Building a Wall-DIY

An easy way to completely change the layout of a room is to put up a wall. If you have very little carpentry and home improvement experience; however, this is much easier said than done. That doesn’t mean that it’s impossible; however, or that you necessarily need to go out and hire a contractor to put up a simple wall in your home to divide one space from another. Read on for more tips to help you understand how you can easily tackle this do it your self project.

First, understand that the easiest type of wall to build is a nonbearing wall. For this project you will only need some relatively simple tools and a few basic skills. Before beginning you need to assess the existing situation and determine whether there are any materials that need to be removed before you can begin construction of the wall. Be sure to look at both the floor and the ceiling as well as side walls to determine any obstructions. Depending on exactly how the wall is to be constructed and laid out, you may need to install blocks between the framing pieces. This is most common if the wall you are building isn’t going to come out directly beneath a joist in the ceiling. Most walls use 2 by 4 studs, vertically and horizontally. That framework can then be covered with wallboard.

Your next step will be to then mark off a centerline for the new wall across the ceiling. Be sure to place a mark half the width of the wall and then place a chalk line between the two marks you have made. After this is done, you’ll need to place the plates side by side on the floor in order to measure where each wall stud should be placed. Perpendicular lines can then be marked across the plates to determine the placing of the studs.

Now, it’s time to locate the joists in the ceiling and then put the top plates into position by nailing through the ceiling into each joist. Half inch nails should be used for this task. Once this is done, a plumb bob should be hung from each end of the top plate from the ceiling to slightly above the floor. This will help you to mark the position on the floor where the bottom plate should be located. A chalk line can then be snapped between the marks on the floor to help guide the plate. After this, the plate can be nailed down.

The next step is to install the wall studs using stud framing clips. After each stud is installed, it should be checked to make sure it is plumb. Then, it may be nailed into place.

After the studs are firmly and securely in place, you may begin to cover the wall with your choice of materials including drywall and paneling.

 
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