Half height shower wall - what to construct with ?

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Upstairs with wooden floors so no concrete to work from, what would you use to construct a half height wall which will be tiled ?

Ideally, as strong as possible but not very wide as space is limited.

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OP,
1. You need to draw a full size plan view section.
2. Then extend the section view to include the tiles.
3. As above, use 4 x 2's - use them to make a frame with the base plate securely fixed into the joists below.
4. On either face insert ply pieces into the stud bays - the ply pieces to be accurately cut to prevent racking.
5. Use a vapour barrier then backer boards on the inside face of the frame, the top plate surface & jamb(s).
 
That sort of wall, where it doesn't have a pillar up to the ceiling, must be strengthened like mad to prevent it bending. You've got to imagine that overweight visiting relative grabbing the end of it and hauling themselves into the shower.

If it flexes then it will break the seal between it and the shower tray, causing damp issues.

Screw down with large screws in pilot holes into the joists, not just the floorboards.

It would be better if there was a tiled pillar between its top and the ceiling, which needs to go through the ceiling and be securely bolted to a noggin between the ceiling joists. Nuts, bolts and crinkle washers all round. You will need a pillar anyway if you're having a door.

Glue, screw and brace the framework, go mad on it. You can't overdo it, the potential damage from underdoing it will be terrible.

If you have a cupboard as shown then make use of its rigidity by screwing it securely to the original wall and your new one.
 
Yes screw the cupboard to the framework to add strength or even build one in as part of the design if space is limited as you say. It will be handy for towels etc.
 
That's a photo off the interweb. It's possible there won't be a cupboard there. In fact I'd avoid built-in furniture in a bathroom.

Just brace and bolt the heck out of it!

But... if there's nothing there then there's probably also no need for the wall, just have a full-height glass panel.

More info needed!
 
Adding to previous answers...
If possible, extend the unsupported end of the stud wall down and fixed to the the joist below. You'll have to remove some floor to do this, or work underneath.
If it doesn't coincide with a floor joist, bridge between two joists with a chunky piece of timber, almost the same depth as the joist, and bolt it to that. Effectively you are treating it like a newel post on a staircase.
 
If the base of the wall is at right angles to the joists then you could just drill and screw through the floorboards into the joists below.

If it's parallel to the joists and not on top of one then it would need a number of noggins between them.

It's definitely not a trivial thing, a lot more involved than just 4x2 and cement board! (add a load of glue and massive screws and bolts all over the place).
 
Upstairs with wooden floors so no concrete to work from, what would you use to construct a half height wall which will be tiled ?

Ideally, as strong as possible but not very wide as space is limited.

View attachment 369220
Build it in stud and perhaps add a couple of Galv roofing angles* at the base of the studs. The plasterboard or tile backer will knit it together and effectively sheath it.

*
1737054826964.png
 
Poster # 8,
Please stop with the OMG drama, its a no big deal tiled knee wall, & they are built in their thousands much like the one in the pic.
I've built plenty of them - sometime even constructed with stepped framing & stepped glazing but never have they needed much more than ply inserts to prevent racking.
They dont need posts or any kind of extended pillars to provide stability - fixing the base plate, & screwing on backer and plaster board will do that.

Perhaps you've never built such a construction - if so, & there's anything in my post #3 that you dont understand, then ask & I'll explain it for you?
 
I built one. Reinforced, glued and braced the heck out of it, including diagonals all over the place. It was bloody rubbish. Now I admit I'm not a carpenter, the timber joints were butted - I didn't make any fancy joints. Thankfully it was between a kitchen and lounge and ended up with kitchen units bracing it to the floor. I added brackets and solid timber to them to replace the feet so they were held down to the floor rather than just standing on it.

There's a difference between doing the job well enough to get paid and making it last. The slightest movement between that wall and the shower tray will result in leaks. You're asking a lot of a wall that's only supported on two adjacent sides - that top corner is prone to moving and it's exactly where people would grab it.

I've seen our elderly relatives moving about. They grab anything and heave themselves along.

It's possible, but not preferable. I'd do it if there's a cabinet there as shown or if there's going to be a pillar to the ceiling. Otherwise think again.
 
I built one. Reinforced, glued and braced the heck out of it, including diagonals all over the place. It was bloody rubbish. Now I admit I'm not a carpenter,
It requires little skill and even less thought.
The 'newal' or flying end upright needs an angle bracket as shown above and maybe the neighbouring upright. The other end will obviously gain strength from the corner join. Then the whole lot will get knitted together with whatever sheet material is fixed across the uprights.
We've built loads (office bays) no dramas solid as my invoice.
 
Interesing. I did see that mine became more rigid after I boarded its outside. It was a lot of years ago though, I vaguely remember I didn't plasterboard the kitchen side as it was extremely short on space, it's likely this was my issue. I butted the cabinets up to the timber frame then put plasterboard above the cabinets on the upstand above the worktop.

Perhaps a sheet of waterproof ply glued and screwed like mad over the outside would have a lot more strength than relying on the tensile/compressive strength of plasterboard or tileboard. Or at least glue the tileboard before screwing.
 
Perhaps a sheet of waterproof ply glued and screwed like mad over the outside would have a lot more strength than relying on the tensile/compressive strength of plasterboard or tileboard. Or at least glue the tileboard before screwing.
Even skimmed plasterboard (both sides), will effectively sheathe and stiffen the wall. It means the uprights behave as one element. Adding a couple of angle brackets to the two most vulnerable uprights means it will do its job.
 

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