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Overheard a guy at the lumber yard talking about his 'quick fix' for a load bearing wall
I was picking up some 2x10s in Tacoma yesterday and this guy ahead of me was telling the yard guy he was just going to notch out a big section of a bottom plate to run some plumbing. He said, 'It's just a few inches, it'll be fine.' I didn't say anything to him, but it got me thinking about all the hidden problems we walk into on remodels. That kind of cut can seriously weaken the wall, especially if it's on the first floor of a two story house. I had a job six months ago where the previous owner did something similar and we found a full inch of sag in the floor above. It cost the client a lot to fix. It's a good reminder to always check the whole structure before you start cutting, even if the customer says it's a simple job. Has anyone else run into a 'quick fix' from a past owner that turned into a huge headache?
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faith_thomas1d agoTop Commenter
Eh, people overthink this stuff all the time.
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pat_fisher241d ago
Oh man, that's a classic. Notching the bottom plate is basically cutting the feet off the wall. A few inches is absolutely not fine, it's a huge deal. Seen it lead to cracked drywall and doors that won't close long before you see a full inch of sag. That guy is building a future problem for someone else.
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