A job in a converted warehouse in Austin changed how I handle old framing

I was hanging board on a 1920s warehouse conversion last month, and the old timber frame was way out of square. We're talking gaps over an inch in some spots. My old method was to just shim and force it, but the lead guy on site showed me his trick. He pre-cut long, tapered strips of 1/2 inch board and glued them to the studs with construction adhesive before we even touched the sheets. It took an extra half day upfront, but the finish was perfect with zero stress cracks. I've used that method on three jobs since and it's saved me so many callbacks. Anyone have a different fix for really bad old walls?

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3 Comments

spencerr876mo ago

That trick with the pre-cut tapered strips is solid. On really bad plaster walls I've had to sister new studs right next to the old ones to create a true plane. It's more work but sometimes the frame is just too far gone to fix any other way.

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davis.dakota6mo ago

Yeah sistering studs is the real fix when things are that far gone like @spencerr87 said. I've had to do it a few times and it's a pain but it's the only way to get a wall ready for drywall. Saves you from fighting it forever.

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patel.alice6mo ago

Nah, I just shim the old ones out.

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