“It’s quick, cheap, and works great,” he says of this. ![]() Install two sill plates into the bottom of the opening. Install the first jack studs on either side of the opening, with a small stud attached to hold the bottom plate of the new opening. If needed, fill any extra space with studs. Remove the wallboard and studs in the area of the new opening. So it goes until all the bays are filled. Cut the opening using a reciprocating saw. Then, with two 16d nails, he toenails through the face of each stud and into the blocking the next piece he rotates 180 degrees relative to the first and toenails the block so one end lines up with the near end of the first piece. Check for internal walls near the center of the house. However, if there is an unfinished space like an empty attic without a full floor, the wall probably is not bearing a load. First he makes parallel 15-degree cuts in scraps of 2×4 so that the ends fit snugly against the two stud faces in each bay. If there is another wall, a floor with perpendicular joists, or other heavy construction above it, it is probably a load bearing wall. Tom installs this blocking after the wall is raised into position. (Blocking set edge up and flush with the stud edges serves another purpose: to provide a solid base for nailing wainscoting or anchoring pedestal sinks.) If there is another wall, a floor with perpendicular joists, or other heavy construction above it, it is probably a load bearing wall. These short pieces of lumber, nailed between the studs about halfway up the wall, “help keep the studs straight, and so add integrity to the wall and make it stiffer.”įor this purpose, he prefers herringbone blocking, so called because of its distinctive zigzag pattern, which he routinely uncovers in older houses with studs that run a full two stories. In most cases, a partition wall built with 2x4s on 16-inch centers provides plenty of strength, but when Tom frames any wall more than 8 feet tall (or one that bears a load), he often adds blocking. This is enough to support the garage roof. Framing with good materials and smart techniques lay the groundwork for everything that follows: smooth walls, countertops that fit perfectly, and doors that swing without sticking. Load bearing stud walls can support a total load of 20,000 30,000 lbs. Even though all this work ends up buried behind drywall, shortcuts lead to trouble. Just as the name implies, one carries weight above it and the other does not. ![]() This project employs the same principles and components that are used in the construction of any frame house: 2x lumber spaced and nailed correctly, then set plumb. A home has two basic types of walls, load bearing and non-load bearing. “If you’re refinishing an attic or adding a closet or home office, you’re going to need an extra wall or two,” says This Old House general contractor Tom Silva.īuilding a simple partition wall-a stud wall that divides an interior space without bearing any load-is a perfect introduction to the basics of home construction. 4 to 6 hours (to frame an 8-foot-long wall with one doorway)įor every remodeling job that involves knocking down a wall, there’s another that calls for putting one up.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |