Dealing with hold down straps fixed to studs

[Omi]

We have several straps fitted to the studs in our timber frame build:

 

 

 

The straps are about 3 mm thick and do not cover the full height if the stud. Obviously, service battens and plasterboard won't sit flush if fixed directly over the strap - if it is even possible to do so as the screws would somehow have to find their way into the stud through the straps.

 

What's the best way to solve this problem?

 

 

 

[Nickfromwales]

Service battens affixed to every stud prob easiest. Maybe a sheet of 9mm OSB / ply cut into strips if you don't need to run cables down those walls?

That's a proper PITA of a detail which the architect should have designed out IMO. 2x studs could have been sistered together for each rising strap, with the affected stud reduced by 6mm and its sister left flush for boarding. That's OK to do retrospectively tbh, so would be my favoured option here just to bring the wall forward to clear the straps and screws.

 

Maybe consider horizontal 25x50mm battens at 400mm OC? A ball-ache any way you 'cut' it, as the shortest PB screw is 25mm.

[Nickfromwales]

https://www.screwfix.com/p/easydrive-bzp-bugle-head-fine-thread-uncollated-drywall-screws-3-5-x-25mm-1000-pack/25899?tc=ET2&ds_kid=92700048793290424&ds_rl=1249413&gclid=CjwKCAjwve2TBhByEiwAaktM1GXOfiYFdSyFp9XFuuRRjsdj-zinQmJEqVH9GYrZ4DeVNjcPCM1cuBoC0eQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Mr Punter]

What a pain.  I have not seen this done on TF before.  You will need to put in some  extra studs to fix the plasterboards.  You could rip down some thin ply or hardboard for the rest of the studs and the top and bottom plate to bring it out level.

[SoldierDog]

Horizontal battens fixed with adjustable screws is another option. They are ingenious things, usually used for fixing battens to wonky timbers but you could use them to back out the battens to the depth of the straps. Widely used on the continent but not seen them used much here.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TOX-Adjusting-Distance-100-Pieces-09010102/dp/B0166R6KCW/ref=pd_day0_sccl_2_5/259-0917683-5637240?pd_rd_w=7SQ7e&pf_rd_p=8ec13b8a-30d2-48fc-8503-84c56766370d&pf_rd_r=RX8059BTWHP0K1GWJ34H&pd_rd_r=1ce504d0-870b-4d7e-a1a2-ce3c93bd680b&pd_rd_wg=PEOJl&pd_rd_i=B0166R6KCW&psc=1

Edited May 12, 2022 by SoldierDog

[Omi]

Thanks for the ideas everyone.

 

14 hours ago, Nickfromwales said:

Maybe consider horizontal 25x50mm battens at 400mm OC? A ball-ache any way you 'cut' it, as the shortest PB screw is 25mm

 

Maybe I'm not understanding this correctly - why do I need a short PB screw?

 

I can see how horizontal battens would help generally but what to do for the window reveals? Normally a batten would go right where the strap is such that the PB for the reveal can be screwed into that from the side?

 

Maybe I just need to put a batten down each side of the strap, then shave 3 mm from another before putting it over the strap and screwing it into the sister batten from the side?

 

Edited May 12, 2022 by Omi

[Nickfromwales]

53 minutes ago, Omi said:

why do I need a short PB screw?

To avoid hitting the straps. I always assume it'll be a semi-give-a-feck individual putting these up, so I make an allowance by providing 3rd parties with an 'idiot-proof' solution.

For the window reveals you simply install the battens vertically against the straps, eg to the left of the left strap etc, and then just allow the PB to sail over the strap and form the edge. The PB fixed to the window reveal will come out to meet that and a scrim tape and skim ( corner ) bead will finish that off nicely. No need to apply the shaved batten to the strap, as the distance from the vertical batten to the reveal is negligible.  

[MortarThePoint]

You could put strip would on each stud that doesn't have a strap and screw timber to the side of each stud that does have a strap. The problem with that though is it would ruin your centre to centre distances if they are already good.

[Nickfromwales]

13 hours ago, MortarThePoint said:

The problem with that though is it would ruin your centre to centre distances if they are already good.

Actually, it wouldn't  You'd just screw the sister stud to the left or right of each existing one, the same side all the way down the wall, and the OC's will stay the same. As per my earlier post to do just that.

 

On 12/05/2022 at 07:22, Nickfromwales said:

That's a proper PITA of a detail which the architect should have designed out IMO. 2x studs could have been sistered together for each rising strap, with the affected stud reduced by 6mm and its sister left flush for boarding. That's OK to do retrospectively tbh, so would be my favoured option here just to bring the wall forward to clear the straps and screws.

 

13 hours ago, MortarThePoint said:

You could put strip would on each stud that doesn't have a strap

This is probably the quickest and more cost effective solution tbh.

[MortarThePoint]

9 hours ago, Nickfromwales said:

Actually, it wouldn't  You'd just screw the sister stud to the left or right of each existing one, the same side all the way down the wall, and the OC's will stay the same. As per my earlier post to do just that.

I was more thinking that my suggestion of a mixture of stripwood on the face of the studs and fewer sister studs would mess with centres, but it looks like there are some doubles etc anyway.