Putting up a stud wall in an existing loft conversion

[jgodwin]

H guys, I'm hoping someone here can give me some direction on how to proceed with the following job I plan on doing. I've attached pictures for a proposed wall

I just bought a house and it has a loft conversion with open stairs. It's a bloody nightmare not having a bedroom door, so I want to build a stud wall where the existing banisters are in the picture:



Please excuse the mess, we've only just started unpacking!

So what we have is a standard loft conversion done years ago. The common rafters behind the plasterboard are 100mm and spaced at 400 centres.

I want to put this wall in:



On either side I'm going to make built in cabinets, but the part in black is what the wall will initially be, along with a sliding pocket door.

My question is, what is the best way to go about building this with the least about of hassle possible. The wall will run parallel to the rafters, and they are unfortunately not location where I want the wall to be, so I assume I'll need to cut away a continuous section of the plasterboard and then attach noggings all the way along the ceiling, and then cut away a section of the floor where the banister is and attach along the floor joists?

Is this the correct thing to do, or is there a better solution?

Finally, if you could be so kind, would anyone be able to just give me a 1.2.3 list of very loose directions on what to take? I don't need help making the wall, etc, I just need to know the steps I would take

Thanks so much for reading, I apologise for the wall of text

 

[jgodwin]

HI, would really love some input on this if possible, it doesn't seem like something a carpenter would struggle with, so any advice would be great.

 

[foxhole]

Many of your questions can only be accurate answered once you open up a narrow slot of plasterboard ( width of your new partition) as you may find suitable fixing points at each end and the two apex points .
Base timber can fix directly to floor assuming no wiring or pipes in the way .
Are you intending to replace the bannister with wall?

 

[jgodwin]

HI Foxhole,

Thanks so much for responding. I'm lucky enough to have two access panels behind the eaves, which gives me a visual on everything behind the plasterboard - there's unfortunately nothing except the loft rafters (not even insulation, just the moisture membrane under the roof tiles).

Yes, that's exactly right, replacing all three parts of the banister with a wall and sliding door!

 

[thomp1983]

If it was me I'd work out where the 2 rafters are that you want the wall to be between, then measure and run a mark along the centre of both rafters up the sloped wall, across the flat ceiling then down the other slope, Start just past the left bannister and finish just past the right one.

Then join both these lines horizontally on the sloped walls, then use a multitool to cut along the lines then remove the plasterboard between the lines.

That will leave you with half the rafter width either side to put new plasterboard on when finished, between the newly exposed rafters you will fit noggins to secure your stud wall to.

With the noggins in place it will then be a case of building 2 stud walls with a gap between for your pocket door to run into, then making good with new plasterboard and skim.

 

[foxhole]

HI Foxhole,

Thanks so much for responding. I'm lucky enough to have two access panels behind the eaves, which gives me a visual on everything behind the plasterboard - there's unfortunately nothing except the loft rafters (not even insulation, just the moisture membrane under the roof tiles).

Yes, that's exactly right, replacing all three parts of the banister with a wall and sliding door!

So what’s the ceiling plasterboard fixed too?

 

[chirpychippy]

Personally I wouldn't bother wrecking the plasterboard ceiling and slopes to put noggins in.

I would dry fit the outline of the studwork, header, the timber on the slopes and the ashlar walls and the sole plate. Once in place I would pilot drill through the timber and through the plasterboard, remove timbers then use curly wurly's plasterboard fixings into the piloted holes on the plasterboard.

I would then apply a generous coat of CT1 to the timbers before putting back into desired position against the plasterboard, you can the use 4x80 screws to screw the timber into the curly wurlys.

Studs at 400 centers, double up studs either side of door opening with a transom for the head of the door lining, noggins at centre of the overall height.

Board one side, fill with Accoustic Insulation. You need to think about the light switch. Board the otherside.

That is how I would do it, if it was a structural wall I'd put noggins in the ceiling, but it's not.