Hi!
I recently bought a 70s house where there's a smell coming from the pressure-treated sill plate. This, in turn, is resting on a cast-in nail strip. Since I'm renovating the house myself, I'm wondering how to practically go about removing the sill plate in the smoothest way possible. (The scented sill is under the load-bearing wall in the middle of the house.)
//Pontus
I recently bought a 70s house where there's a smell coming from the pressure-treated sill plate. This, in turn, is resting on a cast-in nail strip. Since I'm renovating the house myself, I'm wondering how to practically go about removing the sill plate in the smoothest way possible. (The scented sill is under the load-bearing wall in the middle of the house.)
//Pontus
A friend had the same problem. He lifted the house with wooden supports that were raised a few mm using a couple of jacks against the concrete floor and sturdy boards against the ceiling.
Then you could chop/chisel away the sill board and the nail rule. Fill the hole after the embedded nail rule with concrete and place a new sill board there.
The problem with his house was that the nail boards in the foundation slab had become moisture-damaged, so the entire ground floor had to be torn up and replaced with a Platon mat and ventilation in the floor. :'(
Then you could chop/chisel away the sill board and the nail rule. Fill the hole after the embedded nail rule with concrete and place a new sill board there.
The problem with his house was that the nail boards in the foundation slab had become moisture-damaged, so the entire ground floor had to be torn up and replaced with a Platon mat and ventilation in the floor. :'(
Thanks for your suggestion thomas33!
It's unfortunate for your friend to have to tear up the entire ground floor. I haven't seen any direct signs of rot or major moisture impact on the nail studs. What bothers me the most is the smell from the impregnated sill. Good tip to prop up against the ceiling for relief. It's reassuring to hear that someone has tackled replacing the sill without hiring a contractor. However, I've been wondering why the sill needs to be replaced—couldn't you just remove it and attach the standing studs with metal to the concrete, possibly in the casting when you remove the embedded nail stud? What function does the sill serve in an interior wall?
//Pontus
It's unfortunate for your friend to have to tear up the entire ground floor. I haven't seen any direct signs of rot or major moisture impact on the nail studs. What bothers me the most is the smell from the impregnated sill. Good tip to prop up against the ceiling for relief. It's reassuring to hear that someone has tackled replacing the sill without hiring a contractor. However, I've been wondering why the sill needs to be replaced—couldn't you just remove it and attach the standing studs with metal to the concrete, possibly in the casting when you remove the embedded nail stud? What function does the sill serve in an interior wall?
//Pontus
The sill is intended for the durability of the construction and for nailing the wall cladding (e.g., plasterboards) at the lower edge, but it would be possible to attach the upright studs with iron and place noggings at the lower edge of the wall.
However, I do not recommend it because the construction will not be as stable as a long sill board, and it certainly needs to be, as it is a load-bearing wall.
However, I do not recommend it because the construction will not be as stable as a long sill board, and it certainly needs to be, as it is a load-bearing wall.
Thanks again thomas33!
Got good feedback, probably need to replace the sill board as intact as possible. Most likely I will have to cut a bit off the standing studs to be able to remove the nailed rule that is embedded (about 5cm). Need to think further before I start.
//Pontus
Got good feedback, probably need to replace the sill board as intact as possible. Most likely I will have to cut a bit off the standing studs to be able to remove the nailed rule that is embedded (about 5cm). Need to think further before I start.
//Pontus
I do not have mold growth in or on the walls in the places I have had the opportunity to check. I also think it should be possible to attach the studs with galvanized iron directly to the concrete slab, at least it would provide the simplest solution. I have read that companies specializing in this cut off 8.5 cm of the wall, cast again after the nail studs, moisture barrier, lay a new sill, and then place oak wedges under the standing studs, splice the plasterboard, and finish with a 9 cm trim.
//Pontus
//Pontus
Why does a continuous baseboard at the bottom make for a more stable construction compared to studs drawn directly into the slab?
Because the load-bearing interior wall not only supports the studs against the base plate but also carries a large part of the house construction. If you anchor part of the load-bearing construction into the base plate, you risk other unpleasant issues in the building.
You should never alter the original foundation construction without first contacting a structural engineer to perform new strength calculations.
Because the load-bearing interior wall not only supports the studs against the base plate but also carries a large part of the house construction. If you anchor part of the load-bearing construction into the base plate, you risk other unpleasant issues in the building.
You should never alter the original foundation construction without first contacting a structural engineer to perform new strength calculations.
To alter a load-bearing wall and make mistakes is not advisable.
A wooden house moves. If you lock load-bearing structural elements, then the kinetic energy must go somewhere else, and you end up with cracks as a byproduct, which might become the least of your problems.
It's somewhat like fastening the roadway of a large bridge to the abutments on both sides; it becomes incredibly strong, but the bridge won't hold!
A wooden house moves. If you lock load-bearing structural elements, then the kinetic energy must go somewhere else, and you end up with cracks as a byproduct, which might become the least of your problems.
It's somewhat like fastening the roadway of a large bridge to the abutments on both sides; it becomes incredibly strong, but the bridge won't hold!