1940 House To bear or not to bear.

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DIYcauseIcant

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Have gutted out Bathroom Tub down to studs. INstall 100% QWALL-5 Shower. Question. The bathroom stud is smack dab in my way(it lined up even for the OLD Cast Iron Tub Drain). I have no idea if it's a "Bearing" one or not. As I look up behind the Cement board(towards Attic), the Stud goes an amazing 24'(estimate) up with no breaks, HUH? The wood is brown with rot(12 Studs total minus the "doubles" in Corners. You see (Attachment #1), where they took it upon themselves to hack off the bottom, and use a horizontal brace, then INstall a piece of crap 1/4" Plywood for the Tub Faucets(which double rotted). I would like to Sister up all my Studs(REinforce on each side to the max), EXCEPT the Stud you see in the middle. Like to match up the ones on the left and right, and cut out the one in the middle so as to INstall my Rough Valve. Blown Insulation dieing, and Floor they sawed to the point I will REplace(of course). Pre 1940 and have no idea if it's Rafters or Trusses. Attic has 2x6x looooong(no metal plates holding cross members(geeeez). I don't get it, 24 FOOT Studs for an "add-on" Bathroom in 1940 HUH???
 

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DIYcauseIcant

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**NOTE** : Bathroom is small(81" x 89"). Who in the heck is gonna buy 24 Sister FOOT Studs ??? Yeah, you can tell I am a "DIY".
 

hj

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Look up "Balloon construction" and I don't think they even heard of trusses in 1940. Looking for metal plates on cross members pre 1940? You have to be kidding.
 

Dana

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If it's full-dimension 2x4s (not 1.5" x 3. 5" milled 2x4s) they could still be pretty strong- as strong as new milled 2x4s (or stronger) even if the rot penetrates 1/4" on all sides. Go ahead an pick at it or drill a few cores- you might be surprised.

It looks like exterior wall plank sheathing on the back side of the wall cavity. ALL exterior walls in a house are load bearing walls.

Before closing it all in it's worth trying to figure out why it's rotting. Wood generally only rots when it spends weeks/months out of the year at ~20% moisture content or higher. The source of the moisture in an exterior wall could be from either the outside or the inside. In a northern Indiana climate (US climate zone 5) air leakage from the interior during the winter can be a significant source, though in southern IN (US climate zone 4) that's less of an issue. Insufficient exhaust ventilation in a bathroom, or a leaking drain could also lead to localized timber rot/mold issues even if the rest of the house is fine.

The siding type on the other side of the plank sheathing can make some difference in how you treat this too. What is the material stackup of the wall from the inside paint to the outdoor air, including insulation type, any tarpaper, rosin paper, or air gaps?
 
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