Where to find Australian Standards for stud walls?

[ashlops]

Hi guys,

I am hoping to build some non-load bearing stud walls to enclose my carport into more of a man cave set-up.

I was hoping to find some information from the Australian Standards or BCA regarding what timbers I need to use, spacing for the studs, tolerances etc. I also I have a window and a sliding door I need to build into the stud wall and wanted to get an understanding of what lintel I need to use above (if at all), and if there's anything else I need to do to get it all good and correct.

Does anyone have a link to the standards and more specifically the part for stud walls? It's proving really hard to find!

Also, does anyone know of any good Australian you tube videos regarding stud walls? (the ones I find are American and are useful but it'd be nice to find an Aussie one)

Any other tips would be useful!

Thanks

[MitchellMc]

Hi @ashlops,

Before you start, it would be best to check with your local council as to whether you need to apply for a building permit. Adding walls to a carport would likely be considered an additional which would first require approval. 

I'm sure you'll find this step-by-step guide helpful: How to build a stud wall. If the wall is not supporting any load, then using 90 x 45mm structural Pine should be more than adequate, and stud spacing is at 450mm centres. 

The code you're looking for is AS 1684.2-2010 Residential timber-framed construction or AS 1684.3-2010 if in a cyclonic area. You'll find in section 6.1 the details on wall framing. You typically have to pay for a copy of a standard, though if you search for it, you might find someone hosting a copy that you can access.

Once you've looked at the guide on building a stud wall and gone over the framing section in the code, please let me know if you have further questions.

Mitchell