Stud in the way!

[Tdkdpt]

I want to put my new shower valve on this wall and center it with the drain but there is a pesky stud in the way. Wondering if I can take this stud out completely if I put in another stud several inches over. It is a load bearing wall I am assuming (perpendicular to the joists, double top plate, etc...)

*** Side note ***
I will actually be taking the front studs out completely that butt up against this old pan. But the studs directly behind them are the ones I am referring to in my original question. They are the loadbearing studs.

 

[wwhitney]

The features you mention do not automatically make a wall load bearing. The ultimate question is "if I remove this wall, does that make anything else no longer adequately supported"? So you might have a wall perpendicular to the joists above, where none of the joists are broken over the wall, and where the joist span if you remove the wall is still within the allowable limits. If that wall has no other loads coming down from above, it would not be load bearing.

Assuming it is a load bearing wall, you can shift a stud over (assuming there's no splice in the double top plate near the stud), or cut most of one out and add a header and two jack studs to support the cripple stud above. Which depending on the details of what's attached on the opposite side might be easier (probably not). If the current stud spacing is, say, 16" o.c., rather than shift one stud, I'd be more inclined to remove one and add two, one on each side, so the final spacing does not exceed 16" o.c. anywhere.

Oh, and if the drywall is attached to the backside of the stud, and you don't want to disturb it, and you don't need the full 3-1/2" depth for your plumbing work, you could just put a long deep notch in the stud as required, and then add your new stud or two (or maybe sister the current stud, if the sister wouldn't interfere).

Cheers, Wayne

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Tdkdpt]

The features you mention do not automatically make a wall load bearing. The ultimate question is "if I remove this wall, does that make anything else no longer adequately supported"? So you might have a wall perpendicular to the joists above, where none of the joists are broken over the wall, and where the joist span if you remove the wall is still within the allowable limits. If that wall has no other loads coming down from above, it would not be load bearing.

Assuming it is a load bearing wall, you can shift a stud over (assuming there's no splice in the double top plate near the stud), or cut most of one out and add a header and two jack studs to support the cripple stud above. Which depending on the details of what's attached on the opposite side might be easier (probably not). If the current stud spacing is, say, 16" o.c., rather than shift one stud, I'd be more inclined to remove one and add two, one on each side, so the final spacing does not exceed 16" o.c. anywhere.

Oh, and if the drywall is attached to the backside of the stud, and you don't want to disturb it, and you don't need the full 3-1/2" depth for your plumbing work, you could just put a long deep notch in the stud as required, and then add your new stud or two (or maybe sister the current stud, if the sister wouldn't interfere).

Cheers, Wayne

Good stuff Wayne. Thank you