Submitted by the_other_sam t3_yrk32h in DIY
Dr_Tron t1_ivu0szf wrote
Seriously?
The studs are load-bearing elements of your home. Drilling a small hole for a cable is ok, but if you drill a 4" hole for a vent pipe, you're weakening the studs significantly.
Don't.
frzn_dad t1_ivuikn5 wrote
Only on a laod bearing wall. Sometimes they are just there to hold the sheet rock, electrical, etc.
gogomom t1_ivuviaj wrote
6" studs pretty much guarantees it's load bearing....
salmon_vandal t1_ivv3xb7 wrote
Pretty much, but not absolutely. Sometimes a wall will be framed in 6” studs so that there is room for the utilities inside it, such as a 4” dryer vent pipe.
Drackar39 t1_ivvmjct wrote
While I agree this is possible, it's dangerous to put this idea in OP's head, because he clearly cannot figure out which is which.
salmon_vandal t1_ivw2v2m wrote
I don’t think it’s dangerous at all. Based on all I’m reading here, I think OP is fairly well informed and is merely confirming his own suspicions, and I’m not the only person commenting in any case, so I’m sure he’s well aware that he can’t just go hacking holes in a 2x6 wall. Another commenter suggested backframing the wall to accommodate the duct, and OP seemed up to the task, so he appears to have at least some basic general knowledge about construction and/or carpentry.
the_other_sam OP t1_ivw3lyk wrote
Correct, and thank you.
gogomom t1_ivv5vdb wrote
Sometimes, but really not often. It will likely depend on the age of the house.
In modern home construction when they need extra room they just move the 2x4's out from the foundation a bit or box out the entire utility run in a utility chase.
loganab13 t1_ivvdz6f wrote
2x6 partition walls (non-load bearing) aren’t really all that uncommon, especially when acoustical performance is desired. 15 years in construction and I’ve seen a lot of non-structural 2x6 walls.
salmon_vandal t1_ivvie08 wrote
Me too, I’ve definitely seen more 2x6 partition walls than I have seen houses with specially built utility chases.
gogomom t1_ivyod42 wrote
I wonder if there is a disconnect because I automatically assumed that the OP's laundry room was in a basement which would include a foundation.
I'm in Canada - everyone has basements here.
loganab13 t1_ivyoqq9 wrote
It’s typically even less likely to be load bearing in a basement to be honest. Most finished basements are furred out from the foundation with partition walls going up to the bottom of the floor joists
gogomom t1_ivzmte7 wrote
I have 3 loadbearing (2x6) walls in my basement - one of which is against the foundation and holds half of my house up, while the foundation supports a cantilevered beam for a bump out.
Every single other wall in my entire house (except these load bearing walls in the basement) are 2x4's.
I'm just saying that most of the time, when you come across a 2x6 wall - it's load bearing. Since OP can't tell either way, it's better to be safe than sorry.
salmon_vandal t1_ivvixpi wrote
There’s no foundation behind OP’s wall, he’s either on a 2nd floor or above a crawl space. Laundry rooms are a prime candidate for 2x6 partitions because the walls hold a lot of services. But obviously we don’t know the exact layout of OP’s house, the wall in question could be holding up the roof, or maybe there’s a third floor master ensuite jacuzzi tub right above there.
stealthybutthole t1_ivvmxgb wrote
You don’t know what you’re talking about. ANY builder with more than 2 brain cells frames the rear wall of a laundry room with 2x6s explicitly for the purpose of running the dryer vent through it….
But he needs to cut the hole in the bottom plate, not the studs themselves.
gogomom t1_ivyogdo wrote
I wonder if there is a disconnect because I automatically assumed that the OP's laundry room was in a basement which would include a foundation.
I'm in Canada - everyone has basements here.
stealthybutthole t1_ivyoo9n wrote
Well OP said the hole for the vent goes through the floor, not the ceiling.
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