16x20 build - Wall height question

[CTsap]

Hi Folks - I'm starting a 16x20 sugar house this week. Originally I was planning 8ft walls until my siding source said he doesn't supply 9ft boards. I'm considering making my walls 9ft. I need about 8 inches more to cover up rim joists so 10ft siding will work just fine.
Question is how will this affect steam rise. It will have an 8/12 pitch. My evaporator will likely be a 2x4 mason.
I'm new to sugaring and this building will serve many other purposes. I'd like to go with 9ft walls but with a small evaporator and steel roof I'm thinking it's going to be a sugar steam bath in there.

Thoughts?

[Sugarmaker]

Make the inside head room as high as you can. I went 10 foot ceiling height and never regretted it. If you grow and get a bigger evaporator the head room could be a issue. I added a Steam-away and have just enough room to get it off the pans.
If you stay with the 2 x 4, then 8 foot ceilings might work for a long time too.
Regards,
Chris

[optionguru]

Mine is 14x 16 with 10 foot walls. I just built it so can't speak to the steam yet but many on here recommended I go with the taller walls. I love the extra room it gives me and I built semi-loft trusses to store all my tubing and buckets up in the loft and out of the way in the off season. My wife is now asking if I can build another one elsewhere on the property and use it as a "tiny house" for guests. 1200612007

[MISugarDaddy]

Our sugarhouse is 16' by 24' with 9' walls and it worked great with our 2' by 4' drop flue evaporator. We had our rafters built by a local rafter company with an exterior pitch of 8/12 and an interior cathedral style of ceiling with a 5/12 pitch. That gave us the strength we needed to build a 3' by 6' cupola over the evaporator. With the windows open, the steam never was a problem. We went with the cathedral ceiling so we could easily insulate it and finish it with FRP (fiberglas reinforced plastic) panels. It made the food inspector really happy because they are moving toward no exposed wood. You will really enjoy boiling inside, versus under a tarp or leanto roof!!!
Gary

[CTsap]

Thanks for the responses. Just read through posts now and felt a bit of relief as I put up the 9ft walls earlier today. Everything is braced off and and we're putting up the angle bracing and Nailers tomorrow. I'll post some pics later in the week.

Thanks,
Dave