Building a wall in your home might seem like a huge project, but it’s not actually too difficult. Here’s how to do it.
Make a Plan and Get the Materials
There are many different types of wall out there. First of all, if you are building an exterior wall, it will be load-bearing. That means that it supports the home’s structure. This is a bigger job to do, and you should get expert help and advice for something like this. And if you are are creating a retaining wall, you will need the right tools to secure it. Go to http://www.mdti.net/magnacore/ for more information about that. But most of you will be building ordinary interior partition walls. For that, you will need studs, stud-framing clips, wood plates, and tools.
Install the Top and Bottom Plates
The first thing to do it locate the joists in the ceiling. This is where your wooden top plates will be placed. When they have been put in place, you will need to match the bottom plates up with the top plates. This will form the basic structure of the wall. You can make sure that the two sets of plates are matched up by letting something dangle from the top plate to the floor. You then mark the position on the floor that is directly vertically aligned with the top plates. You can then move on to adding the studs.
Attach the Wall Studs
The studs are the metal planks of wood that form the skeleton of your completed wall. Standard studs should be fitted to the top and bottom plates. And you need to position them roughly 16 inches apart from one another. How many of these studs you end up using will, of course, depend on how big you want the wall to be. For longer walls, you will need more studs. You can buy these wooden studs from most ordinary DIY or hardware stores, so they shouldn’t be hard to find. You can find timber studs at http://www.buildingmaterials.co.uk.
Corners and Connections
When you have to construct a corner, or the stud wall connects to an existing wall, you have to treat it a little differently. When this happens, you should double up the studs. That means each corner or connecting angle will have two studs in place. This gives the wall some extra solidity and the support it needs to stay in place for years to come. If you don’t do it this way, it could cause you some problems in the future.
Add Drywall to Both Sides
The final step to take is to add the drywall to each side of the stud wall that you have constructed. This is simply the exterior that makes the wall look like an ordinary wall. It’s like adding the flesh to the skeleton. Once you have bought the drywall and fitted it to each side, the project will be complete. At that point, all you really need to do is paint the wall and add some skirting.
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