# Forum Home Renovation Structural Renovation  best bracing option on internal wall

## Moondog55

Just a quick question on alternative bracing methods on internal walls.
We are moving a doorway and using an old and unused corridor to make a walk in wardrobe. 
The pictures show the existing doorway, new doorway will be 450mm to the left.
the opening to the wardrobe will be where the diagonal brace member is.
What is our best option here? Plywood and plaster over the top or speedbrace??

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## Bedford

Do you know if the wall behind this one is braced, if so I wouldn't worry about the brace you're taking out. 
If you're not sure of another brace you might be able to see where it comes through the top plate from inside the roof.

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## Moondog55

The wall behind it isn't braced, although as it needs a new lintel or complete new stud work some bracing will be put in, wall behind it is parallel but 955mm away.
We just want to make sure we don't get too much movement in the plaster seeing as we have just restumped.

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## Bedford

If the second wall is going to be opened up, that's where I'd put the bracing so the first one is clear for the doors.

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## Moondog55

Well bracing this wall is the least of my problems now.
My dear departed Grandad did the work on this house many years ago, he has removed a section of a double stud wall 2100mm wide and there is no lintel or load bearing structure at all, now I know where the bow in the alcove ceiling is coming from. 
I'll brace the heck out of the wall when I replace the missing studs. 
Should I replace both walls? Or can I use an 8inch ( 180mm )  top and bottom plate and support the 2100 section with a single row of 90 * 45 studs braced with ply

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## Bedford

> Should I replace both walls? Or can I use an 8inch ( 180mm )  top and bottom plate and support the 2100 section with a single row of 90 * 45 studs braced with ply

  Not sure what you mean with the 8 inch top and bottom plate, you could rebuild the wall with 90x45 studs and plates and use the 8 inch beam for the lintel across the top.

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## Moondog55

Sorry for no picture, these old houses were built in two sections off-site and then assembled.
house is joined along the centre-line so two separate 90 * 45 stud walls which support the roof structure and are the main load-bearing walls, Grandad put in a couple of second-hand Oregon beams ( 2 X 8 inches ) but they have proved inadequate for the job, I think they are too short. 
If we do not need to fully replace both stud walls that would give an extra 110 mm depth to the new walk-in cupboard in what will be the second bedroom ; of course leaving the beams in the roof.

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## Bedford

Looking at pic 3, the ceiling joists are supported each side by their individual walls. 
To remove one of these walls completely you would need to put a hanging beam of the correct size, parallel with and above the wall you want to remove, and adequately supported at both ends. 
This will give you something to hang the ceiling joists from as they won't reach the second wall. If you use the hanging beam, you should still install a lintel in the wall you are leaving in place if you're removing studs for a doorway etc.

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## Moondog55

I think I am phrasing my query poorly.
Underneath those 2 Oregon hanging beams in pix 4 there is no wall, this is the opening we wish to frame up again.
I was thinking of using a 200 * 63 LVL beam to span both original top plates but supported by only one set of 90*45 studs in the centre and with a 90*45 bottom plate

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## Bedford

Ok, so you want to put the 200mm beam on it's flat to replace both top plates and support it with one 90x45 stud wall? If this is so, I see no reason that it couldn't be done as long as the stud wall is in the center ie not to one side of the beam.

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## Moondog55

That's it, sometimes it takes me a couple of goes to explain myself. 
An  extra 50mm on each side of the wall gives space for the spice racks and the wardrobe hanging rail, even if I need to add extra studs ( that is use a smaller spacing, 300mm rather than 450mm )  it will use fewer studs than replacing every missing 90 * 35 
If 200 * 45 LVL was strong enough I could save a few dollars too.

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## Bedford

I think you'd be ok with the 200x45.  :Smilie:

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## chrisp

> An  extra 50mm on each side of the wall gives space for the spice racks and the wardrobe hanging rail

  You may need to consider the impact of the wider top plate if you are intending to refit the cornice.

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## Bedford

Something extra with this, if you do go this way using the wider top plate, it will protrude into each room, ie your plaster will have to stop short on the ceiling and walls. 
It will be out too far to be hidden by a cornice.

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## Bedford

Good one Chris! :Smilie:

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## Moondog55

That will have no impact inside the wardrobe but we may come down  a few hundred millimeters on the kitchen side with a small bulkhead, good catch there.
Thanx for your input Bedford

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## Moondog55

After my cousin had a look at the plans and a quick look inside the roof; his comments are worth passing on.
Cuz said that the best and also cheapest option would be to decide which room needs the extra depth ( in this case the wardrobe room ) and completely redo the stud wall in the other, then replace one of the roof beams, LVL is cheap as is plaster.

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## Moondog55

Well we have replaced the missing wall and made the space for the cupboard deeper by 90mm.
Trouble is we had to remove all of the original diagonal bracing to make repairs, so we have two options, double speed brace from corner to corner crossed in the middle of the long wall or 9mm plywood across the whole wall inside the cupboard and some bracing above the cupboard door.
Even though it is more expensive we are thinking of bracing the inside cupboard wall with 7mm brace-ply and then plaster sheeting over the top. 
So a wall 2700 * 1570. 
A standard 1200 wide sheet will just fit to an existing stud, this leaves a 230mm portion of wall without ply, while not needed for bracing purposes we will need to pack the space.
My query? Is it worthwhile adding another stud and use a narrow bit of brace-ply or should we just pack it out with scraps??

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## Bedford

I would just pack it with scraps.

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## Moondog55

OK, I  am going to have a 2710 off-cut that will fill the space so I may as well use it, brace ply should use a full stud at a join but I do not really want to cut out a noggin and fit a new stud then noggin up again; would I be OK just packing the existing 90*35 with some 70*45?? 
The sheet I am putting up is probably too much bracing anyway but the cost difference was minimal between a 1200 sheet and a 900 sheet. 
I have until CC comes back with the car to make the decision, she took off with the box of clouts in the way-back.

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