Two rooms without a wall?

[5stringJeff]

The house I bought is a split entry house. The downstairs at one time had a garage. That was converted into a huge family room (read: 700-800 sq. ft.). I would like to separate this room into an office and a rec room. Putting in a wall would be the first option, but I'm sure that could cost $10K easily. So I'm thinking about using something else to separate the spaces... like some ceiling-to-floor bookcases or something. It wouldn't close the office space completely, but that's not a big deal.

Has anyone ever heard of someone doing this? Or am I totally insane?

 

[wonderwench]

It's your house - you can do whatever suits you with it. I personally like the idea of a bookcase room divider - one can never have too many bookshelves, imo.

But this is completely orthogonal to the issue of your sanity.

 

[5stringJeff]

Sanity is overrated anyway!

 

[Johnney]

actually it wouldnt be as hard as one might think. deciding wehre to split it would be the hardest part!
weve done that at my parents house, plus knocked out a couple. its messy, but fun

 

[jon_forward]

jeff, are you handy with a hammer? framing a wall, running electicity to new outlets and drywall, some paint and you are done. I bet you could it in a weekend.....where I come from 10 large would buy a small house!! no shit! seriously..go to Home Depot and talk to someone knowledgable there...price some dry wall, 2X4's and paint plus some tools..you will have enough left to go on vacation to Florida..maybe twice!!Dive right in..

 

[jon_forward]

Originally posted by Johnney
actually it wouldnt be as hard as one might think. deciding wehre to split it would be the hardest part!
weve done that at my parents house, plus knocked out a couple. its messy, but fun

plaster and Lathe??? OOHHH YYEEAA give me the sludge and stand back!!

 

[Johnney]

Jeff, jsut fly me down, ill lead you through it no prob! im not afraid to get dirty...lol you should see what ive done up here.

and yes Jon, plater and lathe... its an old old house, so its that cement and lathe...lol

 

[jon_forward]

house i had I Iowa was cement/lathe too...had a tornado hit it and lost windows on 3 sides of the house, part of the roof but that house took it..love them old houses..

 

[Moi]

Originally posted by gop_jeff
The house I bought is a split entry house. The downstairs at one time had a garage. That was converted into a huge family room (read: 700-800 sq. ft.). I would like to separate this room into an office and a rec room. Putting in a wall would be the first option, but I'm sure that could cost $10K easily. So I'm thinking about using something else to separate the spaces... like some ceiling-to-floor bookcases or something. It wouldn't close the office space completely, but that's not a big deal.

Has anyone ever heard of someone doing this? Or am I totally insane?

Just a thought. Do you have central air? If so, be careful not to build an imbalance into the system. You know- where one room is frigid and the other is hot as haides.

 

[5stringJeff]

Hmmm... didn't think that putting a wall in would be easy. I can hammer until the sun comes down but I'm no electrician. I don have some friends that are knowledgable about it though. I'll have to do some research - this is a long-term project. We have to paint the house and get the yards going first!

 

[janeeng]

Hang up some sheets Jeff, there, you have a separation! hahhahhahha! cheaper too!

 

[Lizzy]

It's just an idea, but the use of glass blocks are good when trying to seperate a large room into two smaller ones.
This way the rooms will look larger than they actually are after being seperated and it creates an interesting effect.
Depends on what you are in to.

 

[Moi]

Originally posted by Lizzy
It's just an idea, but the use of glass blocks are good when trying to seperate a large room into two smaller ones.
This way the rooms will look larger than they actually are after being seperated and it creates an interesting effect.
Depends on what you are in to.

That's cool!!!

 

[janeeng]

You know Lizzy, I saw a book of decorating and this couple in Manhattan that did just that, the place looked awesome! not sure how expensive that is to do, but what a change from wood.

 

[jon_forward]

can use the same effect as an interior window...the blocks arent to expensive....do some measuring , build/framein an area and there ya go...the carpenders WANT you to think its hard..that way you can put THEIR kids through college

 

[Johnney]

Handyman Nailed with His Own Nail Gun

SYDNEY (Reuters) - An Australian handyman admitted he was stupid to shoot himself in the head with a nail gun in a misguided prank that left him with a nail lodged in his brain.

Brad Shorten, a father of three from Victoria state, was enjoying a few beers with friends after working on his house when they began joking about industrial accidents.

Shorten, 33, picked up a nail gun that he thought was empty, pointed it at his head and pulled the trigger.

He later said he had turned off the gun's compressor and taken out its nail cartridge but did not realize there was still enough pressure in the gun to fire a nail.

"My mates and I were talking about construction site accidents and taking your eye out with a nail gun, and I foolishly put the gun to my head and pulled the trigger," Shorten told the Sunday Herald Sun newspaper.

"I did a very stupid thing," he said.

The bizarre mishap left him with a 1.25-inch nail counter-sunk through his skull just behind his temple.

Royal Melbourne Hospital neurosurgeons removed the nail in a delicate four-hour operation even though Shorten, who was expected to make a full recovery, had offered to take the nail out with a pair of pliers.

 

[5stringJeff]

Can you say Happy Gilmore?

 

[Wolfsblood]

go to Home Depot and talk to someone knowledgable

There is no one knowledgable at Home Depot :teeth:

 

[DKSuddeth]

jeff, building a wall isn't that big of a deal. your biggest cost is going to be materials.

2x4's, drywall, drywall tape and mud, screws, and finally paint. soundbatting insulation if you want to drown out the sounds.

I can give you some basics on how to do it if you want.

 

[007]

Originally posted by janeeng
Hang up some sheets Jeff, there, you have a separation! hahhahhahha! cheaper too!

That's what I was thinking, only make them look more like big theatre curtains.

But about a wall, heck man, you ought to be able to put up a wall, wire it and paint it for around a hundred bucks. Ten grand sounds more like a complete story rentavation cost.

A book is a good suggestion. Not only for Carpentry, but also for basic household wiring. As far as the wiring goes, I have a degree in Electrical Engineering, and worked for an electrician on weekends for almost 7 years. I know my way around wiring and could answer any questions you may have.