Need to move stud in finished partition wall

juengl4 · 02-13-2011, 07:34 PM

So... I'm trying to put a structured wiring panel in my pantry.

I've got the passthroughs all figured out so I can go from my crawlspace to through the first floor - through the second floor - and into the attic.

I found what I thought was the perfect stud bay to locate the panel - so I cut out a BIG section of drywall and guess what I found...

A 2x6 that is used by an intersecting wall. Bummer. The box I'm using is already extra deep (built for 2x6 cavity - and this is a 2x4 cavity) so I don't want to have it stick out that far from the wall.

This is a non-load bearing wall. You can see in the attached pictures that the upstairs floor joists run parallel to the wall in question and do not sit on it.

My first thought is to cut the stud on the left side of the opening and shift the box to the left. If I do this what do I need to put back in for structure? Keep in mind that this is not a load bearing wall...

Also, how do I accomplish this with the least amount of disturbance to the drywall on both sides of the wall?

Thanks for your ideas!

LIHR · 02-13-2011, 09:15 PM

ah! surgical stud removal. Using a reciprocating saw with a long fine tooth blade for cutting metal, carefully slide the blade between the rock and studs and carefully cut the drywall screws. Hold steady and don't let it vibrate, take control! You need to use a little "English" to work the blade. Billiards anyone?

then cut out the amount of stud necessary for the proper rough for your box, (careful, don't cut through the drywall, steady hand now) frame it out and if need be use some premium PL polyurethane adhesive to secure the studs from the inside of the wall to the drywall.

Not that difficult, just a little careful cutting.. Sometimes (most times) in remodeling things don't always go as planned.

AndyGump · 02-13-2011, 10:41 PM

Who frames like that anyway?
I wonder if using a 2x6 like that for the partition wall connection is standard in some parts of the country?
In CA. the standard practice is to make a channel of 2x4 to connect interior walls like that.

Andy.

juengl4 · 02-13-2011, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LIHR

then cut out the amount of stud necessary for the proper rough for your box, (careful, don't cut through the drywall, steady hand now) frame it out and if need be use some premium PL polyurethane adhesive to secure the studs from the inside of the wall to the drywall.

Okay. I'm with you right up until you say "frame it out".

I need the stud bay to be open above and below the box, but I need studs on either side the mount the box. Should I put in a full stud adjacent to the 2x6, and then add another stud ~16" to the left of the new stud? If so, is there any way to do this without cutting the drywall from floor to ceiling?

Are the 2x4's on a partition wall essentially there to support the drywall? If I don't need to worry about supporting a structural load, I suppose I could cut the new studs in half and put the bottom in first and then the top. I'd have to glue them at the sill and top plate or maybe toenail a long countersunk screw and then I would just drywall screw the drywall to the new studs...

This was supposed to be the easy part.

juengl4 · 02-15-2011, 09:46 AM

Any ideas on how to re-frame after cutting out the 2x4 stud on the left side of the box?

Thanks!

juengl4 · 02-17-2011, 10:13 AM

Somebody out there must have an opinion...

This is the internet after all...

mrgins · 02-17-2011, 10:49 AM

I'd try drilling several holes along the 2x6 stud, then connect the dots with an oscillating tool or just a hammer and chisel. Fill in the void between the 2x6 and the drywall with a cut down, custom sized 2x.
Depending how much space you need if moving the opening to the left, cut the 2x4 stud above and below the opening and cut as long a 2x4 as you can fit thru the void you just created. I'd drive a couple of screws into the side of it, so you can grab it with a claw hammer and pull it tight to the hidden side of the original stud. Screw thru the original stud into the new 2x4. This would give you an extra 1 1/2". You could add a block to the back of the original 2x4 stud to create an additional 1 1/2" and use longer screws, but beyond this, you'd need to open up the wall to securely attach the supports.
You already have walls to the left and right of your opening some flexibility within the wall will not become an issue.

juengl4 · 02-18-2011, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrgins

I'd try drilling several holes along the 2x6 stud, then connect the dots with an oscillating tool or just a hammer and chisel. Fill in the void between the 2x6 and the drywall with a cut down, custom sized 2x.
Depending how much space you need if moving the opening to the left, cut the 2x4 stud above and below the opening and cut as long a 2x4 as you can fit thru the void you just created. I'd drive a couple of screws into the side of it, so you can grab it with a claw hammer and pull it tight to the hidden side of the original stud. Screw thru the original stud into the new 2x4. This would give you an extra 1 1/2". You could add a block to the back of the original 2x4 stud to create an additional 1 1/2" and use longer screws, but beyond this, you'd need to open up the wall to securely attach the supports.
You already have walls to the left and right of your opening some flexibility within the wall will not become an issue.

Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately I'd need to remove almost all of the 2x6 to get enough space, or at least half (even if I move the 2x4 on the left by 1.5").

I'm coming to the conclusion that I'm just going to remove the drywall from floor to ceiling on the pantry side of this wall remove the lefthand 2x4 and put in 2 new 2x4's to create a new stud bay to the left of the 2x6. Since it's in the pantry I don't need to worry about matching texture or anything. Hopefully I can do it without disturbing the kitchen side of the drywall.

Thanks!