Fixing that stupid framing

It’s time to fix that uneven framing. I only demolished the parts that couldn’t be fixed. I rebuilt it with the studs at 16″ on center. You can see the difference.

Before photo of a wall with uneven studs, and an after photo showing evenly-spaced studs.

The home’s water heater is in the mechanical closet. Naturally, there are times when water needs to be drained or even vented during emergencies. I want to keep that closet dry. Instead of drywall that can mold, I decided to use washdown paneling attached to treated plywood. It’s a nice bright white finish and looks great. At the same time, I fixed the framing and moved a cold air return. I temporarily taped a sheet of plastic over the return hole to keep construction dust out.

A water heater in a closet lined with washdown paneling.
A cold air return between studs is temporarily covered to keep dust out.