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Knee walls are commonly used in
attic spaces. Knee walls are short walls that are usually less than 4 feet
in height and extend from the floor of the room to the roof rafters. Knee
walls are frequently used in attic conversion projects to define the shape
of the finished living space. Besides defining the finished living space,
knee walls are also used for housing built-in cabinetry and for creating
low-height closet space. |
How to Frame a Knee Wall
Framing a knee wall is fairly
straight forward to do. Usually it is best to start by snapping a chalk line on
the roof rafters at the desired height of the knee wall. Then use a measuring
tape to measure the distance from the attic floor to the chalk line. This
measurement will determine your wall stud height.
Next, hold a small section of 2x4
vertical (plumb) so that one end of it is sitting flush up against a roof
rafter. Using a pencil, scribe a line on the 2x4 to obtain the roof rafter
angle.
Transfer this scribed line onto the
required number of vertical wall stud members.
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Next, cut the ends of the 2x4s on the
scribed lines.
Now, cut the other end of the
vertical stud members to the length measured between the roof rafters and attic
floor, MINUS 3 inches to take into account the bottom and top plates.
Also cut to the appropriate length
the bottom and top wall plates.
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With all the lumber cut, frame the
knee wall on the floor of the attic. Use either 16 penny nails and a hammer, or
a nail gun to fasten the lumber together.
Once you have framed the knee wall,
stand it up and move it into position up against the roof rafters and attic
floor. The top of the knee wall should line up with your chalk line. Also use a
level to make sure the knee wall is perfectly plumb. Then use 16 penny nails to
fasten the knee wall to the roof rafters and attic floor. Make sure you nail the
bottom plate of the knee wall into the attic floor joists to ensure a rigid knee
wall.
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Additional Framing and Carpentry Resources
Framing and Carpentry Tools from Amazon.com
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