Turning an existing wall into wood slat divider wall

Is there electrical, plumbing and/or duct work in the wall?

If it's an empty wall (which frankly isn't likely - it probably has at least electrical in it) then you should be thinking in terms of solid hardwood. You can get material in nominal 1/2" thickness and possibly thinner to wrap the 2x6 studs in along with the top and bottom of the wall and then insert more uprights or other design between the studs.

Sticking veneer to rough lumber isn't going to work. You need sharp cut corners on the boards to support veneer vs. the rounded edges on 2x framing lumber.

Again - all of this assumes the wall is free of any mechanicals, that the studs are nicely spaced and all plumb and straight. Only way to answer that question and see if you like it is to remove the drywall.

I'm sure you can find a local woodworker to do the job. Lots of 'custom wood panels' on Facebook Marketplace who promise custom jobs etc. are available.

What if you removed the drywall (to find out what might be hidden in the wall) and then consider 'window frame' openings.

Openings about 12 inches wide, and up to five or six feet tall, each opening centered in the cavity between two upright framing members.

You could either trim them as a window would be trimmed, or go minimalist and modern, and simply have them dry-walled and plastered for a clean look, with either beaded or curved edges.

This type of feature was incorporated on the very odd occasion on bungalows built in the late 'fifties era, where you sometimes found three or four window openings, sometimes in a slightly stepped pattern, allowing light from an open living area back into an entry way, for example.

The drywall is gutted . Nothing is straight, and there is indeed some electrical in it, but those can be rerouted to one of the columns.

I was thinking of replacing the 2x6 with new ones since the old ones are crooked. ( replace with less crooked / newer ones? ). I think replacing them 1 at a time should be alright, but the stacks on both sides , probably can't be fixed.

here's a picture of what the wall looks like. Putting in 2 x 6 around 6" apart from the right side of the stack should even out the spaces . The air return will be set onto the flooring.

Option B was to remove the wall completely if I can't figure a way to make the slat wall look nice. Put in an LVL across, but don't really want to dump so much money into it and having to wait weeks for engineer drawings / permits.

Also got somebody to do some renderings, and this was the idea of what I want it to look like at least.. The renders were done before the house was gutted so we didn't know what was inside the walls.

Use some nice cedar 2x6 and stain them?

patrickkc wrote: ↑ Also got somebody to do some renderings, and this was the idea of what I want it to look like at least.. The renders were done before the house was gutted so we didn't know what was inside the walls.

That rendering looks sharp.

I'd go do unspeakable acts behind a Wendy's in order to find the money to take that wall out completely.

fergy wrote: ↑Use some nice cedar 2x6 and stain them?

I would have to copy the stack of wood on the ends, like 7 , 2x6 stacked together? they wouldn't really sit flush with each other , but that is a way I suppose.

Super_Chicken wrote: ↑ That rendering looks sharp.

I'd go do unspeakable acts behind a Wendy's in order to find the money to take that wall out completely.

haha, if I were to take the wall down then there wouldn't be a wood slat wall at all. I think the rendering is not accurate, as an LVL would most likely be sitting below the joists. Kind of like the opening on the left, except it'll be stretched across.

When you are already at bare studs, the hassle is very minimal. Engineered drawing and half days work.

Are those open cuts in the subfloor for an air return?

torontotim wrote: ↑ Are those open cuts in the subfloor for an air return?

Yes

+1000 on removing wall completely. Opening thr space up is invaluable. That island can be moved out and enlarged. Lots of options.

enwhyRFD wrote: ↑ +1000 on removing wall completely. Opening thr space up is invaluable. That island can be moved out and enlarged. Lots of options.

That was one of the plans, but there would still be a pillar where the right stack of 2x6s would be at. That would still block the island from moving out / making it wider.

I am no engineer, but I think it would look something like this. RED is the existing LVLs ( 2 x 10s ), where as the blue would be the new one that I'd have to get put in 16'. The yellow supports would still have to be there, maybe 4-5 2x6 stacked together. I wouldn't be able to move the island out because of it.

patrickkc wrote: ↑ That was one of the plans, but there would still be a pillar where the right stack of 2x6s would be at. That would still block the island from moving out / making it wider.

I am no engineer, but I think it would look something like this. RED is the existing LVLs ( 2 x 10s ), where as the blue would be the new one that I'd have to get put in 16'. The yellow supports would still have to be there, maybe 4-5 2x6 stacked together. I wouldn't be able to move the island out because of it.

What's to the right of the yellow stack of 2x6? Looks like an opening, and then I'm assuming an exterior wall (basically other end of the room)? The blue beam would extend onwards past where you've drawn it to meet the exterior wall.

I had a very similar wall by the kitchen like yours and opened it up a few years ago (mine was even messier with hvac and plumbing). The engineer put in an i beam, with metal posts on either end, so there was no need for a support in the middle. You might be able to do the same (pending engineer approval of course). So doesn't hurt to get that looked at to see if it's possible.

2x6's are already 1.75" thick, if you wrap it with hardwood, that's at least 1/2" thick, we're talking about a 2.75" "slat"? That's a bit thick for slats in a slat wall IMO. I'm not sure that will work.

I'm curious, is there anything that says framing has to be done with SPF? Is it possible to replace the studs with pure hardwood? It'll cost more but I'd rather do that if you want a slat wall, than to wrap them around the existing 2x6's.

enwhyRFD wrote: ↑
What's to the right of the yellow stack of 2x6? Looks like an opening, and then I'm assuming an exterior wall (basically other end of the room)? The blue beam would extend onwards past where you've drawn it to meet the exterior wall.

I had a very similar wall by the kitchen like yours and opened it up a few years ago (mine was even messier with hvac and plumbing). The engineer put in an i beam, with metal posts on either end, so there was no need for a support in the middle. You might be able to do the same (pending engineer approval of course). So doesn't hurt to get that looked at to see if it's possible.

It' the breakfast area with sliding door to back yard. I think to get rid of the stack of 2x6s in the middle, I'd have to basically cut the upstairs joist and put the lvl into it like the existing red ones. The blue LVL would have to merge with the existing red one.. which I'd need the ibeam forsure since it'll be like 25ft.

Jon Lai wrote: ↑ 2x6's are already 1.75" thick, if you wrap it with hardwood, that's at least 1/2" thick, we're talking about a 2.75" "slat"? That's a bit thick for slats in a slat wall IMO. I'm not sure that will work.

I'm curious, is there anything that says framing has to be done with SPF? Is it possible to replace the studs with pure hardwood? It'll cost more but I'd rather do that if you want a slat wall, than to wrap them around the existing 2x6's.

It would look weird if it's too thick. I'd look like a bunch of posts.. that's why I was thinking about having it veneered but finding out it won't work.
Not sure if having hard wood to replace the studs would work. would need to do some research into it.

patrickkc wrote: ↑ It' the breakfast area with sliding door to back yard. I think to get rid of the stack of 2x6s in the middle, I'd have to basically cut the upstairs joist and put the lvl into it like the existing red ones. The blue LVL would have to merge with the existing red one.. which I'd need the ibeam forsure since it'll be like 25ft.



It would look weird if it's too thick. I'd look like a bunch of posts.. that's why I was thinking about having it veneered but finding out it won't work.
Not sure if having hard wood to replace the studs would work. would need to do some research into it.

Oh. I see. It's not a quick win there by the sliding door.

Jon Lai wrote: ↑Is it possible to replace the studs with pure hardwood? It'll cost more but I'd rather do that if you want a slat wall, than to wrap them around the existing 2x6's.

That's what I was thinking.
It won't be cheap, and you won't be sourcing them at big box stores.

I'm aware of case where that was done to create a whole wall book shelf.
It required a back, which wouldn't be done here.
That was decades ago, and decor styles change.

Another approach is clad, but not in contact with the studs.
Make nice square "boxes" (in halves) that are placed over studs.
It's analogous to decorative covers on porch pillars.
The imperfections of the studs become less relevant.

patrickkc wrote: ↑ The drywall is gutted . Nothing is straight, and there is indeed some electrical in it, but those can be rerouted to one of the columns.

I was thinking of replacing the 2x6 with new ones since the old ones are crooked. ( replace with less crooked / newer ones? ). I think replacing them 1 at a time should be alright, but the stacks on both sides , probably can't be fixed.

here's a picture of what the wall looks like. Putting in 2 x 6 around 6" apart from the right side of the stack should even out the spaces . The air return will be set onto the flooring.

It looks like two of the four stud cavities on the far left are the cold air return for upstairs, so you can't just set those into the flooring and will need to reroute the ones going upstairs.

I don’t understand why the joists are split over the support wall but then further out by the back door they are not?