So I’ve been working on this for quite some time now – it was about 7 years ago, that I converted my garage into a home office. At the time, I didn’t have the funds to spend on a professional, so had to do most of the work myself. One of the things I wanted in my home office was a sliding door that would separate the living room from my office area. In this article you will learn how to build a stud wall with a sliding door.
Step 1
- Tools:
- Trowel
- Spade
- Chalk line
- Level and string line (if you want to add this extra step)
- Materials: * 2×4’s for studs, 2×6’s for headers, and 2×8’s for the header above the door. If you’re using a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood, your material list will be much shorter! You’ll also need masonry screws—the kind with a little hole that you drive into the wood before screwing them down—and nails or screws to hold up your door frame. You should also plan on getting some pressure treated lumber if you’re building on ground where termites might live; otherwise, regular pine will work just fine.* Plans/experience: At this point, it helps if we can say “we’re going to build a house” rather than “we’re going to put up walls.” That way everyone knows what they are doing. If there’s someone else involved in building this structure who has previous experience with similar projects (like building houses), then they may be able to help provide guidance regarding what materials should be used and how best they might go about completing their project with minimal effort needed from anyone else.* Safety gear: Everything from hard hats down through eye protection and long pants should come standard issue before starting any construction project like this one. Building permit: This is important even though we haven’t gotten as far as applying yet because it shows intent–that said intention exists–and demonstrates accountability
Measure and cut the timber to the required size.
Measure and cut the timber to the required size.
Measure the required length of timber, then use a mitre saw or handsaw to cut it.
Measure and cut the required width of timber, then use a mitre saw or handsaw to cut it. Check that everything is plumb with a spirit level before continuing.
Step 2
To ensure your studs are plumb and level, use a spirit level.
To ensure your studs are square, use a spirit level.
To ensure your studs are straight, use a spirit level.
To ensure that each piece of lumber is true and perpendicular to the other pieces (i.e., neither diagonal), use a spirit level.
Using a spirit level to ensure that everything is plumb.
You will need your spirit level (you have one, right?) to check that the door is plumb and that the opening is square. You can use a spirit level to check if walls are plumb at either end of the stud wall before you start building it up. Then, once you’ve ensured everything is straight and level, use a pencil to mark out where each stud needs to go. Make sure your pencil doesn’t touch any surface other than the wall itself when marking out – this can cause issues later on when fitting your sliding door in place.
Step 3
Once you have marked out the wall and opened up the floorboards, it is time to start building. To ensure that your stud walls are straight, use a spirit level to check everything is plumb or vertical. You can then use a spirit level to measure everything being plumb or vertical.
Before you start make sure you have measured everything correctly and work out how big your wall needs to be (taking into account what size door you want). Make sure all the materials are delivered on time and get ready with your list of what you need in order to build things up properly. Bring all these materials inside before starting work so they don’t get damp or cold outside in winter weather conditions
Fit the top brace (thickest horizontal piece of timber) ensuring that it is level and secure, checking with a spirit level.
You will now need to fit the top brace (thickest horizontal piece of timber) ensuring that it is level and secure, checking with a spirit level.
This should be done by placing the top brace in position, marking where each end sits on both side walls and then fixing it securely with four screws at each end.
Next, you need to check that it is level by using a spirit level on both sides of the stud wall. If necessary adjust with shims under one or both sides until you have achieved a straight line from one side wall to another .
Step 4
Now you have your vertical studs in place, it’s time to fit the top brace. This is a horizontal piece of timber running across the whole wall and sits between each vertical stud. It helps support the structural integrity of your wall and prevents sagging.
It’s also important to ensure that everything is plumb (level) as this will make it easier when installing the door frame later on in this project.
Fit the vertical studs (long thin pieces) and fit insulation if desired between these. Use a spirit level to measure everything being plumb or vertical. Ensure you fix the first and last panels to the side wall. Any steel i-beams need to be cut out for as these will cause problems with your sliding door operating properly.
- Fit the vertical studs (long thin pieces) and fit insulation if desired between these. Use a spirit level to measure everything being plumb or vertical. Ensure you fix the first and last panels to the side wall. Any steel i-beams need to be cut out for as these will cause problems with your sliding door operating properly.
- Attach door hinges and latch at this point using screws that match those used in attaching frames at top of wall section if building a double hung window type opening so as not to split wood when screwing into it.* Check that doors slide freely without binding by opening both sides fully together then closing up one side at a time so that both doors are now overlapping by about half their width – this will make sure there is enough room for glazing etc if needed later on.* If necessary fill any gaps between frame/door with small pieces of plywood or thin timber (see photo).
Step 5 – Fixing Joists To Frame
To fix the joists to the frame, use a spirit level and check that they are level with each other and with the ground. Then secure them in place using screws or nails through the timber into the concrete block walls. If you’re using screw bolts, make sure you get them as close to flush with the top of your stud wall as possible so that there aren’t any detectable holes once you hang doors on them later on.
Once all of your joists are in place, cut up some plasterboard sheets so that they fit neatly between each one of them (you can always cut these down further if need be). Fit one sheet at a time starting from the bottom up until all four sides are covered by plasterboard boards; then start again from bottom and repeat until you have fitted all eight sheets onto your framed wall – this should cover everything except for small gaps where door openings will go later on.
Conclusion
The key is having a solid foundation and making sure you use level and plumb lines. This will ensure you get straight, even walls that are easy to finish. Also be sure not to rush any part of the process. It might seem like it’s taking a while at first but once everything gets going things can go quickly so be sure you’re prepared beforehand by gathering all your materials and tools before starting any work on the wall itself.
