Stud Wall Instruction

[Alex W]

Under DIY workshops...

[Rob Morley]

Why does everyone seem to use 3x2 for studwork these days instead of

4x2?

[John Rumm]

Yes, and yes....

There is also a good argument for putting a row of noggins at 1.2m height, and then running the plasterboard horizonatally rather than vertically. That way you can slso stagger the overlaps between top and bottom to add more strength to the wall. The noggins in this case ensure there are never any unsupported plasterboard edges.

[John Rumm]

I find that once I know what size noggin I need, I cut them all in advance (quick operation with a chop/mitre saw). Then having inserted one upright and got it plumb (and another tacked it at the other end to hold the top plate up!), use the noggins to space out the studs fixing as you go.

You can offer the noggin up to the first stud, and then butt the next stud up to it (holding the noggin in place with friction). Nail through the side of the new stud into the noggin, then use a spare noggin to space the bottom of the stud. Skew nail that and then do the joint to the top rail in the same way. Finally skew nail the other end of the noggin to the original stud. You can have the frame for a wall up in minutes like that.

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================================ | | T | | | | | |\ | | | | \ 3 | | / 4 | | | | / | | | |==================| | | A | B | C |--- 1 | |==================| | | | | | | | | | / 2 | | | |/ | | T | | ================================

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A = Original plumb stud B = next noggin C = new stud T = temporary location of spare noggin for setting the gap

1 - 4 position and order of nail insertion (pair of 4" nails at each location - or 90mm if using a nail gun)

[John Rumm]

for non load bearing partitons it takes less space and is lighter to work with. For stuctural studwork 4x2" is still the way to go...

[John Rumm]

Depends on your "standard" ;-) I bought the slightly wider "standard" door linings, and found they were spot on for 4x2" framing with 2x

12.5mm PB and skim over.

[Alex W]

Seems like a good method if your going to build with head & soles up first ... but you hint that it is faster than building on the floor ... why? The only advantage I can see is holding the noggins in place - which if you cut them very slightly large is not a problem with the method I suggested (although I neglected to mention this!).

[Alex W]

Fair enough :) although they appear to be slightly more widely available!

[John Rumm]

Faster is probably whichever way is more familier for you. Frequently I have found there is not sufficent space to build anywhere other than in situ, and I also find it more comfortable working while standing up than working on the floor. YMMV.

Yup nothing wrong with that. Just suggesting another method for consideration.

[John Rumm]

Could be - only did a sample of one timber shop. They had pre-packed linings in two or three preset sizes IIRC, it was just a case of choosing the right one.

I would have thought the ones I used were pretty common though, since they would also be right for a single course brick or block wall with plaster over.

[Alex W]

Very good point about space, for me that has not really been an issue ... I might try your method next time round and see if my knees and back feel better at the end of it all!

[Alex W]

Sure you are correct ... my careless comment about "standards" was rooted in what I saw in Wickes recently (and I was not looking that hard for that matter).

[Lobster]

BCO is also likely to insist on the space in the cavity being filled with sound insulation of some sort, which also screws up the dropping of cables.

David

[Lobster]

Why? I do it that way (having been shown by a joiner). You hold the top plate in position by wedging it against the ceiling with a couple of uncut lengths of 3x2.

David

[Lobster]

No disagreement with that, but even then you can't just assume that any existing joists are strong enough to support a new stud wall (although 9 times out of ten they will be).

I recently had a structural engineer in to advise on an internal wall I wanted to demolish, and in passing I mentioned the stud partition I was going to be erecting instead - anyway he wanted to know all the details, went away and did the sums, and ended up specifying that I strengthened the joists by doubling them up.

David

[Lobster]

Oh, another tip...

If you're fitting a doorway in the partition, fit a continuous sole plate across where the doorway will be, then erect the two vertical studs either side of the door, on top of the sole plate Only when the doorway is finished do you saw through either end of the length of 3x2 which runs across the floor. This ensures the wall stays straight and properly aligned either side of the doorway, and also helps with getting the separation of the two vertical studs exactly right, and ensuring they are plumb.

David

[Andrew Chesters]

It is mentioned in other posts, but the one that caught me was the size of the sheets. NOT 8x4 but 1200x2400; not much, but it does matter!! :-(

[Mike]

What counts as "structural" studwork ?

[John Rumm]

Load bearing (be it compressive or tensile), or subject to high lateral forces due to e.g. wind loading.

[Alex W]

He didn't specify why very clearly. He said something along the lines "you'll be there all day" whilst he was laughing. I think he also said something about this method being easier than using a plumb line to get the sole/head aligned.

For me, on my own & at the time being a complete punter at stud walls, building on the floor and raising the frame seemed a better option ... it worked!