So this is hopefully a problem that no one else has but others know how to deal with. I have to do a wall build and tile repair in an apartment. The photos of the inside wall shows that a stud in the wall was cut out at the faucet point faucets were installed. There are no other studs within reach. The piping is held on by a single copper strap to what is left of the cut stud. Adding insult to injury, the visible part of this stud is extensively cut with broken screws still attached. I have to get some bracing or the wall that I install with tiling is likely to fall simply from flexing. I'm toying with the addition of an access panel but to create one, I would need to remove tile from the opposite side of the wall. I'm wondering if it's worth it or should I just work from the 3'6" x 2' opening currently there.

 

you forgot to attach pictures?
If I understand what you're saying, I think you need to add studs to support wall boar/tile and faucet.

 

Picture as requested. Had to learn how to upload.

 

Yea, without a doubt you need to supply support. How wide is that wall? Give us a pic from farther back so we ca n see a full wall. Cut out wall board on either side till you meet a stud. Then add vertical or horizontal cross member for support. remount valve set and replace wall board.

 

 

That you are. If this is a job for another person I would stop and make it very clear that previous work was done wrong and proper repair will be needed to rectify. That means removing wall board and properly studding the area. And get it in writing!

If you were to cut open the hole to a square, would you be able to make contact with the studs at either end? Would you have enough elbow room to fit in a cross member between the end studs?

At the very least you might be able to sister a stud to the cut one on either side. You will need to toe nail it to the sill plate at the bottom.

This is the kind of handyman repair work I would walk away from. Only because material and time constraints can cause problems. Are you making any kind of profit on this job?

 

It's certainly not the "correct" solution, but if you're looking for a workaround, the first thing I thought of was to get a remodel fan box. It's an electrical box for a ceiling fan - you don't need the box, but you'd use the brace that expands to fit between the two ceiling joists - or in your situation, between the two studs.

Then you can either use u-bolts or something similar to attach the valve as securely as possible.

It won't be perfect - and if it were me, I'd give the client two options a) Do it right - but it'll cost $$$, or b) it'll work, but isn't the right way, and I can't warranty it to work as long as option a.

 

So these illustrate what I had to do. It's not what I wanted but it's what worked and will last for a while. I used pressure treated wood and 2x4s, something I had on hand, to provide support. I also used treated screws for everything, the tile that was already in place had rust forming where the standard wood screws were. I didn't get to finish but I caulked around the entire perimeter of the cement board and the handle and spout. Tomorrow, I will be tiling if all goes well. Also, I wanted to point out that the previous person thought it was a good idea to place a sharkbite to extend the copper spout outlet and to prevent from moving, added duct tape so he could attach the spout cover.

 

I like what you've done. Not what I had in mind but better still. Send us pics of the finished project.

 

So there were aspects of this project that were better than expected and aspects that were far worse than I imagined. I should mention that I am working on second floor issues that are primarily plumbing related. As far as this project, duct tape to allow for a spout cover was an indicator of what I was going to be dealing with. Also there were studs on both walls but not ability to sister to what was left of the middle stud. As far as the profit question, it is hard to answer. Most of my supplies are financed by the person who commissioned me. Unfortunately, to finish out the build, I did have to dig into my own pocket a few times. I would say overall, I'm close to if not already in the red here but there is plenty more project to go. I've also been documenting issues as they arise which are going to be added into the post work discussion. I have been able to cut costs by using lumber that the individuals remodeling the first floor have thrown away. Many of those pieces are in perfect condition, they just didn't meet the needs of that team so they tossed them.

 

I hope you will be able to negotiate some kind of agreement to recoup some of your monies. The trials and tribulations of handyman work.

 

I should have walked away...
It took hours getting the tile, not to mention the tile I had originally ordered that were complained about. After finally starting the renter came in and had a freak out over the new tile forcing me to return to the originally ordered tile. After removing the disliked tile and adding the new one I was well beyond the time that I had committed for this project. As I was packing and getting ready to leave, the elbow the last contractor used failed forcing me to reopen the wall and correct the issue. I should have walked away at the start.