Can I remove this wall stud? I am thinking yes but need some advice...

DrGribble

DrGribble

Well-Known Member
My Veg area is under my stairs in my basement (here's a link to my Grow Journal: https://www.rollitup.org/grow-journals/557384-getting-setup-new-grow-5g.html ) and since I have wall studs all up in my way (lol) I have not been able to SCROG like I originally was planning on doing, I can just BARELY fit the 5G buckets in and out of this space and once the plants bush out like crazy I am going to risk damaging them when I pull them out of there I am afraid. I originally was going to do individual scrogs attached to each bucket (the 5g's) but I would never be able to remove the whole thing once it's in there since the scrog would add at least an extra 8" in width to the buckets that already hardly fit (the white ones actually need to be squished slightly to make it between the studs)

I am thinking it would be SAFE to remove this, but I want to check with people who know more than I... if you look at the photo with the red lines, the one that runs horizontally across the top I was thinking of putting a 2x4 running there (I am going to build a wooden panel/wall for the top portion where the line starts which will have 6" exhaust vent to pull heat from there into the flowering area (it's all attached) and passive lower intake in the same manner below that way the A/C cool air, Co2, etc that's introduced to the flowering area (8x8) will get exchanged and circulated in the confined veg area too that way I can keep it cool when 12/12 is in effect next door and also share some Co2 (although probably minimal amounts) as this all needs to be light controlled at the same time.

What are your thoughts? I highly doubt this will make any compromise to the structural integrity of my home and if worse came to worse I could replace it if this grow room ever gets retired... If I can remove that, I can also SCROG... this grow is going to be perpetual so I cant just scrog the shit out of them in the flowering room and switch over that would slow everything way down if I couldn't veg/flower at the same time but really wanna scrog on the individual level for versatility.



Thanks RIU!
DSC03694.jpgDSC03692.jpg
 
Closetgardner

Closetgardner

Well-Known Member
if the wall runs parallel to to the joists then its non supporting,if they run in an opposite direction to the joists then its a supporting wall
 
brotherjericho

brotherjericho

Well-Known Member
Basically, you need to temporarily support the section of the floor that will lack support when you remove the stud. You can do this by installing a temporary wall close to the existing wall so the floor will be supported as this appears to be a load bearing wall. Once the temporary wall is in place, you can remove the stud and then place a 2x8 (minimum) header in its place. Make the header by sandwiching a piece of plywood between 2 2x8s, gluing and nailing (minimum). If you are looking at spanning more than one removed stud, you will need to look at something heftier.

*Please note that this is not professional advice and that the author of this post is not liable for any damage or loss*
 
PumpedUpKicks

PumpedUpKicks

Well-Known Member
brotherjericho said:
Basically, you need to temporarily support the section of the floor that will lack support when you remove the stud. You can do this by installing a temporary wall close to the existing wall so the floor will be supported as this appears to be a load bearing wall. Once the temporary wall is in place, you can remove the stud and then place a 2x8 (minimum) header in its place. Make the header by sandwiching a piece of plywood between 2 2x8s, gluing and nailing (minimum). If you are looking at spanning more than one removed stud, you will need to look at something heftier.

*Please note that this is not professional advice and that the author of this post is not liable for any damage or loss*
Click to expand...
This is a rough example of what he's talking about...http://www.renovation-headquarters.com/images4/pocket%20door%20rough-in%20framing%20cr.jpg
 
DrGribble

DrGribble

Well-Known Member
Sounds like this may be more than I figured it would be, I was hoping just having one gap in the grand scheme of things would be ok and did not figure I'd need to support it while I did the work but if that's the case I'll probably just leave well enough alone and not scrog in there. Like I said that's under my basement stairs and immediately to the left of it is a door way (which is a good 32 inches in width or so, kind of made me think it would be OK since it's kind of the same thing, a section without a Stud but I know doors are framed differently so I am guessing that's why it's OK :P

I took a couple more pics, not sure if they're helpful at all or just redundant, about 1-2 feet to the right of the stud I want to remove is concrete too, the end is supported by the concrete foundation of the house so another thing that made me think it might be ok, plus the area being supported by that 2x4 is right at the doorway to the stairwell (above) Also the one shot is looking into the room and the red lines depict roughly the location of the red lines in the previous pic but looking from outside and next to the stairway (wall to the left)

I don't want to cause any issues, if this is not cool I'll just not do it... i was simply going to saw it out.
 

Attachments

DrGribble

DrGribble

Well-Known Member
Warlock1369 said:
I wouldn't. Notice how your 2x8 floor support above it is all ready splitting! And that's not upto today's codes ether. There should be steel brackets joining the 2 2x8s.
Click to expand...
Thanks, this house is relatively old it was built in the 60s I believe...
 
DrGribble

DrGribble

Well-Known Member
OK, so here's an alternative (I suppose) Will my plants have any issues if I just train them in the scrog while 12/12... I want to run perpetual and scrog both at once yet I don't want any 'downtime' I want veg and flowering going all the time and I just have these two areas... I am better off filling the screen in veg though I am thinking so this kind of sucks. I can still accomplish some good stuff through LST though which I am already doing, if I gotta lose the screen I think I'll still have a great harvest if I veg them 6-8 weeks like I plan with LST/Topping throughout.
 
DrGribble

DrGribble

Well-Known Member
Yeah... I quickly have tossed this idea out, no need... I can just grow them really bushy and throw them under an area of screen when they go into the flowering room and probably train them for a few days at that point while they stretch anyway. I thought this wouldn't be ideal but now that I think about it I am sure it will be fine or I can just tie everything down and avoid the screen all together with good success. I just gotta make sure now that I am really careful when I remove these bushes when the time comes :P

I am at day 13 now I think, probably go another 2-3 weeks tops, might put a couple of them in flower smaller just to get something going but I am not decided yet. I think after a month or so of veg they are gonna get monstrous anyway and I gotta make sure I have ample room.
 
Warlock1369

Warlock1369

Well-Known Member
Can you split your room in 2. Making both veg and flower? Veg in 1 SCROG and clone. Flower in the other. After flower pull your clones to the now empty room and veg and SCROG there. While now flowering in the other. Moving a SCROG is a pain. This will let you do what you want but not moving plants from room to room. Just change ballests and bulbs.
 
carl.burnette

carl.burnette

Well-Known Member
No joist hangers required there because of the 2X4 wall under it. Joist hangers are only required if you don't have the 1 1/2" bearing on the joists. The question we need to ask is how long is that joist? We can only see one end of course. The load on that joist is calculated by the 1/2 the length. Example if that joist is only say 8' long than the load is 4'X1.4' (joist spacing)X45lbs (live load) A double top plate (which is what you have there) can support the end of a 48' roof truss & that's on a 24" center. That is a hell of a lot of load compared to the floor joist. Can't tell for sure without the rest of the information, but I would have no issues removing that joist assuming there isn't a point load above it (which there shouldn't be because only single stud. Point loads are a minimum of 2 studs. PS I am a home builder in my other life & have well over 40 years in the trades but this is all only my opinion & everyone has one of those :) Similar to assholes I hear. :) Good luck!
QUOTE=Warlock1369;7967329]I wouldn't. Notice how your 2x8 floor support above it is all ready splitting! And that's not upto today's codes ether. There should be steel brackets joining the 2 2x8s.[/QUOTE]
 
DrGribble

DrGribble

Well-Known Member
Warlock1369 said:
Can you split your room in 2. Making both veg and flower? Veg in 1 SCROG and clone. Flower in the other. After flower pull your clones to the now empty room and veg and SCROG there. While now flowering in the other. Moving a SCROG is a pain. This will let you do what you want but not moving plants from room to room. Just change ballests and bulbs.
Click to expand...
I could but it's kind of 2 rooms already the way I have it, I wanted that larger space all for flowering (original plan was growing these pretty decent sized and surrounding them around vertical hung lighting in the middle, I have since figured I may just go for the even canopy though with standard reflectors (non air cooled, I like bare glass if temps are under control anyway) if that doesnt work I'll have to switch to air cooled hoods. But yeah basically that whole 8x8 (a little less actually and there's shelving and a carbon filter among other small things that will eat up some space. I am gonna just give it a trial run and once I flower some plants in there I will be able to better determine if I have room to split it, I am thinking I probably have much extra room though.
 
Warlock1369

Warlock1369

Well-Known Member
Are you calling me a asshole? Thanks . I just pointed out that the floor joist is split. To me that means a few things. 1 it was split by the framer but it dosnt look that old. There is a load on it making it split or there was movement of the house. And sence it's right under a the doorway and not a proper header I wouldn't advise removing it. Atleast not having a better look and knowing the area better. And saying you have 40 years in it and saying just remove it is bs. If it is load baring witch we can realy tell. A real contractor would say brace it remove the stud add a header and reinforce the header with 2 2x4 attached to the other vert 2x4's.
 
DrGribble

DrGribble

Well-Known Member
carl.burnette said:
No joist hangers required there because of the 2X4 wall under it. Joist hangers are only required if you don't have the 1 1/2" bearing on the joists. The question we need to ask is how long is that joist? We can only see one end of course. The load on that joist is calculated by the 1/2 the length. Example if that joist is only say 8' long than the load is 4'X1.4' (joist spacing)X45lbs (live load) A double top plate (which is what you have there) can support the end of a 48' roof truss & that's on a 24" center. That is a hell of a lot of load compared to the floor joist. Can't tell for sure without the rest of the information, but I would have no issues removing that joist assuming there isn't a point load above it (which there shouldn't be because only single stud. Point loads are a minimum of 2 studs. PS I am a home builder in my other life & have well over 40 years in the trades but this is all only my opinion & everyone has one of those :) Similar to assholes I hear. :) Good luck!
QUOTE=Warlock1369;7967329]I wouldn't. Notice how your 2x8 floor support above it is all ready splitting! And that's not upto today's codes ether. There should be steel brackets joining the 2 2x8s.
Click to expand...

Thanks for all the information, unfortunately I don't know too much about construction, I cant find my tape measure but that Joist in question (assuming we're talking about the 'cracked' floor joist above the stud) is about 10 feet in length and as you can see that cracked part (it's actually a chip, someone ran a nail into it at an angle I guess and chipped a chunk off, I just picked the piece off and discovered that) Not sure what this means if anything but yeah that's about it. The other end of the joist is rested on the concrete foundation of the home, not supported by any type of lumber on the other end so that side is solid... ALSO, the floor stops where that joist ends as well, since that's the start of the decline down the stairs... no direct weight other than that of the very end of our kitchen floor as far as I can imagine. Hopefully this is not all nonsensical since I am no contractor lol.
 
DrGribble

DrGribble

Well-Known Member
Here's a closeup of the split, and the nail that caused it (you can see it was never even finished nailing, guessing the framers messed this up ages ago) Kind of half ass support as is if you ask me, lol.
 

Attachments

hotrodharley

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
Warlock1369 said:
I wouldn't. Notice how your 2x8 floor support above it is all ready splitting! And that's not upto today's codes ether. There should be steel brackets joining the 2 2x8s.
Click to expand...
It's load bearing and my advice is no. Problems upstairs like sagging door frames with sticky doors might be in your future. If something were to occur totally unrelated to any modification you made and it exposed this stud removal it might void any homeowner's policy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top