Framing and building interior walls

>>1022298
Measure twice, cut once.

>>1022302
This. Was literally just about to post this.

>>1022298
>carpet the rest and it will be a finished basement.
dunno about framing, but, make sure your basement is in no danger of flooding. or forget the carpeting. Done all that once too oft, enough.

>>1022312
Ive been here a few years and its never been wet before even in very heavy rain, ive just been putting this project off for a while.

>>1022302

>>measure once
>>cut a few times
>>glue another
>>run out of material
>>go to the store
>>get some more
>>measure with your eye
>> ;^)

>>1022356
My first 3 wood working experiences:

>Measure twice with a shitty tape measure, and the end hook now has too much play in it, and makes it off by 1/8th every time, not to mention the bend in the middle fucks you up. Measure another 4 times, none of the measurements are the same, just take the average.
>Drink a beer.
>Cut once with your grandpas old shitty skil saw that has been run over a dozen times.
>Drink a beer.
>Cut second board, mysteriously an inch off.
>Drink a few anger beers.
>Cut third and fourth boards, all four are now different length.
>Drink many beers.
>Decide to stack all 4 and try to cut them at once. Fuck it up, and repeat 4 times.
>Drink last 3 beers.
>Cut a roughly square shape out of plywood. Screw the 4 legs to it with a shitload of screws.
TABLE IS COMPLETED AND 2 FEET TALL.
>Cry yourself to sleep because you can't do what crackheads do.

Honestly buying a new tape measure and a new circular blade made my projects come out 1000x better.

>>1022425
I can't cut straight with a skill saw.

Any tips?

>>1022464
butting it up against a piece of wood that's clamped down.
I need to follow my own advice and for starters buy a pair of sawhorses

>>1022298
layout all your walls on the floor with a tape measure and chalkline, use your tape to make sure everything is square

mark the crown on all your lumber, keep all crowns going the same way

mark the top plate and bottom plate together

frame your walls laying down

use treated lumber for the bottom plate, or put sill gasket underneath

when you stand your wall up, make sure its square and plumb before you fasten it to the floor and ceiling

>>1022464
you can use a speed square as a straight edge for cutting dimensional lumber, and you can clamp a saw guide or straightedge to plywood.

>>1022471
Yup.
Sawhorses are a must. Buy a couple.
But clamps are your best friend.
When I first got into doing stuff with my hands, I'd make it a point to buy a spring clamp or a c-clamp or an f-clamp every time I was at the hardware store, regardless of why I was there, budget deciding.
Now I have a nice collection of clamps and clamps can be used on every job.

If you don't think you have a need for a clamp, you're just not thinking clamp enough,

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>>1022947

>>1022425
>a new circular blade made my projects come out 1000x better.

I only do some occasional work with wood.
I bought a miter saw and just kept using the blade that came with it.

I eventually installed a nicer blade and holy shit was the difference noticable. Im betting the stock blade was dull from the day I got it.

Its nice on circular saws that blades are dirt cheap

>>1022947
I fucking love clamps.

I swear to god I will clamp everything always all the time just endless clamping

>>1022298
I've got a room and framed a wall similar to that..
>try to hang door
>doesn't sit well in frame
>staggered studs on 2x6 plates
>didn't use one board across the room, plates were slightly off causing the problem

>>1022464
the speed square and straightedge tricks mentioned earlier are good, but the real answer is to just practice. If you're cutting dimensional lumber, you should be able to keep the cut straight after a couple tries. With plywood, you'll need more practice, but there's no real trick to it. Make sure that if you're cutting anything larger than a 2x6 it's well supported so that you can focus on guiding the saw. Lastly, for long cuts in plywood, hold the saw with your dominant hand is on the guide handle, and your off hand is on the trigger. You will have an easier time guiding the saw with your dominant hand.

>>1023320

or make a poor man's track saw* out of a straight piece of something and a couple of clamps.

*this does not apply to the 1% i.e. people who can afford a Festool track saw.

>>1022302
not allowing redundancy?

pro guys measure thrice and cut twice, in case on of the cuts fail

hth

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What the actual fuck? Is this how you amerikans do your wiring?! No fucking pipe no clamps every 40 cm? What the fuck

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>>1023678

>>1022312
could always just have area rugs - large area rugs that pretty much cover the floor wall to wall but aren't tacked or glued down... that way anything happens; flood or large spill and stain you just roll it up, toss it out and get another carpet/rug...

Measure once, cut once.
Don't build your wall on the fucking floor, fix your header and footer first then go from there, you aren't building from scratch you have a ceiling to build to
I was always told to cut my own ends, never rely on the end being cut square. Never bothered to check it.
Wear a mask when you cut especially if its treated. Nothing manly about coughing up your own lungs and being tied to an oxygen tank when you're 50.

>>1022298
regarding enclosing a furnace and water heater etc. -- make sure the 'room' you create is large enough so should the furnace and/or water heater need to be worked on there is space to get in there and do it. also the doro is large enough that either item could be removed and replaced.. also make sure the room isn't completely air tight. you will probably want to have a vent or two through the wall into the larger room of the basement or have one of those doors that is basically a big slatted vent.
you are building in an existing basement so the walls you create are not load bearing so no worries about supporting weight blah blah blah. its pretty straightforward. only trick might be attaching the bottom plate to the [concrete?] floor. there are different tools to do this from concrete drill bit in a hammer drill; dril holes and use concrete screws. or the tool that uses .22 cal 'bullets' to fire nails through the wood bottom plate into the concrete, or possibly just using construction adhesive (these walls don't necessarily need to be super duper strong in that sense). nail or screw the tops of the walls to the ceiling joists above.

>>1023717
in this case I say this is true... you are building into an EXISTING floor and ceiling and the height may vary along the length of the wall... make sure your top and bottom plates line up then cut each stud one at a time to the exact height between the top and bottom plate where the stud will be located - height may vary by fractions of an inch as a concrete floor in a basement is most likely not 100% dead level all the way across. if you cut all the studs ahead of time to the exact same length some might be tight and some might be too loose.
or you make the wall flat on the floor but make it 1/2" or so short on purpose; tip it up into place then use blocks to fit it tight to the ceiling joists. again this wall isn't supporting weight so this method is ok.

>>1023720
>doro
'door'

>>1023717
>cut my own ends, never rely on the end being cut square.
this is also true... I always cut off the 'factory' end if even just a 1/8" shave to square it up. this is way easy to do with a 'chop' saw. more of a pain with a hand held circular saw but certainly do-able with practice.

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>>1023720
>one of those doors that is basically a big slatted vent
probably don't need two side by side doors but that would make it easy to move stuff in and out of the room.

>>1022298
Buy a level. Actually, buy two - one 2 foot level for convenience, and one 6 foot to help with large spans and to see how bent your wood is. Speaking of which, cherry pick your wood by looking down the edge from one end to verify straightness. And buy kiln dried if you can - especially if you use treated.

"Build everything plumb, level and square and you'll be alright."

Its pretty simple advice but my foreman says it all the time and now I tell that to anyone new that works on my crew. As long as you build with those three things in mind then you will save yourself a lot of headache down the line.

Make sure you get everything properly level especially around the opening for the door.

Also cut everything slightly bigger say its a 2m timber you need, add a extra 5mm to a cm. its easier to get level then because it will be held tight in the gap then you smash it with a hammer it its plumb. it's easier to fix then also because the stud won't be wobbling around when you screw/nail it.

>>1025617
I think you mean plumb the only thing that needs to be level around a door is the header.

Also don't cut everything slightly bigger cut it as exactly to size as your equipment allows.

If you have a drop saw set up a stop and dock all your studs to the same length, if they're not tight it means one of your plates has a bow in it, I'm sure you've heard the term measure twice cut once.

>>1022298

Framing is easy. Here's a simple list of tools you'll need for framing:

Hammer
Nails
Crosscut hand saw + miter box
Sawhorses
Tape measure

That's literally it. You don't need anything fancy. You don't need power tools. You can do it relatively cheaply with just those things. A simple "toe nail" (it's a thing) and butt joints will work fine.

For the drywall, you will want a $50 drill/bit driver. I normally prefer corded power tools (more bang for buck), but with drywall, you may want to consider a cordless drill or an extension cord. The mobility helps.

Also, for the drywall, definitely get a chalk line. It helps makes your cuts true.

>>1025955
If you don't level (or plumb means the same thing) the door frame properly it makes it a pain to install the door liner. No you should always cut studs slightly bigger then you hammer them into position everyone I know does this because it's easier. stud work is easy as fuck its one of those jobs that if you're spending to much time on it you're doing it wrong.

>>1026025
I'm a carpenter level is horizontal, plumb is vertical.

So yes the jam studs need to be plumb and the door header needs to be level.

Where it is viable so 99% of the time we assemble frames on the slab or floor and then stand them because it's easier.

If you're the guy who I quoted earlier 5-10mm is huge if you cut a stud 10mm longer than it's measured it's gonna look like a banana.

You're correct framing work is easy but have you heard of craftsmanship just do it properly the first time.

>>1023678
more importantly the fucking height, its wired straight at the middle of the wall

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>>1026062
I've worked in construction since I left school. I'm not a chippy by trade but I've done a lot of carpentry work I built this last year. Usually when I'm cutting the studs I get a rough measurement add on a bit then bash them into place. I know it's not the right way to do it but its faster. as long as everything is straight it doesn't matter seeing as its going to be plaster boarded over anyway.

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Ive got a room in the basement that the previous owner quit halfway through fixing up.
There are wooden studs looks like OPs pic.
Must have ripped the old walls off and never replaced them.

How useful is a drywall screwgun if you arent using it on drywall?
Is it versatile enough to own for other stuff?

Or should I just buy a "dimpler" or a set of cheap screw setter bits?

>>1026081
just set the torque on your drill so it wont go past the paper. you don't need a screwgun unless you are doing drywall everyday.

>>1026087
None of my drills have clutches. I have older corded drills.

>>1026093
I've done lots of drywall without a screwgun. Once you get the feel it's no problem. You can find used quality screwguns on Craigslist but I've not bothered.

I love deck screws and hate nails so a screwgun wouldn't have been a bad investment.

>>1026093
You might as well invest in a cheap cordless instead of a screw gun. you can get top brand 18v drills pretty cheap now.

>>1022938
not OP, i've done some DIY framing myself, and so far so good. There is one thing you said that is new to me.

>mark the crown on all your lumber, keep all crowns going the same way

What does this mean, and what is the purpose?

>>1026107
>>1026101
>>1026093
>>1026087
Cheap cordless is good once you get the feel for when to stop. Be prepared to have some screws go too deep, this is okay.

If this is not the last DIY thing you you plan to do ever in your life, personally, if i didnt have a cordless at all, I would get a decent 18v and one of those cheap bits. You might not like the bit, but that wont be a huge loss.

The corded drill will still hold a special place in your heart. Some day IT will be your saviour when you need to make a 1-inch hole for electric through 14 inches of header.

>>1025955
>if they're not tight it means one of your plates has a bow in it
or the floor is not dead level or parallel with the ceiling... remember, he will be building between and existing floor and ceiling. in this case better to cut one stud and install, cut next and install each being the exact length needed in the spot it will be installed.

>>1026081
I have used these bits and they do work nicely for drywall installation.

>>1026894
>mark the crown on all your lumber, keep all crowns going the same way

the lumber you buy is not going to be 100% perfectly straight... especially longer lengths. there will always be a slight bend. the highest point in the crown. so in a wall of studs you want all the crowns facing the same way which will make installing drywall easier and more flat looking. if your crowns are some facing in and some facing out the drywall will look wavy.

>>1027222
>the highest point in the crown
the highest point IS the crown

>>1027222
Ahh! thanks!
I cherry-pick my lumber to the point of insanity, so that explains why I haven't run into this before.

Might be a stupid answer, but you asked for common pitfalls: 2x4s aren't actually 2"x4". Plan your 16" oc accordingly.

>>1022350
but with a laundry room, there is always a chance of flooding. So, unless you're going to put in scuppers and/or a sump, I still wouldn't carpet it. Maybe some nice tile?

>>1022425
sounds like me. shit has me in tears from laughing.

Pay somebody to sheetrock and tape. That shit is a bottom of the barrel trade and itll cost you more to buy the correct tools rather than just hire it out.

>>1027687
What proper tools do you really need?
you dont really need much

>>1027687
Yeah what the fuck are you talking about, taping is easy and so is mud, you need sheetrock screws a decent joint knife and tape and a box of mud is like 10 bucks

>>1026081
bosch dimpler piece is like 10 bucks, why you poor?

>>1027743
Have you ever even installed sheetrock? OP, hire that shit out. Find someone who is good and pay $1 a sqr foot. 3 coats of mud is standard.

>>1027745
I try not to buy cheaped out versions of tools
The bosch Dimpler used to be made of metal, now its made of plastic while costing more than it used to.

Fuck that noise

>>1028215
OP here, im stuff mulling over the idea.
Im afraid of spending all that money and doing a poor job framing it.

I have a Miter saw, but havent really built too much stuff with it yet.

>>1022464
Chalk lines save lives.

You can guide a skill saw with your wrist.

>>1022464

Buy a piece of MDF, because those have nearly perfectly straight edges. Cut off a small strip, doesn't have to be straight. That strip will have one perfectly straight factory edge and your crooked as fuck edge. Put that edge on top of the original board, and glue/clamp it down. Once dry, push your skill saw against the factory edge of the strip you glued on top, and cut to the other end. Make sure that you cut into the original board in this step.

You now have a guide for your skill saw. I hope that makes sense, otherwise I'll have to draw. But tl;dr be a bit creative with the factory edges of MDF boards.

>>1022298
Depending on the climate, consider installing a heated floor.
I still see people converting basements into living space without considering the fact that a cold floor will cause any humidity to condense on it.

Other than that: measure once cut twice, or the other way around. Don't use plaster for walls.

>>1022425

The "hook" is supposed to have play in it to allow for interior and exterior measurements. If it was too much play then penning it back in place would have solved that issue.

>>1022302
That only applies to simple cuts.

>>1030967
Such as cutting 2x4s to length for framing an interior wall?

>>1023720
easiest to use that nail gun, just remember to seal help seal those nail holes with a large dab of concrete sealant before driving that nail in. Will help prevent leakage of water into the room

vent anything and everything that burns/heats things up outside, your lungs and carbon monoxide poisoning protection will thank you.

Seal everything with that expanding foam in a can or rent a machine, also get the stuff in a different color than that yellow, they sell black, gray, etc colors too. Useful for keeping out bugs, rodents(mixed with steel wool), and drafts/heat loss.

Put a thin layer of heavy traffic insulation on that floor. Your heating and cooling will thank you.

GET A DEHUMIDIFIER, attach said unit to a hose to the drain in the floor, the lack of mold/mildew and dryer basement will thank you. Shouldn't need a AC, or that matter a heater unless you have winter for more than half the year.

>>1031092
p.s. YOU will be the source of larger amounts of condensation down there, just remember how your tent gets in dry conditions with only you inside as the source of moisture.

A simple trick to make sure things are square is measuring 300mm one end of the wood, 400mm on another, and measure across each piece, if it hits 500 you have a square frame

>>1023036
Underrated post

>>1022464
You draw a line with a square and then follow the line.....but with framing it doesnt need to be perfectly straight. And if your not good enough to cut straight enough for framing you have no business doing it in the first place.

>>1028215
>Someone good
>$1 a square foot

You talking just mudding or hanging the board too? Around here a good drywaller plus taper will charge 2 per square and up.

just eyeball everything cause thats what shims are for. and use glue with load bearing shims.

>>1031398
pythagoras theorem