Straight up

Lesley and I got to work on the wonky wall tonight. After some deliberation, it was decided to pull the wall down and re-set the studs. They were measured properly going into the top-plate, but not the toe-plate, so we need only re-set that plate. Pulling the wall down was not too difficult as it involved only removing a few screws, and giving it a good yank.

Once on the floor, we pounded out the toe-plate, and removed the nails, saving those that were straight enough for re-use. Re-setting the studs was a simple task, involving only simple measuring - each stud was moved over about an inch, giving you some idea how un-plumb they were. Before long, the wall was back up, and ready to be fastened in place.

This wall runs parallel with the floor joists above. Part of the original problem is that I had assumed that the floor joists and the chimney stack wall ran parallel to each other. They do not. Having realised this, it was much easier to then set the wall independently of each. We secured it using wood blocks screwed into the top-plate and then into the joist. The distance to be covered is not more than an inch and a quarter, so this makes for a an easy way to fasten it. After about ninety minutes, the wall was fixed.

So plumb...

It feels good to get a victory after a couple of tough days. Renovating can be not unlike an uphill battle through quicksand at times, but when things are going well, it can also be a lot of fun.

Fixed