Hi I was interested in potentially turning the area under the stairs as a potential storage area with draws etc. I drilled a small hole to inspect the wall to see if it was just plasterboard. I found that there was plaster board and I believe OSB and another board(potentially another plaster board). Just wanted to hear thoughts if this is normal and if it is safe to continue planning out the area. Plan was to leave the vertical studs.
Hello @LukePh
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about building a staircase wall storage.
In the interest of health and safety, I suggest not drilling any other holes in your wall and having your wall tested for asbestos. If the test comes back positive, you'll need to engage the services of an asbestos removal specialist. If the test is negative, you can continue with your project.
In this particular instance, I would suggest engaging the services of a builder to find out if the wall is loadbearing and if it is supporting the staircase. Removing the wall and its supporting structure might compromise the stability of the ceiling, stairs and surrounding walls.
In saying that, should the builder determine that the wall is not load bearing and does not support the staircase and is safe to remove, you can continue with your project.
I suggest having a quick look at these discussions:
I also recommend having a look at the 10 ways to use space under the stairs.
Let me call on our experienced members @Dave-1, @Nailbag and @DIY4Knuckleheds for their recommendations.
If you need further assistance, please let us know.
Eric
Good Evening @LukePh
:) It looks like you have drilled through a stud wall with plaster either side, maybe with insulation inside it.
Does that doorway next to the light switch go through to anywhere? As you can see a light switch on the same wall I would be cautious drilling randomly and also be cautious cutting a section out if you need to. Unlikely that you would hit the cable while cutting a square of plaster out but always better be safe I would turn the power off to the house (including light circuits)
Cutting a square large enough I would do with straight cuts. Use the edge of a spirit level and run your stanley blade knife along the cutting edge several times as you slowly cut through the plaster sheet. Remember you will need to patch if you decide not to go ahead due to what you find underneath :) Wiser to be tidy now just in case.
Dave
Thanks @EricL and @Dave-1.
Confirming that there isn't insulation inside the wall. The doorway with the light switch goes into the laundry room. I had made sure to shut off the power and use a stud finder as well as precaution.
This townhouse is a fairly new built in 2015 so I wasn't too concerned with the wall containing asbestos but will keep that in mind. Just wanted to confirm that the stud wall you mentioned is the OSB layer that we see immediately after the first plasterboard (closest to the interior of the hall)?
I don't see an OSB on the other side so it would be safe to conclude that there is possibly an OSB board after the plasterboard in regard to your picture.
Morning @LukePh
So plaster sheet, osb sheet, air gap then a plaster sheet…. I was wondering where you came up with osb sheet but after looking closer I could see it.
It still comes down to what level of work you want to do. There will possibly be studs in the wall that are supporting so you may not be able to remove them all. The osb sheet could have been there for a bunch of reasons and plastered over to make it pretty, sound deadening maybe (clumping down the stairs comes to mind) The osb adds an extra, possibly larger layer of difficulty to remove is all.
Good morning @Dave-1
Yep confirming its plaster sheet, osb sheet, air gap then a plaster sheet then the staircase itself.
Idea was to keep all the vertical studs but remove the plasterboard/osb. It is to fit something similar to the attached picture between the existing vertical studs.
I your opinion would the Osb sheet ever be in for a structual/load bearing reason?
If not is it safe to then remove and replace with storage similar to image attached?
Good Morning @LukePh
:) Well I cannot guarantee that it isnt structural. This isnt a forum for that level of knowledge. The OSB would definitely lock the studs into place so there is that to consider. You could have the best of both worlds if you are concerned by installing a base rail (Like a kick plate that sits behind the face of the drawers and also one half way up. So from your picture you would have 6 drawers instead of 3. Just depends on what you are comfortable with.
If you are concerned and want that knowledge I would get a quote from a carpenter and see what they suggest.
Hi @LukePh,
I think the use of the OSB is the interesting part here. Typically, plasterboard would be fixed directly to the timber studwork, so having a layer of OSB behind it isn't something I'd necessarily expect to see in a standard internal wall.
Unfortunately, we really have no way of knowing why it was included or exactly how your staircase and surrounding framing have been constructed. The OSB could have been added for several reasons, and although the vertical studs would typically provide the structural support, I wouldn't assume the OSB has no structural or bracing function and remove it on that basis. As previously mentioned, a builder would be best placed to confirm this.
If they confirm the OSB and plasterboard aren't providing any structural or bracing function, then keeping the existing studs and creating storage between them, similar to your example, certainly sounds like a possibility.
Mitchell
