One of the first things I did after moving into my first home was to put up a half wall in the living room. The old house had a completely open floor plan, but I wanted to create an area that could function as an office and still feel like part of the main space. Looking back, I’m amazed at how easy it was to make this change with minimal tools and skills. All you need is the willingness to get your hands dirty (and maybe a little help from some professional contractors).
It’s time to start the big project
In order to make the most of your half wall, you have to have a plan. That’s where we come in
You’ll need:
- A hammer and nails or drill
- Plywood for the base (4’x8′, 1/8″) and top (2’x4′, 1/8″) pieces of your half wall
- Two 2″x6″(or other size) boards for framing the base and top boards together at each end (you could also use 2″x3s if you don’t want to add another layer of insulation)
- For insulation, we used some leftover foam board sheets that were 24″x48″. If you’re doing this project on a budget, look up local businesses offering free insulation pickup service. Your local hardware store might also sell foam board scraps cheap.
Find a stud
- To ensure you’re installing your half wall correctly, it’s important to find a stud in the wall. The easiest way to do this is by using a stud finder (or “wand”), but if you don’t have one, there are other ways of finding a stud:
- With a hammer and nail, tap along the wall until you hear a solid sound or feel resistance when hitting something. That’s probably where your stud is
- Try tapping with the head of your screwdriver or any tool that has an indentation at its end like these plastic ones from Irwin Tools: https://www.irwintools.com/products/hand-tools/screwdrivers/pro-plastic-screwdriver/. This will provide more surface area for contact between the tool and any hidden lumber inside behind drywall which allows for greater detection accuracy than just tapping alone would give us because it gives us more feedback on whether our tap went up into thin air or hit something hard enough so that we can tell if there’s wood behind there too by how much noise came back through our tapping implement (e.g., hitting metal rather than plastic).
Create a ledger board
Now that you’ve found your studs, it’s time to mark them. There are a couple of ways to do this:
- The first is by using a stud finder. To use this tool, hold it up against the wall and slowly move it along until you hear a beep. This means there’s a stud behind where your half-wall will go. If you don’t hear anything after moving around for awhile, no worries—there will probably still be plenty of places on which to mount your stud board (don’t forget about those walls).
- Another option is using a level. You can put one end of your level against one end of the full wall and keep an eye on its bubble while moving it along until they line up perfectly straight with each other across both sides—this will show where all four corners need reinforcement
Cut out Sheetrock
- A circular saw can be used to cut through sheetrock. This is the best choice if you have a lot of cuts to make or will be doing them frequently, as the blade can be changed easily and it’s easier to control than other tools.
- Utility knife: A utility knife can be used when working with drywall that has already been installed on one side of your wall. The blade will only cut through paper, so if you need to cut through both layers of drywall at once, you should use something else instead like a drywall saw or scoring wheel mentioned below.
- Drywall saw: A drywall saw works much like a regular hacksaw but has teeth specifically designed for cutting through sheetrock (you may also see these referred to as keyhole saws). They might come in various sizes depending on how thick your insulation is; just remember that thicker insulation requires more force from the tool so keep this in mind when choosing what type and size of blade works best for you
Use a circular saw to cut wood framing
- Use a circular saw to cut wood framing
- Make sure you are using the correct blade for cutting wood framing
- Check that all your measurements are correct before making the cut
Mount wood framing to the floor and ceiling
To mount the wood framing to the floor and ceiling, you will need to use a drill. You can use screws or nails to attach the wood framing to your floor and ceiling. Use a level to make sure that your wood framing is straight before attaching it with screws or nails. Once you have secured them properly, use a hammer on top of each piece of wood framing until they are securely fastened into place.
Sand, Prime and Paint
Next, you’ll want to prime the wood with a primer that has a bit of texture. This will help in creating an even surface for your paint and reduce the chance of chipping or peeling later.
Once that’s done, it’s time to start painting! You can use any type of paint but keep in mind that flat or semi-gloss are best for this project because they’re durable and easy to clean. A nice bold color will really make your half wall pop in any space while still remaining neutral enough not to clash with anything else in your home. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different shades either—you can always go back over them if necessary
Creating a half wall in your house is not as hard as it may seem.
When you’re looking to create a half wall in your house, it’s important to start with a full wall. A full wall is easier to cut than a half wall, because there are no corners that need to be matched up.
Once you’ve got your full wall, all you have to do is measure out the area where the new room will go and mark it with tape or chalk.
If possible, try not to make major cuts at first; instead, use smaller segments of the wall as individual pieces of furniture until everything fits together nicely without looking too small or awkward (and without making any major mistakes). Once this is done and all pieces fit together properly, then you can go ahead with cutting down more walls if needed (and adding windows/doors as desired).
Conclusion
Once you have completed the project, it is time to take a step back and admire your work. If you have done everything correctly and followed this guide, you should be able to enjoy your new half wall.
