Walls – Removal of a 2×4 with roof truss built on top

load-bearingstructuralwalls

I am remodeling my bathroom and I have run into a problem removing some of the framing where a shower used to be. There is a 2×4 spanning the 5 1/2 foot width of the bathroom and it has been built into the top plate of the exterior wall and a roof truss sits on top of it. My question is can I get away with cutting it flush with the wall or should I just live with it and tile over it.

This 2×4 in question was a part of a wall that separated shower from vanity/bathroom. This shows the bathroom at a full view then a sketch of it. The walls are both load bearing. I have already removed one just like this on the far side near the toilet. All these walls that have been removed run parallel to the ceiling joists. Also there is an image of a spot where I removed a wall that created a shower surround and shows how the 2×4 was laid into the top plate of the wall.

enter image description hereenter image description hereenter image description here

Best Answer

Cutting it flush is the right solution. It's typical that double plates of intersecting walls interlock like that. There's nothing apparent to indicate that the plate continues to be structurally necessary.