Basement Knee Wall/Freeze Wall

Dynamite · 03-01-2011, 10:04 AM

Ok, I'm in the process of framing my basement. I've read a few threads on how to handle the "freeze wall" I have what seems to be a unique situation and would like some input. My freeze wall on the back side is only about 12" tall. If I have to do a ledge it would make more sense to me to be taller/usable. So my questions are; is it wrong to frame the ledge taller than the block? Could I run into any other problems by doing it this way?
I am attaching an image to kind of illustrate what I was thinking of doing.
The image is just 2x4s laid up to see what it would look like. (or to try and make sense out of it)

bob22 · 03-01-2011, 11:00 AM

What is a freeze wall?

Dynamite · 03-01-2011, 12:20 PM

Its the cement block that goes around 2 sides of my basement. In some places the block is about 12" high and in other places the block is about 4' high. On the front of the house, the block goes from floor to ceiling. Honestly, I'm not really sure what the correct term is. I've read some threads and people have called them knee walls, freeze walls, pony walls. Heck, I don't know what its really called but, I do know that I don't like them and that I'm having to frame around it. Mine is really low (12") in one area and I want to frame it up higher. Just wondering if any others have done what I'm thinking about doing.

moneymgmt · 03-01-2011, 01:06 PM

We framed a friend's basement in that way so he has a ledge around much of the basement. He likes the contour that it gives the wall and it also makes a nice drink rest around the pool table

bob22 · 03-01-2011, 01:25 PM

If space isn't an issue, why not build the wall straight up? Is there a need to box it?

Dynamite · 03-01-2011, 01:26 PM

So are you saying that you made the ledge higher than it actually is?

Dynamite · 03-01-2011, 01:30 PM

I guess space is not really an issue. I was thinking that the wall is already there so why do it twice. Plus, in the image I provided you can't see it, but there is a door to the right, so I'd have a really deep wall right before my door. I keep going back and forth about what to do.

moneymgmt · 03-01-2011, 01:35 PM

Yes, his block was at different heights around the basement, the highest of witch was roughly 4'. Those that were lower we raised up to that 4' mark and made the ledge level as far as we needed it to go. We didn't go higher because the ledge aesthetically looks fine and didn't see a need to reframe the upper section out further.

Dynamite · 03-01-2011, 03:22 PM

thanks moneymgmt, that helps. I think I might go that route.

bob22 · 03-04-2011, 01:59 PM

"but there is a door to the right, so I'd have a really deep wall right before my door."

So, won't you now have part of the door jamb wider than the upper part if you go the 4' up from bottom wider route?

moneymgmt · 03-04-2011, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bob22

So, won't you now have part of the door jamb wider than the upper part if you go the 4' up from bottom wider route?

I'd use normal jamb, drywall around the end of the wide part of the wall, casing from top of door down to the "shelf" and 1/4 round to cover gap where drywall forms a corner with the jamb.