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As I have worked on my 30-year-old house, I found some interior 2x6 wall studs are deeply cut, clearly done at the time the home was built. The cuts are somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 along the length of the stud.

notched 2x6 interior stud!

I'm guessing that maybe this was done on green studs to prevent the walls from warping as the studs dried, but it's unclear to me if this is #1 common, and #2 whether I should be adding sister studs as I come across these.

HikeOnPast
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It’s an old “sheetrockers” trick. When an interior non-load bearing wall stud is warped, it can be brought “back in line” by cutting it and relieving the stress.

I’ve only seen this done on interior non-load bearing walls AND when there’s just one or two in any one wall. If you have several in a row or they’re in a bearing wall, you should consider reinforcing a few studs.

If it hasn’t been a problem, I’d be cautious about fixing something that’s not broken. Banging the studs with a hammer could cause other problems.

Lee Sam
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  • I agree on all points. I've made a few such fixes myself on remodels or when dramatic warping occurs due to moisture during construction. Typically we'd lay in a new stud alongside, but one here or there isn't a problem. – isherwood Mar 03 '20 at 18:19
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    yeah, if you still want to sister this stud, and do it without banging: use screws. – Jasen Mar 03 '20 at 19:20