Building an non-load bearing interior wall in my finished basement, what do I fasten then top plate too? The wall would stand in between and parallel with the ceiling joists.

Submitted by schmennings t3_1261dvk in DIY

So yeah, I wanna build an non-load bearing interior wall in my basement. It's a finished basement so the ceiling has drywall up. The location of the wall would put it running parallel with the ceiling joists and in between two joists so I cannot screw the top plate into anything. Also, the right side of the wall might also be pushing against an open space - not parallel with an existing stud.

Here is a pic: https://imgur.com/a/5cUAGco

The blue painters top on the ground outlines where my wall would go. Red marks are showing where the wall would line up on the exiting wall and ceiling. Green indicates where studs likely are.

I watched a YT video where this guy just suggested using drywall anchors in the top plate but nailing the outermost studs to the studs in other walls. I would also screw/nail the sole plate into the foundation.

Should I remove the drywall in the ceiling around where the wall will be, and also the side wall and add blocking to screw the new wall into? Or could I get away with ONLY opening up the wall and adding support there to screw the new wall into?

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ringnail t1_je72pv5 wrote

If you can expose the joists, run a 2x4 span between the joists and anchor with framing nails then throw your wall and anchor accordingly.

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RogerRabbit1234 t1_je7587k wrote

You should remove the ceiling sheetrock, where the plate will be… However, strictly speaking, if you get the top plate secured to the rafters through the Sheetrock, with some good lag screws, it’s not really going to change much.

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ShortenedCurler t1_je7f003 wrote

Consider what you're attaching the bottom plate to as well - may need a Hilti type fastener if it's concrete under the floor.

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Outrageous_Egg8672 t1_je7yaif wrote

Can you get away with only opening up the side? Maybe. Maybe a kid will bump the wall and crack open the top inside corner joint that is not well supported.

Your best bet would be to do it right and add blocking on the sides and ceiling. Do it right the first time and you don't have to second guess it later.

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UseABiggerHammer t1_je83i02 wrote

The ceiling and floor do more to carry the load in a stud wall than the sides do. You can use large toggle bolts into the existing drywall for your top and sides and likely be OK. Use construction adhesive and either concrete anchors or power-driven fasteners to attach the bottom plate to the floor.

If that's a floating laminate or LVP floor in your pic you'll want to take it up in the place where the bottom plate goes so that it attaches directly to concrete and you aren't trapping the flooring down.

Note that if you plan to build the wall laying down on the floor and tilt it up into place, odds are it won't fit because the tilting-up creates a triangle as it rises due to the thickness of the lumber that makes the wall taller than the ceiling as it comes up. Make your wall a hair more than 1.5" shorter and use a double top plate. This also makes the toggle bolt method easier because then you can worry about fastening just the first top plate directly to the ceiling by itself, then slip the built wall in underneath it and nail to the top plate. Use shims to make it tight.

Also double check your height along the entire wall. Never assume a basement floor is flat or level.

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