If you are planning to divide your basement into separate rooms, the best way to do it is by making partitions using steel studs. This cannot be done as a Do-It-Yourself project, you will need professional help to ensure that your hard work doesn’t go to waste.
First and foremost, you have to plan the way in which you want the rooms to be in the basement. Measure each and every part of it to know where you can get your rooms made and get the best utilizations for space.
The next step is that of tools, here is a list of tools that you will need-
- Power saw
- Metal Studs
- Drill
- Air Compressor
- Nail Gun
- Plumb Bob
- Laser Level
- Measuring Tape
- Framing Square
- Speed Square
- Hammer
- Carpenter Pencils
- Safety Glasses
- Dust mask/respirator (dust mask)
- Sill Gasket
The next step is the time when you have to start framing. Here, you start framing the ceilings and the floor while also framing the doors, windows and electrical fixtures. There are two ways of doing this.
Building The Wall In Place
Here you build the wall around the frames of the windows, doors and electrical fixtures. You also use the studs to join the roof and the basement frames, all the while ensuring that the steel studs are fitted in the most level position so as to ensure that the wall doesn’t get crooked or damaged.
Building The Wall & Then Installing It
The other way to frame a basement is to first build the wall segments on the floor and then install it at the right place. Here, you will need the assistance of another person to carry the segments around and to fit it in the right place. However, many a times the basements are not level, this can be challenging for you and you have to fix it before things go awry.
Whichever way you frame your wall, you need to ensure that the metal studs are installed 16 inches from each other and that they are installed not too loose nor too tight. Once this is done satisfactorily, you can then proceed to install the insulation and drywall in place.