ᐅ Load-bearing wall built as masonry within a timber frame wall

Hello,

we are faced with the question of whether to build a masonry section in the wall between the kitchen and the living room where the masonry stove is located. This idea comes from the stove installer. The benefits would be less insulation required, a smaller distance between the stove and the wall, and better heat transfer from the living room to the kitchen.

I wanted to ask if anyone has ever combined a brick wall with a drywall partition like this. Has anyone had any experience with it?

The general contractor naturally has concerns about different settlement behaviors of the building materials, which could lead to settlement cracks, coordination between trades, and different drying times. From a warranty perspective, they would not take responsibility.

But are these concerns justified, or just precautionary? I assume there will be settlement cracks anyway, since the surface will be plastered.

Another alternative would be to remove the entire wall and build it fully out of masonry. This would likely avoid the potentially problematic transitions within one wall.

According to the architect, both options are feasible. Of course, I will still discuss this with our stove installer and the mason. But I wanted to check here first if anyone is familiar with such a setup.

For better understanding, I am attaching a screenshot.

Best regards

King Julien

KingJulien schrieb:

I wanted to ask if anyone has ever combined something like this: a brick wall within a drywall partition.

What exactly are we talking about here – timber studs as mentioned in the headline, or drywall?
I don’t recall any thread where you have shown your entire house. So I’m not sure whether you are building a timber frame panel prefab house or a masonry house. And I wonder why you are considering only brick and not plasterboard as well. An expansion joint can definitely be integrated in a visually unobtrusive way – or even be used intentionally to create a deliberate break in the wall surfaces.

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11ant schrieb:

So, what exactly is it about – timber frame construction as in the headline, or drywall?

Well, timber frame construction. And then the walls covered with drywall panels. I thought that’s what drywall construction is called.

11ant schrieb:

I can’t recall any thread where you showed your whole house.

There isn’t one.

11ant schrieb:

and not gypsum fiberboard either.

Honestly, I’m not familiar with that term. But we are following the stove builder’s idea, which was a brick wall. Also, that’s gypsum again.

11ant schrieb:

An expansion joint can definitely be integrated in a way that is visually unobtrusive.

What’s the best way to handle something like that? I think the stove builder and/or the mason will know, but I’m interested in your idea.

KingJulien schrieb:

Besides, it’s gypsum again.

Solid gypsum board—what’s the objection? It’s easier to work with, offers excellent fire protection (which is presumably the stove builder’s motive), and has proven reliable for walls that meet flush internally.

KingJulien schrieb:

What’s the best way to handle something like this?

It depends on what the wall surface(s) are intended to be.

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11ant schrieb:

Solid gypsum panel, any objections?

I should mention that the main reason for all this effort is actually the heat radiation into the kitchen, which is why we chose brick. There will be a corner bench along the kitchen wall next to the stove.
Everything else is just a pleasant side effect.
Also, I like the idea of having additional thermal mass directly at the masonry heater with a brick wall—the more thermal mass, the better.

11ant schrieb:

Depending on what the wall surface(s) should be.

The wall should be rough: brick with plaster, or drywall with textured plaster or plaster base coat.

Oh, I thought the corner bench was meant to be a sofa. In that case, I would definitely choose solid bricks in NF or 2DF format for the visible masonry as a deliberate accent, with an elastic expansion joint at the transition.

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