How to lift studs

[kevviek]

I have an external wall which has 4 joined studs between a door and a window frame.

The studs had a short bottom plate below, which was sitting on some chipboard flooring. The flooring has rotted away, as has the bottom plate and some of the joist, and the studs are sitting in mid air, but have only dropped about 5mm from the original position.

I have good access to put in new joists, some floorboards and the bottom plate, but I can’t figure out how to lift the studs. Is raising the ceiling joists the only way?

Pics will come when I work out how to insert or attach…

[jack620]

I have good access to put in new joists, some floorboards and the bottom plate, but I can’t figure out how to lift the studs. Is raising the ceiling joists the only way?


Would it be possible to fit an Acrow prop in the doorway?

[ForeverYoung]

length of timber under the top plate with an acrow on each end?

[kevviek]

Yes but I assume the door frame is freestanding. I want to raise the studs only. Was thinking of attaching a bracket and using a jack.
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[kevviek]

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[Beardy]

It is hard to advise properly without fully understanding the situation but yes you can try lifting the ceiling joists but that may cause some damage to your cornice or ceiling that you would then need to remedy

I assume you are going to trim the damaged timber from the cluster of studs and insert some new trimmers to replace them. There are several other options which you will need to decide which is most appropriate. You could bugle screw a cleat on the face of the studs and use a car jack to lift back up or use folding wedges or lever up using a large crow bar or pry bar etc. You could also cut one of the studs in the cluster short enough to fit a jack under it and then block out the balance of studs before removing it.
Just get a bit creative to see what will work the best

[kevviek]

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[jack620]

I assume you are going to trim the damaged timber from the cluster of studs and insert some new trimmers to replace them.

Is that allowable? Aren't studs meant to be continuous members? I'd be completely replacing the studs. PITA, I know.

[Beardy]

Is that allowable? Aren't studs meant to be continuous members? I'd be completely replacing the studs. PITA, I know.

There are various studs like Jack or trimming studs that are not continuous from plate to plate. You can place a trimmer in the form of a lintel across to support the shortened studs just like you do with a window or door opening or use solid blocking. You are performing remedial work so you do what is necessary to adequately transfer the loads above to the foundation using sound general building principles

[kevviek]

Maybe the pictures show better now. All the weatherboards are being replaced but I don't want to take them off until the walls are properly shored up.

The vertical studs are 100% intact. There was a 180mm piece of 90x45 below as the bottom plate, sitting on top of a strip of yellow tongue chipboard.

The chipboard and the bottom plate are now completely gone and the studs are in mid air.

I can put new joists underneath with not much effort - the ones under the studs are partially rotted on the top surface but not fixed in place so I can simply slide them across to provide a solid top surface.

From there, I need to put in a 180mm length of 90x45 and a strip of 90x19 under that (or something else 90x64), to support the studs. But the current gap between the joists and the bottom of the studs is just under 60mm, so the studs need to come up a bit. I guess they have sagged over time and are probably being held in place by the window frames.

I can get underneath the studs easily, but if I lift them from underneath, I then have no room to slide in the new piece(s) of timber.

Sounds like a steel right angle with a car jack might be the right way to go. They only have to come up a small amount.

[mic-d]

Interesting little problem, I agree with Beardy try a few things and see what will work. I would ease off a couple of the cladding boards on the outside and batten screw a cleat to the studs higher up than you can get it at the moment (you could use a screw in each stud or better, make a shallow rebate in the studs for the cleat to sit in to better transfer the load). Then get a big piece of timber, like a hardwood joist as a lever, a fulcrum back on the deck a little and make sure the fulcrum is about high enough that the lever starts out level so the force is transferred vertically to the wall. If you put the cleat down lower the lever will be at an angle and transfer some horizontal force to the studs which might do undesirable things to the wall inside, like break a wall sheet etc... good luck

[droog]

Screw a block of timber across the four studs on the outside, put a bottle jack under the block of timber and lift away.

Used the same method to replace a rotted out bottom plate over a 4m length of wall just needed multiple jacks rather than just one.

[kevviek]

Screw a block of timber across the four studs on the outside, put a bottle jack under the block of timber and lift away.

Used the same method to replace a rotted out bottom plate over a 4m length of wall just needed multiple jacks rather than just one.

How thick does the timber need to be? I just looked at my car trolley jack and it’s not because it needs 100-150mm horizontal clearance for the wheels. Bottle jacks are fairly round aren’t they?

[mic-d]

How thick does the timber need to be? I just looked at my car trolley jack and it’s not because it needs 100-150mm horizontal clearance for the wheels. Bottle jacks are fairly round aren’t they?
That’s why I suggested a big lever, you can use a stud or smaller for a cleat and it keeps the area totally clear, only problem is you need a second person

[419]

Would it be possible to fit an Acrow prop in the doorway?

Won't work too well if there is a gap between the door frame header and the lintel above it. Depending on the size of the gap, a prop might just distort the door frame.

It would work okay if shims are put between the header and the lintel above the prop heads. Or if the header is hard up against the lintel. The lining or cladding needs to be removed to expose the door frame and lintel to see if there is a gap.

[419]

Is raising the ceiling joists the only way?

Raising the ceiling joists will probably just lift them off the top plates without lifting the studs under them, not least because the top plates are carrying the roof load which should be heavier than the ceiling joists and lining. You need to lift the top plate, which can be done by jacking up the studs under the top plate as others have suggested.

I've done this occasionally and have found that the easiest way to do it is to nail about 900mm long cleat of same dimensions as rotted studs to one side of each stud with nails that fully penetrate cleat and existing stud, then jack under the cleat. When it reaches desired height you can 'sister' a cleat on the other side bearing on the bottom plate . The sister should be 900mm+ above bottom of old stud. You can nail, nail and glue, or bolt and nut the sister to the old stud. Make sure nails or bolts are staggered along grain on old stud so you don't create a split line. If you want 'belt and braces' security, you can put a sister on both sides of the old stud.

I might have misunderstood what you're trying to achieve, but is it really worth doing all of this if the studs have dropped only 5mm? Why not just install a bottom plate that's 5mm thicker and force the stud ends onto it?

[kevviek]

That’s why I suggested a big lever, you can use a stud or smaller for a cleat and it keeps the area totally clear, only problem is you need a second person

I will be able to get a second person. I know this is guesswork but do you think a 1.5m length of 100x50 would be a big enough lever?

[mic-d]

I will be able to get a second person. I know this is guesswork but do you think a 1.5m length of 100x50 would be a big enough lever?

Almost certainly not long enough, if your fulcrum is back 500mm then it's only a 1m lever. OK a fat person may work:U. I'd want a 2.7-3m piece I reckon but yes it is guess work

[kevviek]

I might have misunderstood what you're trying to achieve, but is it really worth doing all of this if the studs have dropped only 5mm? Why not just install a bottom plate that's 5mm thicker and force the stud ends onto it?

That’s a good question. The primary reason is that an adjoining window has dropped on one side and doesn’t open properly. Other than that I could just trim 5mm off the new bottom plate. If I try to force it I’m pretty sure I’ll just push the existing studs inside the house and damage the plaster.

The photos should help understand the issue.

[kevviek]

Back there next week, so will try out the options. (It’s a holiday house)

[droog]

How thick does the timber need to be? I just looked at my car trolley jack and it’s not because it needs 100-150mm horizontal clearance for the wheels. Bottle jacks are fairly round aren’t they?

I used 90x45, most small to medium hydraulic bottle jacks will be ok. You are only lifting a relatively small point load in one area, you dont need to lift the entire side of the house.

[kevviek]

I used 90x45, most small to medium hydraulic bottle jacks will be ok. You are only lifting a relatively small point load in one area, you dont need to lift the entire side of the house.
It was a lot easier than I was expecting.
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[mic-d]

Installer: It was a lot easier than I was expecting

Bottom plate: I'm really glad it wasn't difficult!

:D :D :D

[kevviek]

Correct, some “encouragement” was needed !