this post was submitted on 22 Feb 2024
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It didnt allow me to post two pictures.
Holy shit, is that load bearing plywood on the far wall (with the rectangle window).
My friend, you need help from someone that knows what they are doing and familiar with local codes before proceeding any further.
That wall isn't structural. There's a much thicker wall behind it; this is just a thin internal layer for running electric and mounting drywall.
https://i.imgur.com/AbsJjCh.jpeg
My concern is that those big beams (blue) end where they meet the plywood (yellow). Which means they are transferring their downward force into the board(s) highlighted in green. That in turn presses down on the vertical studs highlighted in red. These aren't connected to anything on the bottom. So the weight from the beams gets supported by the screws attaching all these pieces to the plywood wall? Maybe if they're just for looks and not structural support. Maybe that's how it's done in germany.
Behind the green board, behind the OSB, there is a very thick top plate that those beams are sitting on and based on what the OP said to me, that is then framed down to a sill plate also behind the OSB. Nothing on the outside of the OSB is structural and he's actually screwing those 6x6 cm boards into what's behind the OSB. They're using the OSB as a vapor barrier instead of faced insulation like we do and also protecting the studs with that vapor barrier from the interior of the house.
Edit: Truth is, what's funny about OP's wall and the response it's getting is that it's better constructed than most American buildings you could find. We don't tend to put as big a gap between the vapor barrier and the interior heated space and we don't tend to include the studs as protected by that vapor barrier. When we do we use plastic sheeting, not OSB, because that's too expensive. I'd imagine the R value on his insulation is also much higher than ours.
All of the OSB is the inside of the already constructed wall. It's interior fascia, essentially, with insulation behind it.
They are not American, Germans build way different so how they do things does not make sense without understanding what is going on.
Not just germans, aussie here, assumed that was internal walls (which differ from external). Seen a few double brick/ concrete framed out like that
Mind you our building standards have gone down the shitter since the 90's...
I think people don' know that the "studs" what I didn't know were are hidden behind the Plywood.
Yeah, folks are having a hard time wrapping their head around how it structurally works but it obviously does since they're building housing developments with it. The picture just shows the sill plate and top plate (the two thick pieces of wood on the top and bottom of the wall behind the OSB[what we call the plywood on the inside]) with insulation sandwiched between, but there has to be lengths of wood going from those to hold them together (which we call studs). They're mistakenly thinking that your 6x6 cm pieces of wood are those studs.
So I guess I should be fine?
I am having heart attack and panic right now.
My construction dude told me to apply 6x6 cm squared timber for installation (electricity) and spread the about 30 cm apart from each other around the house. Once the electrician comes and installs everything and is finished I can install plasterboard onto the 6x6cm squared timber.
I am just not sure if I can hang anything on the plasterboard that is attached to 6x6cm timber. It would be alot more stable if I could get rid of the 6x6cm timber and attach plasterboard to plywood (like the inside walls).
At the end he said it's for electricity only and my safety so I don't break the vapor barrier later if I screw something into the plasterboard. So I have about 6 cm "air" before the "real" wall starts after the plywood.
Its basically from inside to outside:
Plasterboard -> 6x6 cm squared timber -> Plywood -> Studs -> Vapor Barrier -> Insulation (240mm wool) ->.... in the end the totall wall is about 39cm thick.
So are the 6x6s attaching just into the plywood or are they going into something behind the plywood? Overall it sounds fine what he told you to do, but what they're attaching to and how you do what we call "blocking" to secure them is how you determine if you can hang cabinets.
Edit: Per your additional information, what you're doing is fine but I'd ask him specifically about where you want to hang cabinets because you'd need to make more consideration. They put a lot more strain than thin drywall to the fasteners that are holding them up.
I have bigger screws in those that go into a bigger piece of wood behind the plywall.
I guess it's the studs then. So my 6x6 cm squared timber that I am installing vertically is going into studs behind the plywall
Yeah, that's essentially fine. You likely can hang cabinets off of them, but I'm not a cabinet installer or a framer. I'm a nurse that used to sell building supplies. You should ask him if you need more reinforcement for your cabinets. For your drywall everything's fine.
Alright cool.
Yeah well I am just a nurse too (but in germany) or else I'd not have to ask here lol.
I sent a picture of the subconstruction to the kitchen company and they will tell me more.
My suggestion is a oral administration etoh at this point, then.
lol :-) I really almost sh*t my pants cause I thought the house was constructed good and suddenly everyone tells me to contact help and that I am lost.
Are those studs not sitting on a plate?
Yeah there is so much crazy shit going on in these pictures I am doubting my own understanding and I was a rough carpenter for several years.
Why are the studs on the flat? Where the hell is that sill plate? No headers over the windows? No cripples under the windows? Is that stud next to the window opening cut at the bottom? Why are the studs spaced so… creatively
I could probably spot a few more but I honestly think I just don’t know what this building is or where it is. Clearly not in US and maybe it’s a shed or something and not a dwelling. Too much I don’t know to talk shit.
Edit: is there like an actual structural wall on the exterior that we cannot see? Maybe all this stuff is just to provide structure for drywall and electric. That would maybe make sense.
From the links he sent, it looks like he’s just building a non-structural insulating wall on the interior which allows for running electrical lines.
Yeah, this isn't framing per his link. That OSB is the interior of the structural wall and he's just building out with 6x6 cm (what we'd think of as 2x2 inch) to hang his (likely 1/4" equivalent) drywall and provide electrical service.
https://www.wolfhaus.info/images/DETAILS/wandkonstruktion_oekoline.jpg
What does this mean? Am I doing something wrong?
No, I was actually translating it for the American construction folks. What you're doing is actually how we cover up plaster walls on remodels. It's just not something I've ever dealt with when I was a construction supply salesperson.
Oh, I see. Still not sure I’d hang cabinets from that.
I think it just depends on how he's attaching it. If it's going into the top and sill plates behind the OSB, there's not really much of a chance of it going anywhere.
But those gaps at the base, where the stud should be abutting a sill plate…what will the drywall be attached to?
The sill plate is actually behind the OSB and looks thicker than anything we use. I don't honestly know if there's studs back there too, but I'd imagine so. I really don't know how that wall is constructed.
I think you’re right. If this picture was taken in the US or Canada, I would be panicked for OP. But honestly I thing it might be something we don’t do here so it looks crazy, but only to us.
You're right. After moving to Germany, I can tell there is nothing wrong with this picture, but it sure looks crazy out of context.
Interestingly enough, most residential houses I looked at had solid, steel reinforced concrete walls everywhere.
Same tbh.
I thought they were flat too, but he said they’re square. I’m very confused.
https://www.wolf-haus.de/ihr-mehrwert/mehr-holz/
I worry they're just attaching things to the cladding.
What do you mean? Sorry I am not english speaking.
I can give you the wall structure here:
https://www.wolfhaus.info/index.php/de/das-grosse-plus-innenwand-aussenwand-material-fertighaus-wolf-haus-wolfhaus-wolf-system-haus
Maybe you can help me with this information
This is translated, I don’t speak German.
Unter diesen 6 x 6 cm großen Stollen befindet sich kein Stück Holz. Es sieht so aus, als hätten sie keine nennenswerte strukturelle Unterstützung.
The wall is behind the 6x6 cm squared timber.
The reason for 6x6 cm squared timber is for the electricity level.