In general the maximum span for a 4 by 6 beam is 6 feet between 4 by 4 posts.
Roof joist spacing shed.
A roof joist is always spaced no more than 16 inches apart from another roof joist.
2 4 rafters can span up to 7.
For light load roofs 24 o c.
For heavy roofs or in areas with substantial snowfall or winds call your local building department for code requirements.
There is no standard spacing it depends on what size of rafters you want to use and the span of your shed.
The tables below give maximum spans for rafters and beams.
The skillion and shed style roofs are framed with a single slope 2 4 or 2 6 or thicker rafters spanning from the low wall to the high wall.
Metal roofs and pole buildings.
If the roof is not completely square you can decrease the space between joists but never increase the space.
Two options that arise could be your wider 24 and your narrower 12 options for spacing.
16 inch and 24 inch stud spacing.
2x8s are used frequently for these projects.
The smallest beams for patio covers are typically 4 by 6.
Stud spacing for a shed is important for two reasons.
There are two stud spacing options for a shed.
2 8 s come standard at 1 inch thick.
If you plan to have eaves to protect the shed walls make sure you add the extra length when measuring the rafters.
In areas with mild climates patio roofs are generally designed for loads of 30 psf pounds per square foot.
If you get premium kiln dried lumber then you could span 10 5 with the same size of lumber and rafter spacing.
Skillion shed style roof framing.
Spacing your 2 4 shed rafters at 24 on center limits the width of your roof.
Most roof framing is 24 on center and you can still build sheds up to 14 with 2 4 rafters at 24 on center.
If you move up to 4 by 8 you re usually allowed to span up to 10 feet between posts.
In other words you would space a roof joist 15 inches apart from another roof joist but never 17 inches apart.
Although the standard spacing of roof trusses may be the same as that of rafters with 24 inch spacing being a common option the design of a truss may allow for the use of a lower grade of lumber than would be required for rafters with comparable spacing and span.
For example in the rafter span table below the highlighted cell in the 40 live load table indicates that 2 x 8 southern yellow pine joists that have a grade of 2 that are spaced 24 apart can have a maximum span of 10 feet 3 inches 10 3 if designing for a live load of 40 lbs ft 2.
A 4 by 10 can usually span up to 12 feet between posts.
For heavy loads 2x4s can span up to 5.
For instance 2 grade 2x4s at 16 on center will span just over 9.
The figures are based on quality materials.