My DIY shower niche disaster in Austin last spring

I cut into a load bearing wall for a shower niche without checking the blueprints first. The whole header sagged about half an inch before I realized what I did. Had to sister in a proper 2x6 header and patch the drywall, which set me back 3 days. Everyone says to just wing it on YouTube, but structural framing needs actual planning. Has anyone else had to undo a major oops mid project like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_wren12d ago

Wait, you cut into a load bearing wall without checking first? That's like trying to rewire a house while it's still plugged in. I once sawed through a floor joist thinking it was just extra wood from the framing crew. Spoiler alert: it was not. My floor now has a charming little dip in the living room that I call "the conversation pit." You're lucky your header only sagged half an inch. Mine dropped a full inch and now my shower niche doubles as a shelf for my slippers to slide off of.

caseyfox12d ago

Ha, "conversation pit." At least you named it.