wall plate

[treecott]

Hi, Wonder if anyone can give me some advice. Doing a loft conversion, and am at the drainage stage. I need to get the soil pipe from the loft to outside. I am thinking of putting a bend on it to get it through the rafters over wallplate and down the outside wall. My problem is, having taken off the fascia board, and removed a couple of bricks, I will be able to get the soil pipe through, but I wouold have to cut the wall plate to do it. There are rafters either side attached to the wall plate @ 400 centres I think.

Is it safe to make a 4" cut in a wall plate? Will it weaken it? Before I go ahead, I could do with some advice as to whether it is ok or not.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[noseall]

Yes, you can cut the wall plate provided there are floor joists triangulating the roof and that you are not compromising any holding down straps.

 

[treecott]

Thanks for the reply. The property is a 1950's bungalow, and there are no restraining straps at all. The exising ceiling joists are fixed to the rafters, and the new floor joists are also attached to the rafters, which were strengthened for the loft conversion, so yes it is triangulated. It will only mean cutting 4" between two rafters, so I can get the soil pipe through.

Thanks for your help.