replacing a borer eaten bottom wallplate without collapsing the weaterboard house

[Ifihadahamma]

Hi, I have a humble long straight weatherboard house that I've just had restumped. It needs some new joists but my challenge is replacing the wall plate (also eaten away). How do I (and an expert cos I'm just handy and know my limits) hold up the studs while replacing the plate? Preferably from the outside as easy access and I would prefer not to destroy the lath and plaster interior. Any advice would be great. Thank you.:?

[jatt]

Fotos, fotos. Now I'm no pro here, but this is how I would approach it. Are the studs checked/morse and tennoned into the bottom plate? You may have to sacrifice the skirting board on the inside. If u r careful it may not be too bad. If it was me I would take off sereral rows of weatherboards at the bottom. Somehow you would need to support the studs. Can you place some temp sole plates on the ground outside? This would be for some temp stumps. From there attach a sturdy beam across the studs and fix to temp stumps. I wouldnt mind betting that thre will be some damage to some of the studs as well. I would consider laminating a piece beside the old studs to sit on the new bottom plate. Fair chance your house was built with 100 x 50 HW, so the 90 x 45 pine thats sold now should fit in easily. The challenge of course is to allow enough room to remove the offending plate and replace. Good luck.

[Black Cat]

I did a nine metre wall without supports for the studs. Basically since the house is used to being in a particular position, it takes a while to get used to the idea it can shift downwards. If you are nervous, you can do a few metres at time and just cut half-lap joints for the bottom plate as you go. Sorry for the picture limitations, This is the only one we took as the work progressed. Cut out the bottom plate, which, if mortised onto the studs will also require you to run a saw along the top of the bottom plate to cut off the tenon. When you get to the last stud, you will find that is not an option as the weight will all be on that tenon. So remove what you can, then slip in the new bottom plate (hardwood, treated) and the water barrier at the same time. We chiselled the bottom plate away from around that last tenon and cut a rebate into the bottom plate to allow for it (which I have to say made me very nervous indeed). But if you are doing it in sections then that will not become an issue as the wall will be supported progressively as you go along. All fingers and toes still accounted for... Just make sure it is not a windy day, and you get the job done as promptly as possible.

ETA - now I look at the photo, clearly we did it in two stages about four metres each then ...

85769

[jatt]

Your house sure is close to the gound black cat. Not having any other probs with your subfloor?

[adamjedgar]

Hi, I have a humble long straight weatherboard house that I've just had restumped. It needs some new joists but my challenge is replacing the wall plate (also eaten away). How do I (and an expert cos I'm just handy and know my limits) hold up the studs while replacing the plate? Preferably from the outside as easy access and I would prefer not to destroy the lath and plaster interior. Any advice would be great. Thank you.:?

g'day mate,
whilst im no expert in these things i do dabble!
if your house is the traditional old style where wall studs sit directly on bearer as shown in Black Cats picture, there are 2 options

Option 1
1. bolt a steel angle beam to the outside of your existing stud wall, inserting temporary posts or jacks underneath the bottom side of the angle beam as you go (spacing depends on how large the angle steel beam is... probably about 5-6 feet apart is safest)
2.once you have supported the entire wall in this manner, cut away the exsiting bottom plate and insert new one ensuring that your lap joints are directly over the top of a pier

Option 2.

1. after removing wall cladding bolt a timber bearer on the outside of your existing wall studs
2. place temporary supports underneath temporary bearer (remember to jack the wall up "slightly" just to take weight off existing bearer as you go)
3. using a recipro saw cut away the tennons from the bottom of existing studs
4. remove bearer and install new one as above

if you need a 3d CAD drawing of it let me know

btw black cat, im glad that is your house and not mine...here is australia our buildings require minimum ground clearance of just over 1.5 feet (450mm approx) unless its a sloping site.

[Steffen595]

Black Cat: I just would have made a runner, your weatherboards look like they are a bit under the weather, too. Got mine painted nicely and had to replace a few but they were not nearly as bad as yours....