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In my shed, there are two 2×4 diagonal braces attached across the studs (highlighted in red on a picture). I want to install shelves along those walls, so want to remove those 2x4s. Can I safely do that or should I reinforce studs somehow first?enter image description here

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RonJohn
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Rainmaker
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    What is the wall sheathing? – isherwood Jun 30 '21 at 14:36
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    The exterior sheathing is important. If it's structural panels like OSB or plywood then the sheathing itself will prevent the wall from racking. Where you live is also important since the structural requirements will differ depending on the wind load in your area. – J... Jun 30 '21 at 15:58
  • exterior is fiber cement siding – Rainmaker Jun 30 '21 at 16:25
  • Added pictures to the post. – Rainmaker Jun 30 '21 at 16:31
  • How old is this structure? I found this kind of thing in my garage (but notched into the studs) was told it was related code when it was built. – JimmyJames Jun 30 '21 at 16:33
  • It was built in 1998 – Rainmaker Jun 30 '21 at 16:36
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    Fiber cement siding is [not suitable for resisting racking forces](https://kapitanthesidingman.wordpress.com/2014/03/16/fiber-cement-or-lp-smartside-siding-an-asset-or-liability/) in high wind areas (your profile says San Antonio, which is a high-wind area and borders on hurricane risk zones not much closer to the coast). Those interior braces would likely have been added for structural reasons due to the exterior wall construction and your wind zone. You could remove them if adding interior structural sheathing or otherwise added compensating bracing for racking loads. – J... Jun 30 '21 at 16:50
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    Thanks. that makes sense. Do you think drywall can be used as a structural sheathing? – Rainmaker Jun 30 '21 at 17:20
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    No drywall, use rated OSB or plywood. I don't know about your area (TX), but I'd be careful not to create closed pockets where moisture collects or rodents nest. Make sure the wall space is well vented and vent holes are meshed. – P2000 Jun 30 '21 at 17:33
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    Drywall would be OK if other bracing was added. The exterior siding is already attached, so adding let-in bracing (ie - notch the studs so the brace is flush to the nailing surface) on the interior wall would be an option if you wanted to finish with drywall. – J... Jun 30 '21 at 18:41
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    Metal flat strapping works too, but what you've got there is not sufficient. Metal strap bracing only works in tension, so you **always** need at least two braces making a V or X shape. In your shed the metal strapping only goes one way, so you'd need to at least finish the other half of that job. The quantity of metal bracing required, and the placement, usually needs an engineering calculation. – J... Jun 30 '21 at 18:47
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    Are you saying that someone installed cement siding over bare studs? That's almost certainly a violation of the warranty terms. – isherwood Jun 30 '21 at 21:10
  • yep that's strange. but you can see on one of the pictures that siding goes over studs without plywood. But it has same siding as my house does and it's on blueprints which makes me think that it was built with the house. Should I reinforce it somehow? – Rainmaker Jun 30 '21 at 21:18
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    @Rainmaker Probably, yes. Per the article I linked above, it sounds like a lot of bad construction was done around the late 90s in TX where fiber cement siding was going over top of zero structural backing, inevitably leading to homes shifting and the siding cracking, leading to water ingress and other problems. Give it a good read. – J... Jun 30 '21 at 21:35
  • Metal strapping across the inside faces of the studs then moisture resistant drywall would also be much more fire resistant than sheathing the inside with plywood or OSB. – Jim Stewart Jul 01 '21 at 12:08

2 Answers2

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Use steel strapping , it is so thin that you can put shelving over it. I would use more than two where the 2 X 4 are ; put in a few. Parallel the existing braces and at 90 degrees to the existing braces. Get it as tight as possible. Looks like there is already some galvanized bracing. The steel banding I used was bluish and had many holes , convenient for screws.

blacksmith37
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    Since there is already steel strapping (on the outsides of the studs) it would seem that it is not necessary to add more on the inside. Of course, extra strapping, especially to make an X pattern with the existing strapping, would add resistance to racking from wind load, but it's not really necessary, right? The OP could just remove the temp wooden braces and put up the shelves. – Jim Stewart Jun 30 '21 at 10:09
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    Diagonal bracing is like chocolate , you can't have too much. – blacksmith37 Jun 30 '21 at 16:20
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    It's possible the temporary bracing was kept after the decision to dispense with sheathing and apply the cement siding. Removing likely requires doubling up (as you suggest) or application of inside sheathing (as OP is also considering) – P2000 Jun 30 '21 at 17:37
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    @JimStewart The existing steel strapping is insufficient. Straps only work in tension, so each wall needs at least two in opposing directions (ie : a V or X pattern). Strapping usually also requires an engineering calc to determine the correct quantity and placement. – J... Jun 30 '21 at 21:43
  • Yes, and I did mention the benefit of the X pattern. Our 1970 tract house has boards (1x4s?) let into the studs at the corners. Notches in the studs?!#&% The alternative with steel "strapping" used to have a right angle cross section and it was let into the studs with slits cut with a circular saw. Both of these bracing methods were only from the top corner down to the bottom plate. I have always wondered why an X pattern with flat strapping was not used. Any framing experts care to comment? – Jim Stewart Jul 01 '21 at 11:55
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    @JimStewart Yes notching studs for let-in bracing is normal and a correct way to install bracing. In any case, I was specifically speaking to your *"...but it's not really necessary, right?"* comment. Yes, an X or V pattern is necessary for steel strapping because it only works in tension. One diagonal metal strap will stop a lean in one direction but it will buckle in the other. Like an airbag that only deploys if you get hit on one side of the car... that's a 50-50 diceroll you don't want to live with. – J... Jul 01 '21 at 12:27
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Those diagonal braces appear to be temporary bracing in order to get the roof and siding installed for two reasons: 1) different length braces, and 2) lack of double nailing at each stud.

  1. If the diagonal bracing was structural, they’d be installed uniformly, including the length of the braces.

  2. It’s difficult to see in the picture, but some places where the braces cross over the studs they are NOT nailed. In fact, if the braces were structural, you’d double nail at each stud.

You can remove the diagonal braces.

I’d be more concerned about keeping the side with the large opening square.

isherwood
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Lee Sam
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    I agree with your conclusions, but not with your numbered points. 1) Diagonal bracing works very well even if it varies slightly in length or angle. 2) It also works very well when only fastened at the ends (though slightly less so on the compression axis). For this little shed what we see there would be just fine short of a tornado situation. – isherwood Jun 30 '21 at 14:40
  • @isherwood San Antonio is not in the worst spot for tornadoes, but they're certainly not uncommon. Cat 2 tornadoes happen reasonably frequently there, with the odd 3 or 4 also. Seems to be getting worse there with climate change also. I'd err on the side of *more bracing* myself. – J... Jun 30 '21 at 17:15
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    To protect against tornadoes, you’d need holddowns in the corners and certainly more bracing in the short walls next to the garage door (overhead door). If you have a direct hit from a tornado, you’ll probably find your storage shed in the next county, regardless the amount of diagonal bracing. – Lee Sam Jun 30 '21 at 17:24
  • @isherwood For bracing to work well it should be fastened at every stud. At the ends alone produces huge torques on those fasteners. For a high wind load area it should really have nails in every stud. – J... Jun 30 '21 at 21:38
  • It's a good/better/best situation. The assertions in this answer weren't nuanced. They were absolute. – isherwood Jun 30 '21 at 21:40
  • @isherwood Yes, agreed - I don't think the braces can go either, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be nailed at every stud, especially in a high wind area like TX. – J... Jun 30 '21 at 21:52
  • That is why I liked the strap steel with holes; screw at every stud. – blacksmith37 Jul 01 '21 at 19:57