Are knee walls necessary?

Knee walls aren’t technically required for a structurally sound home or building, but they do take some of the load off the rafters. If you live in an older home and are concerned about the roof’s stability, it might be a good idea to install them.

Can you remove a knee wall?





If there is, that wall is probably a load-bearing wall, making the knee wall load bearing. It should not be removed, unless it is done so to replace it. In that case, temporary support of the rafters should be installed, before removing the knee wall.

How do you frame a knee wall?

Quote from the video:
These to the 3/4 inch floor boards. But instead the much more burly beefy structural members down below the floor joists all right so then I needed a top plate. And I ripped my top plate.

How do you hang drywall on a knee wall?

It’s cut the piece to rough size, rasp an angle onto the top edge to go close to the ceiling, put it in place, scribe along the top to match ceiling, take back off, cut/rasp at an angle to scribe line, attach to wall. Plus cut out outlets etc as necessary.

What is the purpose of a knee wall?

A knee wall is a short vertical wall, roughly two or three feet high, thats used to support rafters in the roof. It also blocks off the space that’s too small (due to the sloping roof) to use for anything in an attic.

Why is it called a knee wall?





The term is derived from the association with a human knee, partly bent. Knee walls are common in houses in which the ceiling on the top floor is an attic, i.e. the ceiling is the underside of the roof and slopes down on one or more sides.

Are knee walls load-bearing?

These low walls help define the living space by creating vertical surfaces between the sloping rafters and the finished floor. They’re typically framed with 2x4s and built 4-feet-high so they can easily be covered with full sheets of drywall. In most cases a knee wall is not a load-bearing partition.

What is the height of a knee wall?

approximately 3 feet

Knee walls are often referred to as a half-wall or partition wall. They extend from the floor to a height of approximately 3 feet (91.44 cm) and are often constructed around or up against a shower stall or bathtub surround. Knee walls are generally an extension of the side of a bathtub or shower and can be tiled over.

Should I remove my half wall?



A half-wall provides more open space than a wall that runs from your floor to your ceiling, but it’s still a physical barrier which can impede your remodeling plans. Removing the half-wall is a fairly easy, albeit messy, project.

How do you Drywall an attic ceiling?

Quote from the video:
If you watch my insulating your attic ceiling I used this 2 inch foam. Across this is only a small portion of it this came in four by eight sheets.

Does finishing an attic increase value?

According to the NAR 2019 report, converting an attic to a living area nets an average 56% ROI, a higher return than adding a new bathroom, or more than adding a new master suite.

Can you put drywall in attic?



Drywall pulls the attic together into a living space. Most attic ceilings slope, so installing the drywall often is a two-person job. A pivoting drywall lift can help in lieu of a second set of hands. As in most rooms, attic drywall is installed on the ceiling first, then on the walls.

Can I convert my attic into a bedroom?

When converting an attic to a living space, it must meet the same building requirements as the other rooms in your home. To meet most building codes your attic should: Have at least 7 feet of vertical clearance in the majority of the room, be a minimum of 7 feet wide and have at least 70 square feet of space available.

Can my attic support a floor?

That begs the question; can my attic support a floor? The answer, in most cases, is a definite yes. Even though it wasn’t put there, the joists supporting your ceiling are quite strong. Putting down flooring won’t stress them any more than the floors in your bedroom, kitchen, or bath.

How do you know if you can convert your attic?

If you are thinking of converting your loft, it’s best to get professional advice, but as a first step, check: The available head height over the staircase and landings. This is the main deciding factor. There needs to be at least 2.2m between the top of the floor joists and the bottom of the ridge timber.

Can all attics be converted?



Gilbert says that while most attics can, technically, be converted under current building regulations, 95 per cent of the work he has done falls into the more popular and cheaper option: an attic room that is considered a storage rather than a habitable space.

Can I convert my attic without planning permission?

Is Planning Permission required for Loft Conversions? Most loft conversions normally do not require planning permission because they fall under permitted developments, so buying a house with a loft conversion without planning permission isn’t normally an issue.

Does an attic conversion need planning permission?

Most loft conversions are considered permitted development, which means you won’t need to get planning permisson as long as the building work fits certain criteria. So, if you’re looking to get a simple conversion with roof windows, you generally don’t need to worry (but it’s best to check).