Is it OK to splice 2x4 wall studs?

[gayler]

I know that splicing is common on trusses, but is it ok to splice wall studs? I have nine foot ceiling in my polebarn garage. I'm framing between the columns that are spaced at ten feet. I have lots of eight foot 2x4s. I've been spicing them with plywood and screws. I am alternating the spice. One at the top and the next one at the bottom and so on. This is only holding insulation and OSB so nothing load bearing. I know I am being cheep by not buying ten footers, but all my materials are free. Other than being a cheep *** is there anything wrong with doing it this way?

 

[Ironhorse]

I know that splicing is common on trusses, but is it ok to splice wall studs? I have nine foot ceiling in my polebarn garage. I'm framing between the columns that are spaced at ten feet. I have lots of eight foot 2x4s. I've been spicing them with plywood and screws. I am alternating the spice. One at the top and the next one at the bottom and so on. This is only holding insulation and OSB so nothing load bearing. I know I am being cheep by not buying ten footers, but all my materials are free. Other than being a cheep *** is there anything wrong with doing it this way?

Are you doubling them up? or just splicing them?

 

[gayler]

Are you doubling them up? or just splicing them?

Just splicing them.

 

[little d]

If it's not load bearing, just something to attach to, ya your ok.

 

[Al Bundy]

Seems like with the extra work you're doing you'd be better off to just buy 10 footers.

 

[onewaydave]

I have a wall rising from 8' on one end to 16' on the other (actually several). Not load bearing. I just ran 2 x 4s up and sheeted it in. I wish in hind site, I had framed an 8' wall and added a second wall on top of that to fill in. You know, sill plates and such. I also needed better diagonals.

The reason is I am getting cracks in the sheetrock in a pattern that I think is due to my just using up to 16' of 2 x 4. They are very suttle, in fact, invisible to almost everyone but me.

Scabbing 2 x 4 is common, but I've usually seen it done with 2 x 4s not ply. Although I don't see why ply wouldn't be better.

Dave, now, if that isn't a bunch of internet nonsence, I don't know what is. I'm not in the business at all and am just recalling what I've observed. Who knows what qualifications those I've observed had; I have absolutely none.

 

[green.bubbly]

I know that splicing is common on trusses, but is it ok to splice wall studs? I have nine foot ceiling in my polebarn garage. I'm framing between the columns that are spaced at ten feet. I have lots of eight foot 2x4s. I've been spicing them with plywood and screws. I am alternating the spice. One at the top and the next one at the bottom and so on. This is only holding insulation and OSB so nothing load bearing. I know I am being cheep by not buying ten footers, but all my materials are free. Other than being a cheep *** is there anything wrong with doing it this way?

Seems like with the extra work you're doing you'd be better off to just buy 10 footers.

His material is free as is his labor.

 

[Jbullfrog]

Why does everybody think their time has no cost?

 

[shoot summ]

What is the thickness of the plywood?

If the wall never sees any compression load I would think it would be OK with 3/4" ply on each side of the joint. Will there be drywall on both sides of the framing? I would probably put some horizontal 2x4's between the studs about midway up just as an added support.

 

[luvit]

Why does everybody think their time has no cost?

this is a common question in threads.. and the answer is: * it depends...*

.

 

[yost69]

I wish in hind site, I had framed an 8' wall and added a second wall on top of that to fill in. You know, sill plates and such.

Thats what I would do right there.

 

[Lotek]

Here is my uninformed internet opinion. I would splice with 2x4 instead of ply because half of the thickness of the plywood isn't doing anything for you because the grain is going the wrong direction.

 

[wilcolater]

Scabbing 2x4s together is acceptable in a non load bearing wall.
It might be advantageous compared to building a sill and plate at 8 foot, you can run mechanicals through the wall without having to drill through the plate.

 

[Kevin54]

Splicing will be alright for non load bearing, but instead of splicing, why don't you build your wall eight foot tall with a top and bottom plate, then build a two foot tall wall with a top and bottom plate, then nail one on the top of the other?

 

[Boomer343]

For what you are doing I'd put a piece fo 3/8 ply on either side with a shot of wood glue and use my air stapler to attach the ply to the 2 x 4.

 

[pattenp]

gayler, I'd just splice the 2X4's together as you're doing since it's just to hold the insulation.

 

[94legaleagle]

Why does everybody think their time has no cost?

sometimes it's because the worst day in the shop/garage beats the best day at the office - I don't work in my shop for profit, I do it as a hobby and to relax and forget about the real world

 

[Toomanytools?]

this is a common question in threads.. and the answer is: * it depends...*

.

If all you are doing is sitting on your *** scrolling through GJ, eating Cheetos then yes maybe his time is free...**** I'm outa cheetos.

 

[rburke65]

Yes it would be ok to splice.

 

[bgarrett]

If all you are doing is sitting on your *** scrolling through GJ, eating Cheetos then yes maybe his time is free...**** I'm outa cheetos.

Are you the guy who went to the doctor because his ***** turned orange?
Doctor says, "Ive never seen anything like this. Maybe you should bring your wife in so I can examine her."

Guy: "Dont have a wife"
Doctor, "OK bring your gurlfriend in."
Guy: "Dont have a gurlfriend."
Doctor, "What do you do all day?"
Guy: "Oh, just sit around, watch ****, eat Cheetos."

 

[Tim The Tool Man]

Splicing will be alright for non load bearing, but instead of splicing, why don't you build your wall eight foot tall with a top and bottom plate, then build a two foot tall wall with a top and bottom plate, then nail one on the top of the other?

This is what I would do only because it would actually be quicker than cutting and scabbing all those pieces of ply wood. That said, what you are doing is absolutely fine as long as you keep staggering them. when you sheet the wall glue as well as screw/nail your sheeting onto the studs. If you are dry walling, go with 5/8.

Since you are doing it on the cheap, watch you local Home Depot's dunnage asile. It took about a month or so but I got all my sheetrock for $2.00 a sheet because it was dingged or had damaged corners. Tape and mud hides all that.

 

[WNYflyer]

If all you will be doing is insulation and OSB it shouldn't be a problem just splicing on the sides. 1' +_ up from top or bottom. Only thing I would careful of is I don't think I would put the wall up tight against the girts that run horizontally from post to post. I think you want the existing girts to deflect/bend on there own so they don't load the new wall when the wind blows on them. Probably not that big a deal though since you are doing OSB rather than drywall with mudded joints.

If you or anyone else have plans in the future to hang shelves. etc off the walls then you probably need to do a better job of splicing and more importantly the members and connections at the top of the wall become much more important and need more planning/thought

As far as building an 8' wall then building a shorter wall on top of that to make up the remaining..................don't do it.

 

[ket-tek]

Why does everybody think their time has no cost?

I understand where you are coming from, say one could be working making money during the time he is dicking around with projects and taking much longer than if he had hired it out or bought 'the right' tool/material for the job at hand.

But what you may make vs. what you would spend varies.

As an example I spent yesterday from about 10am-4pm setting up and pouring a small concrete slab between my garage and compressor shed. It would have been $1200-$1500 turnkey from a company, it cost me $225 in materials and $40 to rent a mixer. (I already had a 5 ton pile of excess gravel in the backyard for fill and also lumber/rebar to make the form so that's another case where some of the material was free and a chance to use up some of it)

Could I have made $1300 in that 6hrs instead to pay someone else to do the job? Maybe, depending on what type of job I may have setup for that day, but having a day with no other plans and I knocked it out for under $300 and it's done.

So let's say I did have some sort of work lined up to make the remainder of the money in that time period, I would just hand it over to the guys doing work for me, so it's really no different cost-wise either way.

Just an example. But each cost situation varies and in addition the good feeling of doing something yourself and learning/gaining experience also can have a value in life as well.

 

[gayler]

Splicing will be alright for non load bearing, but instead of splicing, why don't you build your wall eight foot tall with a top and bottom plate, then build a two foot tall wall with a top and bottom plate, then nail one on the top of the other?

I actualy did this on one section, but realized I was using more lumber to do it this way and more work insulating.

 

[gayler]

If all you are doing is sitting on your *** scrolling through GJ, eating Cheetos then yes maybe his time is free...**** I'm outa cheetos.

Pick me up a bag while your there!

 

[ddawg16]

Are you the guy who went to the doctor because his ***** turned orange?
Doctor says, "Ive never seen anything like this. Maybe you should bring your wife in so I can examine her."

Guy: "Dont have a wife"
Doctor, "OK bring your gurlfriend in."
Guy: "Dont have a gurlfriend."
Doctor, "What do you do all day?"
Guy: "Oh, just sit around, watch ****, eat Cheetos."

I'm never eating Cheetos again...........

 

[gayler]

I'm never eating Cheetos again...........

Or watch **** either?

 

[stingry]

Here is my uninformed internet opinion. I would splice with 2x4 instead of ply because half of the thickness of the plywood isn't doing anything for you because the grain is going the wrong direction.

You got that right!!!!

 

[yost69]

As far as building an 8' wall then building a shorter wall on top of that to make up the remaining..................don't do it.

Ok. Nobody else did, so I have to. Why?

 

[Lkdelta]

Why does everybody think their time has no cost?

Because I don't have to reach into my pocket and pull out some money to pay for it, like I would if someone else was doing it for me.

If it was just time that I would have wasted watching Tv, instead became something productive out in the garage...
no way that has a value that I should pay for

 

[Tink]

It would be more work, but would joining the 2 x 4s with a glued and nailed lap joint work?

 

[rslaback]

You do realize there is such a thing as a 9' precut right? They measure 102 5/8". Would that work?

 

[Al Bundy]

Time is not free no matter how little self esteem you may have. Time is the most valuable resource there is. Run out of material, go get some more. Run out of money, go earn some more. Run out of time, guess what?

Have a family? Guess what they value the most, your time. Even time that's seemingly wasted with activities like watching TV is not free. Down time is as important as being productive. I watched my father spend his life always having to do things himself regardless of how long they took. Then he died. Life is short. Don't waste it trying to save a couple nickels.

 

[gayler]

You do realize there is such a thing as a 9' precut right? They measure 102 5/8". Would that work?

Yes, but that would cost me $$. This is all free material I got at the landfill I work at.

 

[gayler]

Time is not free no matter how little self esteem you may have. Time is the most valuable resource there is. Run out of material, go get some more. Run out of money, go earn some more. Run out of time, guess what?

Have a family? Guess what they value the most, your time. Even time that's seemingly wasted with activities like watching TV is not free. Down time is as important as being productive. I watched my father spend his life always having to do things himself regardless of how long they took. Then he died. Life is short. Don't waste it trying to save a couple nickels.

I do agree with you there. I see it more everyday. I'm working on this project for the family as well. So the kids will have a warm place to play in the winter. My boys are three and five.

 

[WNYflyer]

As far as building an 8' wall then building a shorter wall on top of that to make up the remaining..................don't do it.

Ok. Nobody else did, so I have to. Why?

Well not knowing all the details but in general that is poor practice to have a horizontal joint such as that formed at the top plate/bottom plate connection unless that joint is tied off from moving perpidicular to the wall. Without that joint being tied off or the top/bottom plates be bulked so they span from post to post then the wall is "structurally" unstable due to the joint being unstable.

Yes building the shorter wall on top of of the 8' wall can be done but to be done properly you really need to know what you are doing and most do not have that knowledge. It is best for the layman to just stay away from doing that unless they are guided correctly.

A few on this board have discussed the case where the gable end of their garage has essentially been built like that. The say 9' high wall is stood up with a top plate and then the triangular gable portion is constructed with a bottom plate attached to the lower wall top plate. Very bad practice unless the top plate/bottom plate joint is tied back to something substantial to keep that joint stable.

Again I am generalizing since I don't know all the details but in this situation the risk of any future problems is much higher with the tall wall/short wall construction that simply splicing on a 1' section to get you up to height. Of course with only OSB and insulation the risks are pretty minimal but that doesn't excuse poor practice.

 

[Tim The Tool Man]

Well not knowing all the details but in general that is poor practice to have a horizontal joint such as that formed at the top plate/bottom plate connection unless that joint is tied off from moving perpidicular to the wall. Without that joint being tied off or the top/bottom plates be bulked so they span from post to post then the wall is "structurally" unstable due to the joint being unstable.

Yes building the shorter wall on top of of the 8' wall can be done but to be done properly you really need to know what you are doing and most do not have that knowledge. It is best for the layman to just stay away from doing that unless they are guided correctly.

A few on this board have discussed the case where the gable end of their garage has essentially been built like that. The say 9' high wall is stood up with a top plate and then the triangular gable portion is constructed with a bottom plate attached to the lower wall top plate. Very bad practice unless the top plate/bottom plate joint is tied back to something substantial to keep that joint stable.

Again I am generalizing since I don't know all the details but in this situation the risk of any future problems is much higher with the tall wall/short wall construction that simply splicing on a 1' section to get you up to height. Of course with only OSB and insulation the risks are pretty minimal but that doesn't excuse poor practice.

Sorry, don't want to start anything but you are completely incorrect. I don't know if you have been in the construction trade or not but with what the OP described there is absolutely no issue with him abutting a 2' wall to an 8' wall. This is not a structural/load bearing member or anything like that. It will only act as a non-load barring partition wall. Tying it to the header or footer would only act to strengthen them. Were this an exterior wall exposed to wind shear, then, no you don't do it, but it is not so he can. And there is no special knowledge needed to connect these two non structural members together, you use an old invention called nails, maybe throw in a little construction adhesive for good measure.

Again sorry, rant over. To the OP, splicing plywood as you described is going to work fine, though I would recommend you use construction adhesive as well.

 

[Mickey O]

Splicing will be alright for non load bearing, but instead of splicing, why don't you build your wall eight foot tall with a top and bottom plate, then build a two foot tall wall with a top and bottom plate, then nail one on the top of the other?

Scabbing 2x4s together is acceptable in a non load bearing wall.
It might be advantageous compared to building a sill and plate at 8 foot, you can run mechanicals through the wall without having to drill through the plate.

 

[Justanoldguy]

Watch the movie "In Time" and then say time is free.

 

[onewaydave]

Why does everybody think their time has no cost?

Change "cost" to value, and...

Probably because they are; 1) Young. 2) Not rich. 3) Haven't figured out that they could accomplish sooooo much more with divided labor.

Dave, being just toooo philosophical.