Hey everyone! I'm in the process of turning a half wall in my entryway into a mud room bench, but I need some advice. We had a contractor tell us that the studs in the wall weren't structural, but now they're MIA. The base of the wall is a concrete bench that wraps around, and I figured the studs were just there to keep our shins safe while entering the house. I'm thinking of cutting them down to the level of the concrete, but I'm worried about whether they support the exterior retaining wall on the other side. Can anyone tell me if it's safe to cut these studs? Are they important for structural support? I've attached some pics for reference: studs - https://imgur.com/a/2XfMTkA, retaining wall - https://imgur.com/a/NsZ22nf, and an inspo pic - https://imgur.com/a/0Ri7FXi.
1 Answer
From what you've described, those half walls generally aren't structural—it's very likely they were just there for safety. The loads travel differently, so cutting them should be okay! Just make sure that the stud running to the ceiling is not holding anything above before you snip it. Better safe than sorry!
Thanks for the clarification! So, it sounds like as long as the top stud isn’t holding anything, I’m good to go.