For some reason, many of the studs in the walls have been slashed through and reinforced with plywood plates -- and by the looks of things, it was original to the house... I'd understand if it was just a few, but there are too many for it to be a one-time mistake... Any ideas? The one on the right was so loose, I installed a new stud adjacent to the old one.
edit: [from Dan]...'slashed' 2x4s are an old carpenters trick to straighten warped timber prior to putting on drywall or plaster. It normally is an indication of quality construction because most framing timber will bend depending on moisture content, moisture loss rate, and loading. Most houses where this is practiced were framed, encased, and roofed...and then allowed to 'season' before interior wall treatments were applied. The carpenters would then run a straight edge along the wall and correct any studs using this technique. The 'quality construction' dimension of this is that the overall construction timeframe was lengthened to make sure that the framing was allowed to adjust, and then corrected...made the wall finish more planar and square.
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