Sixteen inch spacing of studs has been the standard since long before I was born, at least where I live. Twelve inch spacing is overkill, especially with 6" studs instead of 4" studs. Most houses built now have thicker walls to increase insulation, at least in northern states. The problem is lack of diagonal bracing. The corners of a house need to be braced diagonally against the wind, or the house sways and twists. The floor joists need diagonal bracing to make the entire floor act as a single unit, instead of each joist moving up and down independently. If a builder skips on the diagonal bracing, there can be problems.
This is easily the most replys I've had to a comment. Justified though. I was ignorant on the subject and probably shouldn't have put my 2 cents in.
It does prove the whole, "If you want to find out about something on the internet, don't ask. Just write a little bit of wrong information and you'll be corrected."
(post is archived)