Walls
Walls separate your interior space, hallways, private and public spaces and create boundaries. You can add a feeling of having a large space or limited and partial space to your interior environment. Your walls are like the body of your home, in a sense you can paint them , use wall covering on them, put tiles or stones on them or you can accessories them by adding wood or composition crown molding to provide distinctive touches. You can even cover them up with wood paneling to give them a more formal and classic look. Drywalls, gypsum boards or sheet rocks come in 1/2 or 5/8 inch thickness and two styles. Grayish color which can be used for ny walls, hallway or ceiling and green color which is a waterproof drywalls mostly used in bathrooms and sometimes behind sinks in the kitchens. Your walls are either sheer walls (bearing walls) or regular walls (nonbearing) . Sheer walls carry the load of the upper floors and structure providing support and keeping the building sturdy. Most exterior walls are sheer walls and should be bolted to sole plates and the foundation. Depending on the structure some interior walls could be sheer walls. Most of the interior walls are partition walls, and they are just there to separate spaces and define a new environment.
Structure
Your home was traditionally built with a 2-by- 4 (2 inch by 4 inch) wood studs and plates, centered about 16 inches apart. Some new construction walls are build with 2-by- 4 metal studs or a 2-by -6 wood studs centered about 24 inches apart to allow for more insulation in the walls. The standard ceiling height in most homes is 8 feet. Your local lumberyard carries 2x4x8 studs and 4x8 sheet rock (drywalls).You can run your electrical, plumbing or HVAC ( Heating , Ventilation, Air Conditioning ) wires, pipes and ducks in the cavity of your walls, floors or ceilings. Basically you start with framing the home to give you the skeleton then you will run your rough ins for electrical, plumbing and HVAC, you add your insulation then cover everything up with your sheet rock. You can either use nails or sheer screws (more expensive) to hang your walls to the studs.Then you use drywall tape and texture (sheet rock mud) to cover up the joints. Then you sand and smooth the walls, then use a primer to prime the walls. Now you are ready for paint, wallpaper, tiles, paneling or whatever finish you like. Tools
When you are building walls you need just about any carpentry tools that there is like hammers, a carpenter square, stud finder, chalk line, measuring tape, utility knife, reciprocating saw, hand saw, circular saw, pry bar, putty knife, drill, stepladder, level, drywall taping knife, safety glasses, etc. Just visit your hardware or your local lumberyard store and they have shelves of tools that you can use. One of the best tools that you should always have is a reciprocating saw (sal saw). A reciprocating saw is very handy when you want to open or repair an area. Another good tool is stud finder, which will help you locate the wall studs or ceiling joists.
Building During any renovation, there comes a time that you need to remove an existing wall(s) and replace it with a new wall(s). If you are demolishing an old wall, always wear safety glasses, safety mask and safety gloves. This prevents dust from getting into your eyes or lungs and splinters getting into your hands. Also make sure that you hammer the nails down on the old
studs to prevent them from getting in your feet. Work safely, remove all old studs, drywall and clean up before you start new construction. All your new walls should be anchored securely to the floor and ceiling joist. Use a stud finder or drive a nail through the wall to locate the joists. If you are making walls with windows or doors make sure you have door headers and window sills to support the doors and windows. Don't forget to put Fire blocks staggered 4 feet above floors in your walls. Make sure your walls are plumb and perfectly level.
Adding a 4' x 8' sheet rock (drywall) is pretty straight forward, the only problem is the weight of the sheet rock might be awkward to handle. Make
sure you don't bend or break the corners. You can measure the size you need with a measuring tape then draw a line on the sheet rock with a pencil or chalk line. Cut the front with a utility knife then turn back break it by bending it towards the back and finish by cutting the sheet rock back paper along the crease. To fastening the sheet rock you can either use nails (goes in faster, but sometimes they have the tendency to pop up) or sheet rock screws (a little bit more expensive) with a drill. Make sure to space the nails or screws according to codes. Finally you need to cover up the Sheet rock joints with sheet rock tape and mud.Be patient to make sure you have a smooth finish with the first coat to avoid excessive sanding. The second coat should make your walls perfectly smooth and straight. You are now ready for primer and paint.
Repair Sheet rock repair is a relatively easy thing to do. Simply cut out the damaged area with a saw or putty knife, then cut a new piece that fits the damaged area and using repair clips or wood backing simply put the piece in place and screw it in with a drill. Cover the area with the mud, sand and prime. Cost
A typical Sherlock contractor will estimate a job either base on total sq ft or # of sheets (sheet rock) that they hang for you. Price should include hanging sheet rock, tape, texture and finish smooth wall ready for prime and paint. You may be able to do a minor wall repair yourself, but when it comes to room addition, basement renovation or major addition, its best to contact a qualified drywall contractor from The Homevision to take care of your needs.
uilt with a 2-by- 4 (2 inch by 4 inch) wood studs and plates, centered about 16 inches apart. Some new construction walls are build with 2-by- 4 metal studs or a 2-by -6 wood studs centered about 24 inches apart to allow for more insulation in the walls. The standard ceiling height in most homes is 8 feet. Your local lumberyard carries 2x4x8 studs and 4x8 sheet rock (drywalls).You can run your electrical, plumbing or HVAC ( Heating , Ventilation, Air Conditioning ) wires, pipes and ducks in the cavity of your walls, floors or ceilings. Basically you start with framing the home to give you the skeleton then you will run your rough ins for electrical, plumbing and HVAC, you add your insulation then cover everything up with your sheet rock. You can either use nails or sheer screws (more expensive) to hang your walls to the studs.Then you use drywall tape and texture (sheet rock mud) to cover up the joints. Then you sand and smooth the walls, then use a primer to prime the walls. Now you are ready for paint, wallpaper, tiles, paneling or whatever finish you like.
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