We Have Walls
They’re up! We just have to get them covered with sheetrock, but they’re looking good already. I’ve never done this, so it was all a learning experience for me. I even got to use gunpowder to nail into the concrete! It took me a few tries, but I finally made it through.
Framing isn’t really as mystical as it seems. This is a fairly small-scale build, so it was nice to learn on a micro project. Not like we’re building a three-story house or anything…yet. Small as your framing project may be, make sure you obtain a city permit nonetheless.
You’ll definitely want:
- a nail gun
- glue (liquid nails) in a caulking gun
- a strike tool (powder actuated tool) if you’re building into the lower level concrete
- ear plugs for the strike tool. We always shouted, “Fire in the hole!” before hitting it.
- a circular saw/miter saw for ripping your 2×4’s
Then later, we’ll show how to put the drywall up.
Check out our lightning fast build. We got the toilet, vanity, shelves, and old plumbing outta there to make room for the new. The boys were even able to salvage the old mirror that was glued to the wall for me to repurpose. Keep in mind the wood isn’t warped, it’s the fish eye lens from the GoPro camera that makes everything look like it’s bowing.
I learned a lot in the process – I always thought this was something you hire out, but would never DIY. You can totally do framing yourself. Just have the city check your rough-in’s before you nail or glue anything down. I’m still a little clunky with the nail gun, but I’m working on it.
Framing
First, we started with fresh 2×4’s. It hurt my heart to have to buy so much wood from the lumber yard, but you really want the absolute best quality wooden beams for your new room to be structurally sound. Don’t skimp here.
Measure carefully. Envision sheetrock on both sides of your 2×4’s to give you a better idea of how much floor space these will take up. Glue the bottom 2×4’s to the concrete once you’re sure they’re in the right place. No going back from here.
Then you can use your strike tool to nail them into place if working with steel, masonry or concrete.
Seriously guys, this tool is no joke. Be sure to read your safety manual and get certified to use it. It’s essentially loaded with gunpowder to drive a big nail into the foundation of your house. Here’s a slow-motion video of me trying to drive it in.
Raising the Roof Walls
Start by framing out your ceiling.You’ll want to box in any air ducts. Notice we opted for a plastic flexible option on the right for the return air? It saved us a lot of shower space.
Level all your beams as you’re building them into the perimeter of the ceiling. You want your ceiling to be even! Then you can add smaller pieces, spacing them out every foot.
You’ll eventually have to cut sheetrock to fit over the 2×4’s, so just imagine that as you go.
Once you’re done building out the ceiling and the floor, you can move on to the walls.Cut your 2×4’s to the right height. Space each vertical 2×4 one foot apart from the next.
Use your nail gun to tac one side in place, then level it before securing the other end.
The most important part is to measure everything correctly the first time. Be sure things match up with your floor plan and you’ll be fine. And level each 2×4 so you know you’ll get flush walls.
Now you’ve got a 3 dimensional room going on!
We’re taking this one step further with our shower wall. We wanted a half wall with glass as the upper half. We won’t have a door; you’ll just walk around the corner. It’s kind of hard to visualize and explain, but it will come together and you’ll see.
Here’s a view from in the shower.
