I recently purchased a house from 1975 and while I've been remodeling, I've noticed that the wall studs can twist a bit when I grab them. They move slightly at the top and bottom plates, which makes me a bit uneasy. I'm considering ways to secure them better, like toe nailing screws, adding blocking, sistering the studs, or even replacing them, but I'm not sure how necessary that is. Would using brackets work better? What would you suggest?
4 Answers
For exterior walls, you really shouldn't be seeing that movement. Make sure the sheathing is properly nailed to the studs. If you find any damaged areas around the nails, just drive in a longer screw to secure it better. Adding some blocking or nogging between the studs can also help, plus it's a good fire safety measure!
You might want to try adding some dwangs, which are horizontal pieces between the studs. They can help give more stability without a ton of work.
If these are interior walls, don't stress too much. Removing the drywall means those studs are not as supported, but they should be fine. Just toe nail a few studs to see if that helps, and a nail gun would definitely speed things up!
Interior walls can be pretty flimsy in homes built by less experienced builders. Just adding more fasteners should strengthen them up nicely without going through a big hassle.