# Repairing rotted studs against exterior wall



## sleepyscout (Feb 21, 2009)

I recently bought a foreclosure disaster: one-story brick ranch on a slab. Next on our nightmares list is a small crack in the garage where some water water was seeping in. We started digging around (pulled out a 4'x5' section of interior wall) and found about 2' tall wall of dirt supporting the rotted studs, which appear to have come through the outside, through cracks in the mortar between bricks behind the gutter. 

Here's where I am in my thinking: 1) I'd like to cut stud by stud and replace them with PT, but what to do about the plywood and tar paper sheathing behind it against the brick exterior? 2) I could ostensibly simply cut all the studs to lay the bottom plate (of course, gone by now) but I'm sure the wall will come tumbling down, so 3) what if I simply did it piece by piece? In other words, work in 16" sections (between studs)
1. cut up on the rotted exterior stud to above the rotted plywood line (2'), 
2. attach the plywood and sheating to a 2' piece of PT to substitute for the cut part of the old stud, maybe even put in a 15.5" section of footer to substitute for a bottom plate, 
3. push in the 2'x15.5" construction, 
4. secure the stud with another 3' piece of sistered PT 2x4, and 
repeat for each stud. 

In this scenario there is no continuous bottom plate but I'm wondering if pouring in cement (there's a 2" drop where the bottom place used to be) can serve the same function as the bottom plate, at least in so far as it covers the joint between each 15.5" construction.

What do you all think?


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## Just Bill (Dec 21, 2008)

The last part of your statement was the most disturbing, "no bottom plate"????? There is always a bottom plate, but yours may have been rotted out long ago. There should be a bottom plate(PT of course), that provides means of anchoring the walls to the foundation and gives you something to nails the wall studs to.


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## sleepyscout (Feb 21, 2009)

Thanks for the insistence on the bottom plate. I needed confirmation. I'll use PT for a bottom plate and work in sections. Thanks again!


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## zircon (Sep 24, 2007)

*Temporary wall*

Building it in sections is no good. You need to build a temporary wall in front of the wall you are repairing to hold up what the present wall is holding up while you rebuild the wall. The plate and plywood needs to be continuous. A header of doubled 2x8's or 10's and a couple of screw jacks is the way to go.


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

You have a far more serious remodeling issue then ,"just" the stud wall. The brick veneer on the outside is tied into the stud wall by means of brick ties which are attached every 16" horizontally and vertically to the studs and then into the mortar joints. Your rot situation has left the bottom of the wall unsecured to the house. You will need to retie this section of the wall to the new framing or risk the wall bowing out at the bottom and possible collapsing altogether as the upper ties will not support the vertical load.
Ron


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## buletbob (May 9, 2008)

RON is correct!. The wall ties are a big concern. BOB.:yes:


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## sleepyscout (Feb 21, 2009)

*sufficiently worried about losing my brick wall*

allright, so now that the beejesus is scared outta me...

I did the work in sections and did use PT for a bottom plate. I used the blue foam sheathing and liquid nails so that the sheathing would be somewhat attached to the studs. I sistered the 2x4's to support the vertical load. Now what do I do? How do I put in these ties? I had already planned on having tuckpointing done on that wall. Can I just put in the ties within that process?

One more problem...I've got that white sandlime brick that is no longer made...the 2x2 that looks somewhat like the concrete paver, only smoother and lighter. Do I pull out that brick in small sections?

HELP!!!


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## Scuba_Dave (Jan 16, 2009)

Posting some pics might help people assist


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## minnjh (Jul 1, 2009)

I have the same problem. Both the top and bottom boards are rotten as well as sheathing and studs. I plan to replace the wall as a unit but I don't know how to reattach the brick to the studs and support the brick wall while I do the repair. Any ideas?


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## Scuba_Dave (Jan 16, 2009)

It's best to start a new thread with your issue
Many people overlook older threads w/new posts


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## Maintenance 6 (Feb 26, 2008)

Another thing you need to do is pull the dirt away from the outside wall. If it is brick, there probably weeps in the lower courses that are letting the dirt and water enter into the wall space. Lots of people get an idea to fill in along a brick wall without regard to the weeps and then end up with the same situation.


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## minnjh (Jul 1, 2009)

Thanks for the suggestion, I think I will check that around the whole house.

But I still need to know how to reattach the brick to the new studs.


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