Typically, how many horizontal studs were used ca 1965: One near ceiling, one in middle and one near floor?
- = - Vasos Panagiotopoulos, Columbia'81+, Reagan, Mozart, Pindus, BioStrategist
Yes, that is pretty standard with platform framing. Top and bottom plates and in the center, a fire stop. They are often staggered along the center to make nailing easier.
Back in stone age, we just called the row in the middle 'blocking'. It doesn't really act as much of a fire stop (other than maybe for a burning outlet in that stud bay), since if the room is involved, the whole wall will light off anyway. Fire stops are between floors, or at the edge of a ceiling in a balloon-framed house or basement, to keep fire from propogating into a vertical chase. The one in the middle of the wall is to stiffen the wall. Common in a tall wall, often omitted in an 8 foot wall unless it is long and doesn't have other walls teeing off from it.
ummm....double top plates?
Just an FYI...
If it's horizontal, it ain't a stud.
A plate? Perhaps. Blocking? Maybe.
But a "Stud"? Nope.
Studs be vertical.
Around here they're called "fire stops" and they're a pain in the buttocks when you have to install new wiring.
TDD
My experience:
single bottom plate double top plate cross lapped at all intersections
I've been around this business since the late 1950's. All my experience is west of the Mississippi. I've never installed or seen any requirement for or anyone one else install a center horizontal run ( not a stud by definition) on anything in a wood framed wall. I have found various horizontal blocking in older - pre WWII framing. I have installed special backers for known hanging convenience like the top corners of windows to hold draperies in both wood and metal. I have installed bridging and blocking in metal stud walls for strength.
I have them in my garage walls (don't know about the house, yet). They are a PITA, but I think I found the trick with the last 220V outlet I put in (dust collector). I drilled through the plate from above, then up from the hole for the box, using a flexible wiring bit, then used a fish-rod[*] from the top. It was a piece of cake to hit the hole in the blocking. Of course it would be harder in an insulated wall (real hard with the cellulose fill I have).
[*] a multi-piece fiberglass rod, sorta like a fishing rod, made for the purpose.
I owned an alarm company in another life. I make more money doing data and commercial phone systems. Businesses aren't as hard to pull wire in unless some dumbass decides to put an office in an old house! 8-)
TDD
If they call the horizontal blocking in the middle of the wall a "fire stop" they are wrong - fire stops they aren't. Someone elsepointed out that fire stops are at the top and bottom of walls (balloon framing) and also pointed out why horizontal blocking in ther middle of a wall does no good as a fire stop.
Harry K
I didn't say they were RIGHT! I said they call them that! GEEZ! 8-)
TDD
"Harry K" wrote
Our local building inspector call them fire stops. YOU tell him to use another term.
Thanks
- = - Vasos Panagiotopoulos, Columbia'81+, Reagan, Mozart, Pindus, BioStrategist
Sounds like he needs to be fired.
Harry K
Yeah, I still have a bunch of wires coming out of the wall above one, and going back into the wall 6 inches lower. Some day I'll fix it, or the new owner might.
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