| Framing a new wall, anywhere in the home will not be | | | | need two pieces that will be 8'7" long and since they |
| very difficult to do. However, removing an interior | | | | only sell lumber in 2 foot increments, our choices will |
| wall on the other hand could be an enormous task | | | | be narrowed down to a couple of 10 foot two by |
| and create some big problems, especially if you | | | | fours. |
| remove a loadbearing wall. A loadbearing wall would | | | | The height of the wall is 8 foot tall and will require us |
| be something that is holding up another section of | | | | to buy 8 foot two by fours. Now how many two by |
| the home, like the roof or the floor. | | | | fours am I going to need? Most walls require 16 inch |
| If you're not removing or moving a wall, framing a | | | | on center placement of the vertical two by fours, or |
| new wall is a task that most homeowners with very | | | | in other words the two by fours that go up and |
| little skill can do quite easily. Let's start with the | | | | down will be spaced 16 inches apart. If I was to |
| basics, most walls are built from 2 x 4 framing | | | | divide 16 inches into 8'7", that would require 7 - 8 |
| lumber, which can be purchased at any lumber yard | | | | foot two by fours. |
| or home improvement center. | | | | It's pretty simple math and don't forget to convert |
| Let's start with measuring the length and the height | | | | your measurements into inches to make the job |
| of the wall. For example let's say that the wall you | | | | easier. 8'7" can be converted to inches by multiplying |
| intend to frame is going to be 8'7" long and 8 foot | | | | the number of feet times 12, 12 times eight and then |
| tall. If I was going to figure the lumber for this wall, | | | | adding 7 to it will give us 103 inches. We can now |
| or how much material I would need. I would start | | | | divide 16 into 103 inches to give us the amount of |
| with some simple arithmetic. | | | | vertical two by fours needed to frame our interior |
| We need one bottom plate and one top plate. This | | | | wall. |
| would be the lumber that's going to run horizontal or | | | | Don't forget there's 12 inches in a foot. |
| right to left in our wall. So now we know that we | | | | |