# How to replace bottom plate on interior wall?



## lucifugens (Jun 17, 2012)

I need to replace the bottom plate, on a slab, on an 8ft interior wall in a bathroom. The studs are fine. The bottom plate has minor rot, but it's a terrible piece of rounded lumber that leaves a big gap at the slab, and it will complicate pouring self-leveling compound. 

I haven't been able to find a relevant thread that describes this repair. Will someone please describe, or direct me to a thread that describes, how to support the wall while I put the new bottom plate in? Is the better way to do it in two or three sections?

Thanks in advance for the advice,
Dave


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## samlsn (Feb 10, 2014)

It's not my field of expertise, but I helped out on a bath remodel and this came up. We just roughed in a second, temporary wall a few inches next to the first to support the ceiling for a few minutes wile the plate was swapped. It was pretty straight forward, maybe yours is load-bearing or something and will require different attention. -Sam


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Need to post a picture. No close ups needed.
Is it a supporting wall?
What's on the backside of the wall?


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## lucifugens (Jun 17, 2012)

I'll snap a pic this afternoon, but it's not a supporting wall, and the back side of the wall faces a small laundry room. One detail I omitted was that the water lines run through this wall, servicing the bathroom and kitchen fixtures, so I'm guessing it can't be moved too much!

Think my neighbors would notice me digging a privy pit in the back yard while I demo my only bathroom:wallbash:?

Thanks for your quick responses,
Dave

p.s. this house is near New Orleans


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

I usually replace the plate in sections---use a Saws All to cut the nails between the studs and the plate---cut out a section---remove it and tap in a new one---

If there is a lot of weight on the stud it will bind up the Saws All blade as you cut the nails---If that happens, add a temporary Jack wall--if not---just keep going.

Short blocking between the studs,on top of your new plate will hold it all together.

Caulk will keep the self leveling compound from flowing under the plate.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Going to have to remove the baseboards in the other room an remove the sheetrock screws.
Mark the floor with a carpenters pencil before removing the plate so you'll have a reference point to install the new plate.
I often prebore the holes for the plumbing then make a cut across the middle of the hole so I can get it the new plate in place.
Cutting the outsides of the old plumbing holes with an oscillating saw will make it easy to slide straight out.
Make sure to use nailing plates any place there's plumbing.


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## hand drive (Apr 21, 2012)

sometimes you can bolt a horizontal 2x to the wall a few feet off the floor and catch each stud with the bolts. this can hold the wall up while you do surgery on the plate. this is in place of a temp wall. the only thing this does not account for is the wall pressing ( bowing ) outward if there is enough weight on the wall from above. I've pulled siding from the outside of house to add the horizontal 2x or add it in from the inside just over top the drywall.


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## SawDusty (Dec 5, 2012)

You mentioned that the wall sits on a slab. If the wood is sitting on concrete, you should use pressure treated material. And use galvanized fasteners to attach the pressure treated wood.


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## lucifugens (Jun 17, 2012)

Heck, yeah! Thanks for all the posts in response! 

Pics are attached, so you can see the gap from the rounded 2x4 used for the bottom plate, and probably some contribution from the uneven slab. I can get at least half way across under the bottom plate with a 4" drywall knife in spots.

Fortunately, the water lines don't come through the bottom plate, just through the studs, and there's only linoleum on the other side of the wall. Will I need to remove the molding on the other side? It's all coming up, eventually, so I can remove the black mastic and level the slab for new flooring. I was just hoping to skip the laundry room for...well, forever if I can.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Not there to see it but I'm not seeing anything that bad.
When you cut out drywall vertical do your self a favor and find a stud and just cut up along the side of it. That way you can just attach another stud to the side of it to have something to attach the sheetrock to.
Now you have to make another cut.


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## lucifugens (Jun 17, 2012)

Cool, Joe. Maybe I'll leave it alone and just pack the gap with silicone. I'll see what's behind the tub. And thanks for the advice. I was gutting the room, anyway, because the orange peel texture makes me want to vomit, especially under the puke-colored paint (every room in the whole damned house is painted that color, with complimentary diarrhea-colored trim). I do have some curved studs in other areas that make the drywall bow, and I'll do what you suggest when I cut those studs and patch.


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## homerenovator (Aug 2, 2012)

lucifugens said:


> Cool, Joe. Maybe I'll leave it alone and just pack the gap with silicone. I'll see what's behind the tub. And thanks for the advice. I was gutting the room, anyway, because the orange peel texture makes me want to vomit, especially under the puke-colored paint (every room in the whole damned house is painted that color, with complimentary diarrhea-colored trim). I do have some curved studs in other areas that make the drywall bow, and I'll do what you suggest when I cut those studs and patch.



You could use silicone or expanding foam if yoy have a larger area you neex to fill


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## lucifugens (Jun 17, 2012)

diyer111 said:


> You could use silicone or expanding foam if yoy have a larger area you neex to fill


It's definitely a candidate for foam, first. Thanks for the idea.


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## Phoebe Ann (Jan 14, 2013)

I can't count the number of times I've spent time and labor and money trying to fix something when I should have just replaced it. The fact that this is a non-bearing wall makes this an easy decision. I'd remove the entire wall, put in a new PT bottom plate (fasten to slab with Tapcons), and build a proper new wall. Leaving any "minor rot" in place invites major rot and mold. If you plan and prep properly, you'll be without a working bathroom for under an hour. Or you can just set a 5-gallon bucket of water next to the commode, flush manually, and take your time.


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## Lawson-creative (Jan 7, 2013)

*Doing it right*

I agree with Phoebe Ann. Interior wall, non load bearing, signs of damage- get rid of it. If I were doing it, the demo would take a couple of hours and the new construction would take a couple. Use PT lumber for the plate, tap cons to the floor and re-rock with greenboard (or purple).


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## homerenovator (Aug 2, 2012)

I do not see the need to completly replace it as it is non load bearing wall and the rot appears minimal (i can only see about a 1inch by 1inch pic on my phone so maybe i am wrong) if it were load bearong i would be more concerned but for his purposes just fill the void and pour the self leveler


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## Stevelind7 (May 16, 2011)

Use a sill replacement your obamascam. Just rename the main sill and enact your curb appeal.


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## Lawson-creative (Jan 7, 2013)

diyer111 said:


> I do not see the need to completly replace it as it is non load bearing wall and the rot appears minimal (i can only see about a 1inch by 1inch pic on my phone so maybe i am wrong) if it were load bearong i would be more concerned but for his purposes just fill the void and pour the self leveler


There does not appear to be a bunch of rot, but there is a bunch of mold/mildew. Around the tub looks bad so I imagine that behind it looks worse. We are a remodeler, so we see this all the time... Ripping and replacing is quick and it gives you the peace of mind that all mold is gone.


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## homerenovator (Aug 2, 2012)

Stevelind7 said:


> Use a sill replacement your obamascam. Just rename the main sill and enact your curb appeal.


What??????


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## lemuzz (Jan 22, 2009)

hand drive said:


> sometimes you can bolt a horizontal 2x to the wall a few feet off the floor and catch each stud with the bolts. this can hold the wall up while you do surgery on the plate. this is in place of a temp wall. the only thing this does not account for is the wall pressing ( bowing ) outward if there is enough weight on the wall from above. I've pulled siding from the outside of house to add the horizontal 2x or add it in from the inside just over top the drywall.


After major earthquake damage here in many cases where slab damage occures but where the damaged area has to be cut out to restore a level floor the drywall is cut 1200 mm from the floor around the area to be removed Where this is under a framed wall a heavy bearer is attached securely to the studs. At various intervals a beam is passed through the wall at right angles to this bearer and screw jacks are used to lift the wall enough to cut out the old bottom plate and a strip of damaged slab a new slab laid, a new plate installed and them lowered the 20 mm or so. The drywall is then reinstalled horizontally


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## lucifugens (Jun 17, 2012)

Thank you for the explanation. Since there were no serious problems, aside from the gap, I just filled it with spray foam and caulk in preparation for the self leveling concrete.


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