Stud wall with no noggins?

[McTavish]

Hi

My builder is almost at completion stage of doing major renovations at our property. We have noticed that one of the kitchen stud walls flexes quite a bit. They have now been plasterboarded and skimmed.

From closer inspection I seem to have noticed there are no noggins in between the stud work... Just studs at 600 or so centres. Would that cause the wall to flex inwards and outwards? It's pretty noticeable and this wall is our main kitchen wall, supporting extractor and units and what not.

He claims he can fix it by simply breaking into the wall at varying sections to fix frame directly to the original wall. The reason he has built out was to create a natural sound barrier by having a clear void between the original and new stud wall. Obviously if his fix is to now simply attach this stud wall to the original back wall, surely it will defeat the purpose of it being there as a sound barrier?

Should say this was all part of major works, including removing load bearing walls etc. so a building warrant was needed but I'm now wondering if I have the right to request this wall be rebuilt and not simply repaired? Can I take it to my local council? Do I let him attempt the repair before taking action? I'm still holding 1/3 of final bill so it's in his best interest to have done right.

Desperately need some advice here, I'm worried we're not getting a quality finished product and paying lots of money for it!

Thanks!

 

[Notch7]

A bit more info would be helpful:

timber section, ceiling height, length of wall.

In general I would studs at 600ctrs and no noggins isnt the stongest stud wall in the world!

A sound barrier for what? to a neighbour or adjacent room?

 

[McTavish]

Not sure what is meant by timber section? but if it's the timber size, I believe it's 75 x 50 timber framing that was used. Ceiling height is 2700mm and length of wall is just short of 3200mm.

Sound barrier to a neighbouring wall

 

[Notch7]

Not sure what is meant by timber section? but if it's the timber size, I believe it's 75 x 50 timber framing that was used. Ceiling height is 2700mm and length of wall is just short of 3200mm.

Sound barrier to a neighbouring wall

There is the problem: 3" x 2" section studwork, 600mm centres with a height of 2700mm.

I think there may have been a confusion between studwork used to batten out an existing wall and a free standing studwork wall -if its free standing then it needs to be more substantial than its been built.

 

[McTavish]

Ok thanks, that's what I suspected. I did raise that with the builder but he went off at me saying there was need for noggins and seemed quite insulted I was accusing them of missing out parts.

I had only realised when using the sockets and the wall moved when plugging things into it, also there's a hatch that I managed to get a camera into to see inside of the wall, clearly showing the plasterboard sections stacked without any noggins for support. Normally I'd expect something for two adjoining pieces to screw into something...

What options do I have here? Am I right in challenging what seems to be a simple industry standard way of building studwork?

Should I ask for a proper rebuilt studwork wall or would a bodge fix be as good?

 

[Ian H]

I'd want 400 centres and 3 noggins between each.

How are your wall units fixed to it?

 

[Notch7]

If the studwall is to have a cavity behind it, you need stronger studwork.

4 x 2, 400mm ctrs noggins.

3 x 2 is no good at 2.7m tall.....I think.

If it can be fixed to wall behind then maybe itll be strong enough and maybe fill with rockwall and use double layer of plasterboard or acoustic board to compensate for fixing to wall. It depends on the type of noise you want to suppress and the reason. Increasing mass will help even if connected. Better than a wobbly wall!

Obviously an air gap is best, although I guess its screwed to ceiling and floor without rubber separation.

 

[McTavish]

Nothing is on the wall yet. Their job was agreed to have them leave a skimmed room ready for us to fit my our own kitchen.

The wall in question won't have wall units but will have 2 timber shelves and an extractor, and tiles to half height - though honestly not sure I feel comfortable adding anything to it now

 

[Notch7]

Nothing is on the wall yet. Their job was agreed to have them leave a skimmed room ready for us to fit my our own kitchen.

The wall in question won't have wall units but will have 2 timber shelves and an extractor, and tiles to half height - though honestly not sure I feel comfortable adding anything to it now

Im not surprised, sounds like you have 7 uprights over 3200 run 2700 high. Noggins arent enough to get you a rigid wall.

What noise are you trying to reduce by the stud wall and cavity?

 

[McTavish]

Noise is mainly neighbours talking etc, but to be completely honest it's an old Victorian flat and there's noise pollution coming from everywhere. Also like you've said Notch7, it's not attached to the floor or ceiling with any rubber separation anyway! In hindsight we should have just strapped the original wall and compensated for some noise reduction with a double layer of acoustic plasterboard and rockwool.

Argh the more I think about it the more I just won't the wall taken down and redone properly. Might just do it myself