How to build a partition wall

Looking for a way to create more space in your home without building an extension or using a contractor? Then perhaps a partition wall is the way to go, as it allows you to use the space in your home more effectively. A partition wall is in essence a wall that separates or divides a room. It is not a load-bearing wall and therefore can be made of almost any material. This guide will focus on building a partition wall with lumber studs as this is the easiest and most affordable way. You need to sand your wall before the final painting. Sanding walls by hand can be one of the most tedious tasks.. If you’re a beginner, try to pick the best drywall sander for this job. Drywall sanders can save both time and energy. Also building with lumber is the best way in regards of later cleaning services. Keep in mind that building the partition wall will be rather easy but it may be a bit troublesome when it comes to dealing with leftover material and if you need for some home cleaning afterwards. You may need to cut your drywall further. In that case, you will need the right cutting tools.

This guide will focus on how to building a partition wall with lumber studs as this is the easiest and most affordable way. You can also consider frosted glass and aluminum frame partition which is most common in offices, however, that can be a bit costly option than lumber studs.

The frame of the partition wall can be built from sawn lumber of either 2 x 4″, 4 x 4″ or 6 x 4″ depending of installation you want to incorporate in you new partition wall. If you want to incorporate plumbing, heating or air condition through your partition wall then you should use 6 x 4″ but we don’t advise you to put anything other than electricity in your partition wall. For short partition walls you can use 2×4 for studs but for bigger projects we advise you to use 4×4 for studs. The frame consists of four parts: the top plate, the bottom (sole) plate, the studs (vertical supports) and noggins (horizontal supports).

The first thing to do is measure the distances and remember to always measure twice and cut once ;-) First cut the top plate and the bottom plate that will be used on the partition wall. Always use long lengths of lumber, 12 or 16 foot length, for the top and bottom plate. Make sure they are positioned perpendicularly to the existing wall and parallel to each other. You may need someone to help you whilst you position and screw in the top plate. Always make sure that you use proper anchors for attaching the plates. There are different types of anchors for every type of the wall, always check the type of the wall and buy titan anchors and screws accordingly. Don’t forget to measure the floor plate twice and remember that it will not run through the doorway. Once the top and floor plate are cut, mark the desired stud distribution. The most common space is 16 inches on center but a 24 inch on center distribution can also be used. The studs can then be screwed into place starting with the two at either end. If you are planning to put a door in the wall, account for this when measuring for studs, this can also be done by using a pre-assembled door frame. Although you can position a door at any point on the wall, there is more support if it is positioned against either end stud. With the studs attached you can now measure and nail in the noggins to fit between each line of studs. Noggins should be positioned every 4-5″ horizontally along the studs, although for extra support feel free to add more.

Once the noggins have been added the frame of the wall is now complete and ready for insulating and plastering. If you are adding a doorway at this point you should saw out this area of the bottom plate to allow its fitting, if you didn’t done that already. Cut the plasterboard or drywall boards to size and do as little cutting as possible. Fix the drywall into the studs and noggins and screw it in with drywall screws. Make sure the screws are no more than 15″ apart, both vertically and horizontally. Cover the joints of the boards and holes with drywall joint tape and wallboard compound.

If you need extra advice about fixing drywall check out our article How to fix a hole in drywall. After that your new partition wall is finished and ready for painting. If you didn’t paint the wall before check out our complete painting tutorial.

As you can see partition walls are an easy way to renovate your home and transform your living space without spending a fortune on contractors. All you need is some crafty skills and some basic tools to get the job done.