Hey everyone! I'm currently renovating my master bathroom, which is a complete gut job, and I have a few structural questions that I hope you can help me with. The house was built in 2003, and I started out trying to create some extra space next to the stock shower pan. I found what seemed like a false wall next to the pan, likely due to the original homeowner's choice for builder-grade materials. After some investigation, I confirmed there's no vent stack, electrical, HVAC, or anything important behind the wall, which led me to believe it's non-structural. However, once I began pulling down walls, I noticed that the builder notched the upper top plate of the exterior wall above a major point load, while the lower top plate is intact. Here are my main concerns:
1. Even if the wall I removed was structural (though I don't believe it was), it wouldn't be affecting the load in that area.
2. I'm curious about why the builder chose to notch the exterior wall instead of building a standard interior wall.
3. I'm mostly worried about lateral support. Would it be wise to install some hurricane ties?
4. The notched areas are about 8 inches and 3 feet long. Should I take any additional steps for support there?
Thanks for your insights!
2 Answers
The way that "false wall" is set up with the notched top plates seems to be standard practice. Usually, all walls are raised with a single top plate first, then the second one is added to tie everything together. This setup doesn't seem to impact the lateral bracing or load-bearing capacity in that spot, so you might not need hurricane ties, but it depends on your local codes and conditions.
It’s tough to say for sure about structural details without being there. We’re all kind of guessing here, especially without seeing what’s above the ceiling. But I have to say, that insulation job looks pretty rough! The way it’s all crunched up could lead to heat loss and condensation issues elsewhere in the house. Just something to think about!
Good point about the insulation! I'll definitely take a closer look at that.
Thanks for clarifying! So it sounds like I shouldn't be too worried about structural integrity with that single top plate?