How do I frame an outside wall. It's replacing something already there that's being removed.?

Question

The structure presently there is an aluminum frame with the individual slats of glass that crank out and a storm door. I want to remove this and frame it in and finish it with siding or something else but I'm not sure how to frame in an outside wall and what is needed as far as insulation or protection from the elements for the outside of the wall.

Answer 1

When you tear down your existing structure be sure to brace up anything that is staying. Now decide on the size of the wall, 2x4 or 2x6 , if there is a load on the wall go 2x6 ( load as a gable or second floor or an extreme roof pitch). Now layout a pressure treated and a "white" board to the lenghth of the slab where the wall is going. Mark out every 16", these are for your studs. Okay decide on where your windows and doors are going, mark the center of this. Add 5 1/2" to the width of your opening and center this on that mark. This is the size of your header,( see my answer on how to build headers for this step). Now add your studs nailing them to the plates ( green on bottom and wht. on top). After you have nailed all your studs and openings you need to square the wall. Place the end of a tape on the bottom corner pulling diagonally across the wall to the other corner, if two people do this it will make an "x" across the wall. Adjust the wall untill both tapes read the same. I usually nail a board down to the ground into the bottom plate to hold it still.Now you need to know if TY-VEK is required to be placed between the studs and the sheeting, as a vapor barrior, some cities code this to be done. It is time to lay your sheeting OSB is not particle board, it is chip board or OX BOARD. Particle board or X-90 ( as us professionals call it) is made of compressed saw dust, mostly used for trim and shelving. I lay my OSB horizontally across the wall, for no other purpose than increas the span, it does not matter either way as long as you dont use a lot of smaller peices. There is a foam sheet called SEAL SEALER place this betwwen the green plate and the concrete. Okay now its time to stand the wall. After you get the wall up nail a good amount of braces to it.Some people will argue that "stick " framming would be easier, but I feel getting a few freinds and neighbors lifting one wall is easier than trying to hang a bunch of OSB straight with the wall up. Repeat for all other walls after they are stood be sure to nail the walls together so they will stand. On the outside of the OSB measure and mark a reference line. This line is for your chosen siding. Now wrap your corners with your trim; install your doors and windows ( trim them also) and hang your siding. Time to insulate there is a wide range of this. Fiberglass is the cheapest but also has the lowest R rate, but my pick fav. of celluose requires a licensed contracter to apply.I am assuming that this has no wiring or plumbing, if this is wrong install first then insulate. Hang rock; mud and tape. This takes yrs. to learn and is difficult to explain in a small space, If you have any questions or need some advise feel free to contact me. Be sure to get a building permit and when you do check if they have any literature to help you along. Good luck

Answer 2

There is a board called partical board, all pressed together, after you remove the stuff you want to replace, the bottom 2x4 board on the foundation of the house is called the seal board, it needs to have a special treated wood, that won't let water seep into the house. That board needs to be drilled into the foundation of the house with special cement bolts, then you nail up from there...like building lincoln logs (that is if you ever played with them)...measuring also helps, then you can figure out how many 2x4's for the space you have to fill in, and how many of the partical sheets you will need to put on the house after you have the 2x4's in place. When you have the first board laid then the other 2x4's set on the seal board, like facing the part of the wall that isn't there yet. That is how you get the framing part. it will be empty at first until you get enough of 2x4's in place to put up the inside joises (you have seen a half done house or construction project in a movie) it will look like a stick wall. You have to measure correctly or they will be off. Place the inside the outside boards I think it 16 inches from center. Here is a web site- or you can call Lowes and they will tell you almost anything you want to know. But after the 2x4's you will have the partical board on that then insulation, then siding. Good luck.

http://daveosborne.com/dave/articles/foundation.php

Answer 3

The first answer you have is pretty good....Yes the studs need to be on 16 " on center...Partical board ( known as OSB )...It is not common to attach the OSB. or whatever sheathing you use...but it is important that the length goes below your Joists...usually 2 inches below the foundation....it the sheathing touches the foundation make sure you put felt paper on it first...this will stop the acidic factors in concrete from rotting the wood.....The Insulation is usually R-13...the higher then number the better the R Factor...but if the wall is only 4 inches thick then don't try squeezing more than that in because it kills the R Factor....What is impaortant is that if the wall you are talking about is a load barring wall...if so make sure you don't remove any studs just add more to it....If you have any more question on this you can E-Mail me at [e-mail]