Replacing rotted sill plate in non-load bearing closet wall
#1
12-15-15, 05:56 PM
Replacing rotted sill plate in non-load bearing closet wall
I have a basement closet adjacent to my water heater/utility closet which has a rotted out sill plate.
Photos
As you can see in the photos, it's mostly the sill plate on the back wall of the closet (facing the water heater) which is damaged; the left and right walls of the closet are less damaged, though there is certainly some rot and there was some mold behind the baseboards.
The wall is not load bearing. It's lower than the rest of the ceiling. No joists sit across it. In fact, the left wall and rear wall both exist purely for the construction of the closet. The right wall is shared with the hallway, so it goes all the way up to the floor joists in the ceiling above (though it shouldn't be bearing much load as there's a big steel beam 8 ft away running across the length of the house.
The sill plate sits on my concrete basement floor. How can I replace it the easiest? I assume the board has been attached to the concrete, but can I cut it out with a reciprocating saw, then knock a new plate in beneath the studs? Since the rear wall is not supporting any weight, can I just cut the old board out, shove a temporary block under the center stud, then gently knock a new plate in?
Photos
As you can see in the photos, it's mostly the sill plate on the back wall of the closet (facing the water heater) which is damaged; the left and right walls of the closet are less damaged, though there is certainly some rot and there was some mold behind the baseboards.
The wall is not load bearing. It's lower than the rest of the ceiling. No joists sit across it. In fact, the left wall and rear wall both exist purely for the construction of the closet. The right wall is shared with the hallway, so it goes all the way up to the floor joists in the ceiling above (though it shouldn't be bearing much load as there's a big steel beam 8 ft away running across the length of the house.
The sill plate sits on my concrete basement floor. How can I replace it the easiest? I assume the board has been attached to the concrete, but can I cut it out with a reciprocating saw, then knock a new plate in beneath the studs? Since the rear wall is not supporting any weight, can I just cut the old board out, shove a temporary block under the center stud, then gently knock a new plate in?
#2
12-15-15, 07:14 PM
Group Moderator
You might as well remove the lower section of drywall from one side of the wall. What I would do after you cut the studs free, is lag a 2x12x8' across a section of wall, (screwed to each stud) then use a couple small bottle jacks on each end of the 2x12 to take the pressure off. Dont jack it too high, just enough to slip it in/out. Replace the sill plate with pressure treated wood, in short 4' sections if needed... assuming you can't do a full 8'. Your splices should be between studs, not directly under studs. Screw the new sill down with 1/4 x 2 3/4 hex head tapcons. Use ACQ rated screws or hot dipped galv framing nails to reattach the studs.
