.  Like others I am trying to figure out what I can and can't do with the basic studio version of the Victoria's cottage.  The cross section shows 12 ft walls and the plan view says "modify loft as needed" or something like that.  It doesn't mention reducing wall height if a complete loft is not used.  Some built versions I see in the projects section have a front and rear loft with a bridge; some have a complete loft. 

Like most people I would like the world to be a magic place where I get what I want (lots of room) without having to pay for it (structure): that would be something like a beautiful cathedral ceiling over a large living area with a spacious loft upstairs in just over 400 square feet.

Here is the question I think I should ask:   I will be building in NC.  They seem strict but snow loads are not a major issue.  I will, of course in the end have to rely on the building permit folks to approve whatever I choose to do.  In the mean time, the Victoria's cottage specifies beams for floor joists under the loft.  Can this beam structure be used to support 12 walls in the cathedral area without being fully planked with 2x6's?   I could imagine that this is the situation with the front-loft-and-bridge combination I have seen (open spaces on the side) but I am not sure these don't also require 10-ft walls.  Is there anything in between a completely floored loft and having an engineer design a special wall that might preserve our 12 foot wall height? 

Thank you very much for your help.  This site has been great.  I am sorry for being repetitive of other posts.  I just want to make sure I understand exactly what I am reading before I take the next step.

Scott (Victoria's Cabbage)
 

[Don_P]

If the inspector is reading the code strictly, the gable wall is also part of that 10' height limit without engineering. There is a table that shows stud heights for taller walls but the footnotes limit it to a pretty small room. It would be a correct call for the inspector to ask for engineering on the 12' walls. The building code also calls for rafter ties on each rafter pair, in the lower third of roof height, unless an engineered ridgebeam is used. The floor joists/ beams are not prescriptive rafter ties, nor is there a prescriptive bracing method for a tall wall other than a floor diaphragm that I know of.

If you understand that you now know pretty much the limits of what the inspector will ask for there. Sit down, have a discussion and see what they want.

As an aside, NC covers several snow load zones, 10psf, 15, 20, in the northwest mts it wouldn't be wrong to use 25 psf.

[Wsgain]

Thanks.  Most of what I have been able to learn about overall design constraints comes from looking at plans and owner-builder projects on this site.  Unfortunately many of these seem to have been built to other code specs or include engineered modifications.  At the moment I am trying to figure out what is even in the realm of consideration before going to a permit office--which in this case is 6 hours away.

I think I now understand that the short loft at the front of several of the plans on this site is not a matter of taste but rather a requirement to brace the gable wall using customary code practices.  Makes sense when I think about it but not immediately apparent.  This does mean that I may no longer want to do what I thought I wanted to do.  Back to the drawing board.

Scott   

[MountainDon]

......owner-builder projects on this site....... many of these seem to have been built to other code....

I think I now understand that the short loft at the front of several of the plans on this site is not a matter of taste but rather a requirement to brace the gable wall.............

other code? NO code in some cases. And yes some are built using engineered roof trusses or engineered ridge beams.

Note that many of the loft floors as built by some will also not pass code as illustrated.

If you have a permit and inspection department to work with you should find out what code they use. Many jurisdictions use the IRC; the year may vary and states and local authorities can also change, add or delete sections. We have a board here centered about the IRC. It has a topic on finding various online sources for the IRC.
http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?board=14.0

That would be a good learning/design tool. Perhaps you can find what code your area uses online. Or a telephone call should get the answer to that question.