Hey guys,
I am in the process of finishing an upstairs bath. I will be tiling the tub surround and have taken it down to bare studs to put up cement board. As I looked closer at the room layout I began to consider replacing the bath entry door which currently (swings in against the tub) with a pocket door. I have looked at the Johnson pocket door frame assemblies and believe that everything would workout fine as far as the actual installation goes.
My concern is that, where the pocket door wall cavity is the same wall that will be tiled for the tub surround, I may run into problems with wall deflection and cracking grout or tile. The total wall span that would be supported by the split studs would be roughly 70″ x 32″. I would also look at adding 3/4 plywood between the split studs for additional support where the backerboard is attached (1/2 Hardibacker).
It seems like it would be stiff enough, but I would like to get some other opinions.
Thanks for your help. (floor plan is attached)
Replies
As an option, you can oder extra of those slat studs for the kit so you can end up with studding at 8" OC to help resist the deflection. I don't hink ply between would help that much.
I have replaced their entire stud system with 3.4" plywood due to need for hanging mirror and lights off a wall like that where the other side was a dressing room, and the tub side had a FG unit that needed fasteningalong the edges and backup for sheetrock. It provided the screw backing, but I don't remember that it helped prevent deflection any better than the slat studs did.
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3/4" plywood carefully installed between the studs, possibly with a lot of pocket screws and poly glue, would provide additional stiffness. 3/4" plywood screwed and glued over the studs would provide a lot more. Can you afford to lose 3/4" from the interior space in the room?
En,
I've got 4 pocket doors that I just finished framing in and drywalling in my new house. My opinion is that you are right to be concerned and for sure, your wall will not meet tca guidelines for deflection rating. About the only thing you can do that will be right is to make that wall a thicker wall (2 x 6) and do a checker board studding pattern. That's what I did on one of my walls (not for strength... the wall was 2 x 6 for plumbing runs) and in the end, it is hard to tell that there is a pocket for a door but it surely isn't the same as a regular 2 x 4 wall.
My thought is that you will not have trouble with breaking tiles or tiles popping off the wall but your grout will almost certainly crack out over time. Just my opinion.
Good luck,
Rob Kress
Thanks for your suggestions!
I am pretty limited with options as far as adding 3/4 ply over the studs or changing to 6" wall goes. The hallway on one side would need to be bumped out the entire length or the tile side would need to be bumped out (tub is installed already), so neither will be ideal. I really could not spare the 3/4", maybe I could squeeze in an extra 1/4 sheet of cement board though.
I do like Piffin's idea, I think I'll pick up 2 complete kits and use 2 pairs of studs spaced normally, and then add all the remaining studs all along the tiled wall, in essence giving me a wall with 6 studs, roughly 21" of the 30" span would be fully supported (maybe even drill and wire them together and put a lot of tension on the wire). I think this system along with the 3/4 thick cement board would get me there- I hope!
Thanks again guys, I let you know how things work out.
Any opinions on the Johnson 1500 series vs. the 2000 series, looks like a big price difference, is the 2000 worth the extra $ (~$150), or will I be fine with the 1500 (~$50 locally) series?
Thanks.