Stud blocking installation of wall thimble

[hendu]

I will be having a new wood stove installed professionally in a couple days and have a question. The stove will be installed in a finished walkout basement, which will require the pipe to travel horizontally thru a 2x6 framed wall before going up thru the roof. Normally, one would just center the thimble between the studs-easy. But, I want the stove centered between two large windows that are 70 inches apart. A stud runs exactly in the center. I don't want to off set the stove as my tile is set and centered between the windows, and moving it over 8 inches wouldn't look right.
It is a load bearing wall, and I'm not afraid of the 2x6's on either side holding the weight, but a little concerned about the double top plate spanning 32 inches. To avoid ripping out the drywall to the floor, can you just cut the stud to get clearance for thimble, cut drywall to midpoint of studs on each side, screw in a horz 2x6 to cut stud, then screw short 2x6's to support horz one on the studs the drywall was removed to?

I'm sure the intallers don't plan on doing this. They would probably try and center it between studs and go from there. I just want to have the material available for them to do it if it is feasable, and keep the hourly charge to a minimum. I have tried several searches to no avail. Hoping someone out there has some suggestions or a link to another thread.

 

[begreen]

I am not a carpenter, but my gut instinct with a load bearing wall is to frame the thimble opening just like a window opening.

 

[ddahlgren]

If you can not or will not do it you would be a lot better served getting a real carpenter in to do the job. If it were me there would be a double or triple 2 x 8 header with 2 x 6 studs under it to support the header. Add blocking to suit the metal through wall fitting. Yes the sheet rock should come down. In the bigger picture of things it is peanuts and it is your house not a woodshed.

 

[Dune]

I doubt the stove installers are carpenters either. Prepare the opening for them in advance. As mentioned, you will need a header (horizontal piece built up from framing timber, essentially a mini beam, and jack studs (2x6 nailed to each of the two studs on either side of the opening to support the header).

If you google "framing a door opening" images will show exactly what you need.

 

[Ashful]

If you google "framing a door opening" images will show exactly what you need.

Good advice, but actually... Google "framing a window opening." You're going to need to frame the sill, and install your jack studs both under and over that. Pretty basic, and any handy homeowner can handle the job, but you want to be sure you're doing it right in a load bearing wall.

 

[hendu]

Thanks for the suggestions. Looks like I'll have some prep work to do today. I finished the basement myself, just wish I would have thought about this 2 years ago.

 

[DAKSY]

Good advice, but actually... Google "framing a window opening." You're going to need to frame the sill, and install your jack studs both under and over that. Pretty basic, and any handy homeowner can handle the job, but you want to be sure you're doing it right in a load bearing wall.

View attachment 92391

I AM a licensed carpenter & I will add my $.02 here. If you are going to follow standard framing techniques, there is no need for the "sill" portion of the opening to be that difficult. Typical "Door Opening Framing" is more accurate. All of the load bearing will be above the opening. The window "sill" will act only as a nailer for the sheetrock & the attachment of the thimble. To be honest, if you were to build a "box" between the studs, high & low enough to give you the clearances & attachment points you need to mount your wall thimble, you will be fine.
Your double head plate will not know the difference & will not move in that short of a span. I have done it that way for all my years as an installer & we've never been called back for framing member "Movement." If there was ANY movement it would have been readily obvious at the taped joints where the wall meets the ceiling. Haven't seen ANY. I would not hesitate to install this way in MY house. If you're having the building inspector look in there prior to the install, that may be another story...

 

[Ashful]

Your double head plate will not know the difference & will not move in that short of a span. I have done it that way for all my years as an installer & we've never been called back for framing member "Movement." If there was ANY movement it would have been readily obvious at the taped joints where the wall meets the ceiling. Haven't seen ANY. I would not hesitate to install this way in MY house. If you're having the building inspector look in there prior to the install, that may be another story...

Likely all true, Daksy. However, I go into one new house after another, where I see taped joints popping throughout. In fact, the 1994 addition on my own house has this problem. It seems a lot of licensed carpenters are doing some pretty shoddy work, whether they realize it or not. It never hurts to go beyond the absolute minimum requirement!

 

[DAKSY]

Likely all true, Daksy. However, I go into one new house after another, where I see taped joints popping throughout. In fact, the 1994 addition on my own house has this problem. It seems a lot of licensed carpenters are doing some pretty shoddy work, whether they realize it or not. It never hurts to go beyond the absolute minimum requirement!

More often than not, it's the crappy material that the framers are using. Very few actually hand pick the lumber that they use & many of the builders buy from the cheapest sources they can so they spit their "Custom Homes" out. I too have seem shoddy building practices & I agree that going the extra mile doesn't hurt, & may be required - like I said - if the inspector is gonna stick his nose in there. For the most part, tho, if the rest of the bearing wall is framed correctly with dry, straight lumber, compromising one stud will not make a difference...

 

[hendu]

I AM a licensed carpenter & I will add my $.02 here. If you are going to follow standard framing techniques, there is no need for the "sill" portion of the opening to be that difficult. Typical "Door Opening Framing" is more accurate. All of the load bearing will be above the opening. The window "sill" will act only as a nailer for the sheetrock & the attachment of the thimble. To be honest, if you were to build a "box" between the studs, high & low enough to give you the clearances & attachment points you need to mount your wall thimble, you will be fine.
Your double head plate will not know the difference & will not move in that short of a span. I have done it that way for all my years as an installer & we've never been called back for framing member "Movement." If there was ANY movement it would have been readily obvious at the taped joints where the wall meets the ceiling. Haven't seen ANY. I would not hesitate to install this way in MY house. If you're having the building inspector look in there prior to the install, that may be another story...

I wasn't planning on doing the sill portion, but the the top portion I think may need supported. It's probably better safe than sorry and just rip out the drywall to the floor. Only thing that sucks is I have blown in foam insulation that I will have to slice with a knife to slip the studs into and power runs close to the floor so will have to unhook it and push thru new studs.