Pandora's Box keeps opening wider and wider with my bathroom remodel. I've gutted down to the joists. So far have found drain pipes that run uphill, dwv vents that slope downhill from the drain pipe before going up to the roof and now a cold air return duct problem. Comical really.
The house was built in the 60's and there is only one cold air return. Problem is that that vent opening is just for show as the duct work does not attach to it. As I ripped up the subfloor I found that the duct just stops within the floor joists. So it just sucks air from between the joists. Has been for 40 years.
I would like to run the duct up through a wall to just below the ceiling in my kitchen. Problem is that wall is where the whirlpool tub is going to be and I will need to cut the horizontal 2x4 at the base of the stud wall to run the ducting into that stud bay. Maybe even 2 of them. How much of the weight of the tub is supprted on the ledger on those studs? Is that just for leveling the tub and all the weight is on the floor?
The studs are 16 inches on center, will I be OK just oing through 1 bay or should I do 2?
The house was built in the 60's and there is only one cold air return. Problem is that that vent opening is just for show as the duct work does not attach to it. As I ripped up the subfloor I found that the duct just stops within the floor joists. So it just sucks air from between the joists. Has been for 40 years.
I would like to run the duct up through a wall to just below the ceiling in my kitchen. Problem is that wall is where the whirlpool tub is going to be and I will need to cut the horizontal 2x4 at the base of the stud wall to run the ducting into that stud bay. Maybe even 2 of them. How much of the weight of the tub is supprted on the ledger on those studs? Is that just for leveling the tub and all the weight is on the floor?
The studs are 16 inches on center, will I be OK just oing through 1 bay or should I do 2?
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