Hey folks. I just stumbled on something I haven't thought of yet. I am building a room in my attic. On one wall there is no floor joist under where the wall will be. Do I just nail the bottom plate into the subfloor? Thanks for your time!
uncertain what ' construction screws ' are but i use what on the shelf :yes: then again, never said i was a carpenter :no: another advantage of being raised on a farm - baling wire & chewing gum now updated to version 2.0 - duck tape :laughing:
Construction screws look like drywall screws but are much stronger. The head on drywall screws is specially shaped on the underside so it will dimple the drywall, and will often snap off if you screw them into wood too fast. Drywall screws are always black (in my experience anyway), while construction screws are usually gray, brass-looking, and sometimes green. Then there are deck screws, which are coated (or made of stainless steel) to prevent the chemicals in pressure treated lumber from eating them away.
Check the fastener aisle next time you're in a big box store. Each of these three types of screws usually come in different-colored boxes.
Gary,
The walls do not tie into anything up there. They will be 4 independent walls (with a ceiling of course). The rafters are above where the room will be. The subfloor itself is 3/4" T&G that is glued and nailed. I will be screwing it down before the carpet goes down.
Where u see the bottom plate on the right of this picture is where the wall will be going. It is 3 1/2'' off the exterior wall.
looks like you are good to go with setting the walls onto the sub floor, the only questionable wall would be the one on the left in pic as it goes parallel with joists though the joists might be going 12" centers which helps a lot. what type of attachment detail is at the top of wall where it is against the roof rafters? looks like the very back corner of plate bumps rafter?? also, you will need access into the attic area somewhere along the knee walls forming the rooms in the attic, attic access weather sealed door.
The walls won't touch the rafters. That back wall is where the roof slope comes down and there is about 8" of clearance from the top of the wall. The left wall is actually on a floor joist so nailing won't be an issue there. To the left of the left wall will be a storage room with a full size door going into it.
That exterior wall on the right is a gable wall only load bearing points are 2 corners and possibly under the ridge, if u r putting a window there u gave to put header anyway. 2nd if the new wall is separated from the exterior u r not going to be up to fire code
I'm very curious about not being up to fire code. Can you explain a little further? How would I put a header in the existing wall If that is what i need to do?
Fire code if any fire were to happen in a bay u wsnt to prevent from getting to another bay if they r not connected you would have direct flow all a fire needs to grow is air
I do it all the time on existing houses. Determine height of window header cut studs to line with saw cut a little bigger than header height ways grind or saw all nails insert header put in jacks. Measure down from bottom of header the tough opening size for window add 3 in cut remainder of 2x4 in the way insert 2 sills and 2 crips on jacks under sill ready for window. Everything done from inside
I am thinking how would I put a top plate in the existing wall for the ceiling joists to attach to. The ceiling joists will run perpendicular to that wall due to the span of the room.
Thank you so much for the help. But I'm lost on your last post. Are you saying run the ceiling joist the same way as the roof rafters? The reason I was doing this the other way was the span of the room is 21ft long by 14 wide at the biggest part. The room is L shaped. The long wall is 21ft
U could always do non conventional top plates 2 x nailed to exterior wall with a 3 3/8 rip of 1/2 in plywood then another 2 x nailed to that so your top plates would be 3 1/2 by 3 1/2
Those little 2x up top are the collar ties connecting the roof rafters. U would want your new ceiling joists to connect the roof rafters at the height of your ceiling probably want 2x 6 since a long span. where it tees off just double up your furthest one I would even make those 2 a 2x8 and use joist hangers for the ones that butt into it
That one 2x4 on an angle connecting ridge to gable wall is to Keep everything ridged so to replace that after ceiling joists r in put 2x4 on flat nailed into ceiling joist and butt into sheathing next to stud on gable wall and nail into stud
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