How to fur out wall with 2" PVC drain in the way?

[MiamiCuse]

I have a bathroom with an exterior concrete block wall that I intend to fur out 3" or so. The shower valve, the recessed medicine cabinets etc...are all going to be taking up that space. I intended to have a PT 2x4 as top and bottom plates and just use regular studs every 16" or so.

However, along this 12' long bathroom, I have a PVC drain that goes across about 9' of that 12' length. It is a lav drain but also serves as a wet vent, hence it needs to be 2". The fittings that fits outside of the 2" pipe makes it even wider.

With this pipe running across much of this wall about 18" or so above the floor, there is no way I can put any studs on the bottom plate without cutting 90% of that stud out.

Does it mean my only option is to fur out more depth (like using 2x6) or chip the concrete wall to recess the pipe (which I don't want to do along that much distance.

Any thoughts or comments would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

MC

[evodawg]

You could frame the bottom half in 2x6 and the top half with 2x4's and wainscot the bottom half to make it look like it was suppose to be that way. You'd even have a nice little ledge or shelf on that side of the wall. Don't even think about dealing with the concrete.

[John Grabowski]

*You didn't say what the other wall dimension is so I am wondering if you can get away with moving the wall out far enough so that the pipe is behind it? It doesn't have to be up against the block wall.

My other thought is if it is possible to build a wall above the pipe and build a wall below the pipe with somehow attaching the plates to the block? Maybe attach the studs to the block.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Since it is not structural, you have lots of options. Cut out the studs or build and upper and lower section. I'd also put a metal plate over the pvc to protect it from nails and drywall screws.

[Wayne Whitney]

Since you are furring out the wall, it seems like you should have space for a proper vent line. This would also have the advantage that both the vent and the drain would be smaller in diameter. You could build the stud wall as you are running the DWV lines, to minimize the number of couplings you use in the horizontal DWV runs.

The simplest method is this: Frame around the pipe like you are doing a window opening. Put a long 4x6 header (solid or built up) over the pipe, supported by jack studs, and a flat 2x4 "sill" under the pipe, with cripple studs above and below. For extra strength, you could put some concrete block anchors into the 4x6 header along its length, counterboring them as needed. 9' is a long span, but for a non load bearing wall 4x6 should be fine.

Cheers, Wayne

[hrhofmann]

If this is an exterior wall, as the OP said, what about some insulation, unless in a warm climate area.

[MiamiCuse]

I am in Miami so it's fairly warm. However there will be insulation to preserve the cool air from the AC.

Thanks,

MC

[Joe]

Doesn't the latest plumbing code now require 2" vent lines?

Joe