building a wall

[kim(WVa)]

Hi..We are moving right along on our house.We are upstairs and ready to build walls.The problem is we want to build walls away from the existing roof(gambrel style roof).We are gonna leave room behind walls for ventilation.I need someone  to steer me in the right direction on how to build these walls.Lead  me to a site that will  tell us how to do it.We are amatuers from the get -go.Any help will be apreciated.I have  yahooed the subject till I want to scream,either i'm not phrasing it right or i just know enough of the terminology to understand.Thank You in advance. Our ceiling is almost 8' and our walls will beabout 2ft away from the existing wall(roof).and there are braces on the rafters that we have to work around,in case you wanted to know.

[MountainDon]

I take that to mean you want to have the wall height less than the total distance from the floor to the ceiling, so air can circulate over the top of the wall. Is that right? The statement about wanting to "leave room behind walls for ventilation" has me confused. I'm visualizing a foot or so between wall top and the ceiling.

A floor plan and elevations drawing would probably help a lot.

[kim(WVa)]

thanks for such a quick reply.yes ,you are right.we will be building walls away from the side of the roof.Sorry i dont have any diagrams.we have the board up  for the ceiling itself,now to buid the walls and connecting the two.there will be a sort of leaning wall between the two.im sorry if i am confusing you more.do you know of any sites that have diagrams to build walls in a gambrel style roof.the ceiling will not be gambrel style when are done.thanks.

[kim(WVa)]

Ive went and cofused myself.The room itself is  the whole upstairs of a 24x32 gambrel style house,we will partion the rooms off later.The air will circulate above and behind the walls that we will build.My husband wants to place the wall whenhe builds it at a place where there will be space around and upover it.Doe sthat make any sense,ifnot go ahead and laugh at me.I said I ws an amatuer.

[pmichelsen]

I would advise using something like Windows Paint to draw a simple diagram of what you are wanting to do, I read your posts a few times and I can't quite grasp what you are wanting to do.

[rick91351]

My suggestion would be buy good book on framing

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1580114431/countryplanscom

That would be one example. Read that.

Then purchase a T square, and a couple triangles, some larger sheets of paper.  All that can be had from Walmart does not have to be fancy and expensive.  But then after you read the book and you have the basics of framing, start drawing.  Then ask how or why.

It almost sounds as if you are trying to do an envelope style of framing or partitioning.  This was has been around for a long time and use to pull air or circulate air and heat or cooling.  However with that, I think the National Association of Fire Chiefs and Insurance Underwriters and a couple other inanities have written and spoken out against this method of construction.  In the event of a fire that also tends to also pull fire up a wall, rather than stopping it.   But there again that very well may not be what you are attempting.     

   

[rocking23nf]

modern homes use the roof for venting, not the walls.

I cant see any way in which having a shorter wall woould be benificial.

[MountainDon]

I've seen a six foot tall wall used as a divider wall in a space with 7 to 8 foot ceilings; done to permit air circulation... think wood stove heat.

[John Raabe]

You can build semi-permanent cubicle style walls that use say 2x3 framing and board siding. I did this in an office I had once. One wall was a blackboard for classes.

[rocking23nf]

I get the impression they are talking exterior walls though....

[MountainDon]

    very confusing without a picture / drawing...

[Don_P]

Something along these lines?