How to replace bottom plate of stud wall?

[joshy1]

Hi. I have water damage in the walls of my toilet room. The leak has been addressed. But it has caused damage to the bottom plate and bottom of the studs. I need to replace the bottom plate and bottom half of the studs. The wall in question is a non load bearing wall. There is also a load bearing wall that was also damaged but i will hire a tradesman to fix that small section. I can not afford to pay a tradesman to do the whole thing which i why i need to tackle it myself. I have checked with local council and have discovered I can do the repairs myself without a permit.

house is a brick veneer build in the early 90's on the Gold Coast.

I need to know whats the best way to remove the bottom plate ?

I also note that the bottom plate does not seem to be bolted to the concrete slab below.

toilet room in questionThe wall that i would like to repair in question

[MitchellMc]

@joshy1,

Is it a tiled wall on the other side? If so it's going to be tricky to replace the timber sections without causing damage to the tiles. You'll essentially need to cut all the supporting timber for the wall with the expectation that the tiled will just hang there whilst you complete the repair. 

Replacing the timber is a relatively simple process. You cut through the uprights and cut the bottom plate into sections. Pull the lower section of the studs off-centre to clear the top of them and lever out the pieces of the bottom plate. Re-install the bottom plate and then install your scissoring sections and join to the bottom plate and studs.

Given the issue of removing all support from the wall, you could potentially do this in sections. Instead of cutting all the studs, just do two at a time and have the new bottom plate in three sections. So start on the left, cut two studs and a section out of the bottom plate. Install this new smaller section of the bottom plate and then the two scissoring studs. Then, move to the next section.

Mitchell

[joshy1]

"The waterproofing has failed already, with the walls being removed the area will have to be redone"

The toilet is in its own room. the picture shown is the whole room. all walls have been removed in this room. its maybe 1.5m

[joshy1]

"You cut through the uprights and cut the bottom plate into sections"

so cut the studs where they butt up against the bottom plate ?

"Pull the lower section of the studs off-centre to clear the top of them and lever out the pieces of the bottom plate"

im having difficulty understanding this step ?

"Instead of cutting all the studs, just do two at a time and have the new bottom plate in three sections."

So i will have 3 or so different sections of the bottom plate. each with 2 bolts at each end of each section going down the the slab to keep it in place ?

ive will post some pics of a already repaired room to let you know what im trying to achieve

This is a room that has been repaired

[EricL]

Hi @joshy1 

Thanks for sharing that photo of your repaired section. That is pretty much what needs to happen when you do your repairs.

I believe Mitchell's instructions were:

• You cut through the uprights and cut the bottom plate into sections. If the uprights or studs have been damaged to a certain height, then that is where you'll need to cut it (just like the upright sections cut in your picture). The bottom plate can be cut into sections to make removal easier.
   
• Pull the lower section of the studs off-centre to clear the top of them and lever out the pieces of the bottom plate. The lower part of the damaged uprights you've cut must be taken out of alignment with the pieces at the top. You can now use your demolition bar to lift the bottom plate, since the cut uprights are no longer lined up it will not hold back the bottom plate when you lift it out. Lifting it out without pulling the uprights out will prevent the bottom plate from coming up.

In regards to the last piece of instruction, yes, you will have 3 different sections of the bottom plate. Each section with 2 bolts at each end going down the the slab to keep it in place.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[Nailbag]

Hi @joshy1 theses are the steps in order to produce the same result as the frame thats been repaired by the carpenter that may make more sense.

That aside, it's worth noting that I can assure you from past experience that the cost of materials to replace entire studs and bottom plates is negligible compared to gap filling and fixing support timbers. The time to build makeshift repairs is actually longer than to install news ones.

and either method is complicated as @MitchellMc with the wall with one side is still cladded. This would need to be removed to with either repair method.

Nailbag

 

[joshy1]

@Nailbag, If you cut the studs like your drew in your picture then the wall is just floating in mid air. dont you need to support it up somehow ?

[joshy1]

"and either method is complicated as @MitchellMc with the wall with one side is still cladded. This would need to be removed to with either repair method."

yes but that would break the water proofing of the bathroom that would then need a full strip out and cost 20k that i dont have

[Nailbag]

Hi @joshy1 

Correct, but I was only showing how you would make all the cuts needed to then copy the way your builder had don't in the repaired room as you mentioned wanted to repair the toilet wall. But, it's not how I would do it as I would replace the entire wall.

Nailbag

[joshy1]

"But, it's not how I would do it as I would replace the entire wall."

replacing the entire wall will break the waterproof membrane of the bathroom. The whole bathroom would need to be stripped and rebuilt from scratch. As it is a regulation in QLD for that to happen.

I do not have the luxury of spending $20,000+ to do that, and would rather spend a few hundred dollars worth of wood instead. I can always come back to modernizing the bathroom when the cost of living crisis im living under is over.

[Nailbag]

Apologies @joshy1 I didn't pick up that was a waterproofed wall. Thos waterproofing laws are the same nationally.

Sp just an idea then to seperate the frame from the back of the wall water-proofed wall, to use a multi-material blade in a multitool to separate those fixing points will be screws/nails and stud glue. This should allow you to ehe timber frame as required keeping the wall intact. Then use stud glue in-between when rebuilding the replacement sections. Its a tough job, but the only one I can think off.

Regards, Nailbag