I'm having a contractor to build a short wall (sheetrock and 2x4's,
roughly 6' wide, 7' tall, and 5" thick) to help separate a rather
large basement into 2 rooms. The original plan was to connect one side
of the wall to an external wall, and leaving a gap of about 12" from
the top of the wall to the drop tile ceiling. The opposite end would
be a square column of about 12" that would connect to a beam in the
ceiling, cutting the drop tile to fit around this column.

If that doesn't make sense, think of an L laying on it's back, with a
really thick back and narrow leg. My house came with several walls
built this way, so we're trying to make this one match, and at the
same time help with heat/AC flow.

But I've been thinking. One room is going to be a gym, and the other
room will hold a pool table (essentially, a game room for when friends
come over). While everything will fit OK with the wall stationary, I
can't say that it's a GREAT fit, and certainly doesn't leave any room
for expansion; especially in the gym. So I'm trying to think of an
alternative.

The best idea I can come up with is to make the wall movable, and this
is where I need a few opinions. Ideally, I would be able to push the
wall further into one room or the other, giving that room an extra
couple of feet when needed while still separating the rooms. In order
to do this, I'm thinking that instead of nailing the wall to the
external wall and to the ceiling beam, I would use something like
drawer guides, and then place heavy weight casters on the bottom.

Here are my questions:

1. Will this work? If so, how sturdy can I expect the wall to be? I
mean, if a friend comes over, gets drunk, and runs into the wall, is
it going to fall over on him?

2. Is there a better way to make a wall mobile to fit my needs?

3. If this is a good idea, where can I find 48" drawer guides? All I'm
finding are 24" rails, which aren't exactly right; the rails I'm
finding are long and separate out into 2 or 3 parts, while I would
prefer a stationary rail with a connector mounted to the wall (like
you see on older drawers).

This is what I'm NOT needing:
http://www.firgelliauto.com/product_...473cb8452ce8c8


TIA,

Jason

On Feb 13, 1:31 am, "Jason" wrote:
I'm having a contractor to build a short wall (sheetrock and 2x4's,
roughly 6' wide, 7' tall, and 5" thick) to help separate a rather
large basement into 2 rooms. The original plan was to connect one side
of the wall to an external wall, and leaving a gap of about 12" from
the top of the wall to the drop tile ceiling. The opposite end would
be a square column of about 12" that would connect to a beam in the
ceiling, cutting the drop tile to fit around this column.

If that doesn't make sense, think of an L laying on it's back, with a
really thick back and narrow leg. My house came with several walls
built this way, so we're trying to make this one match, and at the
same time help with heat/AC flow.

But I've been thinking. One room is going to be a gym, and the other
room will hold a pool table (essentially, a game room for when friends
come over). While everything will fit OK with the wall stationary, I
can't say that it's a GREAT fit, and certainly doesn't leave any room
for expansion; especially in the gym. So I'm trying to think of an
alternative.

The best idea I can come up with is to make the wall movable, and this
is where I need a few opinions. Ideally, I would be able to push the
wall further into one room or the other, giving that room an extra
couple of feet when needed while still separating the rooms. In order
to do this, I'm thinking that instead of nailing the wall to the
external wall and to the ceiling beam, I would use something like
drawer guides, and then place heavy weight casters on the bottom.

Here are my questions:

1. Will this work? If so, how sturdy can I expect the wall to be? I
mean, if a friend comes over, gets drunk, and runs into the wall, is
it going to fall over on him?

2. Is there a better way to make a wall mobile to fit my needs?

3. If this is a good idea, where can I find 48" drawer guides? All I'm
finding are 24" rails, which aren't exactly right; the rails I'm
finding are long and separate out into 2 or 3 parts, while I would
prefer a stationary rail with a connector mounted to the wall (like
you see on older drawers).

This is what I'm NOT needing:http://www.firgelliauto.com/product_...roducts_id=78&...

TIA,

Jason

buffalo ny: just some thoughts:
1, no. 2. skip the wall. how will exercising people get needed fresh
air changes in the basement? can the game people come over at night
and the exercise people do their thing in the morning?
WHO will be using the basement, that is, how many people?
WHAT is the moisture/construction type/climate?
WHERE are the windows and furnace, water heater?
WHEN the year will this be used?
WHY do you want a wall?
HOW could you overlook ping-pong instead of pool, it folds out of the
way.
Now you have enough room to install as many treadmills as needed.

1, no.

Why wouldn't it? I ask this so that I can improve the plan, not to be
argumentative.


2. skip the wall. how will exercising people get needed fresh
air changes in the basement?

Two ways, actually:

First off, the top of the wall is open, so air can flow across easily.
This was originally done because the heat / AC ducts are in the
ceiling, and the ducts are ran into the center of the room; exactly
where I want the wall. So, instead of moving the ducts, it's easier to
leave a gap so that the air will blow on both sides; plus, it matches
the rest of the house this way.

Second, both the game room and the gym have 2 windows each, allowing
for plenty of fresh air.

can the game people come over at night
and the exercise people do their thing in the morning?

Technically, yes, but this is more of a design element than a
functional necessity. The basement is currently JUST a game room, and
it's where my friends come over to hang out and have a few drinks, so
it's not exactly fashionable to throw a party centered around a bench
press, Smith machine, and treadmill ;-)

WHO will be using the basement, that is, how many people?

My girlfriend and I are the only ones to be working out, while the
game room can have up to 20 people at one time. The gym will be used
throughout the week, while the game room would only be used on
weekend.

WHAT is the moisture/construction type/climate?

I'm in eastern NC, and well above sea level, so moisture isn't a big
problem. The walls are red brick on the outside, and cinder block on
the inside. They are currently covered in paneling, which will be
replaced with the same sheetrock that the new wall will be built from.

WHERE are the windows and furnace, water heater?

There would be 2 windows in the gym section, and the game room would
have 2 windows, a door leading outside, and an opening to the stairs
that lead to the first floor. I have central heat and air; the pump is
located in a closet area in one corner of the game room, located
beneath the stairs that lead to the 2nd floor, while the water heater
is located in a separate laundry room.

WHEN the year will this be used?

Pretty much year 'round. I've been living here for almost 4 years, so
I have no reason to believe that anything will change now.

WHY do you want a wall?

Purely aesthetic. I've been working over the years to make my house
look JUST right, and the only thing left is the dining room and the
basement. My girlfriend and I take turns on projects, and since we did
the bedroom last, it's my turn with the basement.

I've recently begun the basement project, which also includes a third
room for a movie theater, modifying the location of the laundry room,
removing some carpet and replacing with fake hardwood floors, and
removing all paneling to replace with sheetrock. I figure that, since
I'm going through all of that trouble, I may as well spend an extra
$300 and have a wall built in that will allow me to decorate the game
room in more of a "man's" area (leather, dark wood, etc), while
decorating the gym with mirrors.

I already have everything needed at this point (furniture, pool table,
movie projector and screen, and gym equipment), so the only thing left
is the construction and painting.

HOW could you overlook ping-pong instead of pool, it folds out of the
way.

Please forgive my stupidity! LOL I bought the pool table for a steal
at $200 (4x8 slate with claw feet and leather pockets), and always
figured that I could place a ping pong table on top of it if I wanted.
It's not uncommon for me to play alone when work stresses me out,
though, so the pool table was a cool buy for me.

Now you have enough room to install as many treadmills as needed.

If only it were that easy! ;-)

J

"Jason" wrote in message
oups.com...
I'm having a contractor to build a short wall (sheetrock and 2x4's,
roughly 6' wide, 7' tall, and 5" thick) to help separate a rather
large basement into 2 rooms. The original plan was to connect one side
of the wall to an external wall, and leaving a gap of about 12" from
the top of the wall to the drop tile ceiling. The opposite end would
be a square column of about 12" that would connect to a beam in the
ceiling, cutting the drop tile to fit around this column.

If that doesn't make sense, think of an L laying on it's back, with a
really thick back and narrow leg. My house came with several walls
built this way, so we're trying to make this one match, and at the
same time help with heat/AC flow.

But I've been thinking. One room is going to be a gym, and the other
room will hold a pool table (essentially, a game room for when friends
come over). While everything will fit OK with the wall stationary, I
can't say that it's a GREAT fit, and certainly doesn't leave any room
for expansion; especially in the gym. So I'm trying to think of an
alternative.

The best idea I can come up with is to make the wall movable, and this
is where I need a few opinions. Ideally, I would be able to push the
wall further into one room or the other, giving that room an extra
couple of feet when needed while still separating the rooms. In order
to do this, I'm thinking that instead of nailing the wall to the
external wall and to the ceiling beam, I would use something like
drawer guides, and then place heavy weight casters on the bottom.

Here are my questions:

1. Will this work? If so, how sturdy can I expect the wall to be? I
mean, if a friend comes over, gets drunk, and runs into the wall, is
it going to fall over on him?

2. Is there a better way to make a wall mobile to fit my needs?

3. If this is a good idea, where can I find 48" drawer guides? All I'm
finding are 24" rails, which aren't exactly right; the rails I'm
finding are long and separate out into 2 or 3 parts, while I would
prefer a stationary rail with a connector mounted to the wall (like
you see on older drawers).


Here is one idea that comes to mind, although it may not be what you want.
Not sure where you could get it, but if you could get some of the garage
door track and rollers, then you could cut the track to the length desired.
Bolt the track to the walls (maybe need three or four tracks - upper,
middle, & lower). Attach the rollers to the movable wall.

You might be able to buy track and rollers from a garage door company, or
even get used ones from an installer, perhaps at very little cost.

On one hand, this idea sounds dumb, but on the other, it may just be dumb
enough to work.

Bob

Jason wrote:
I'm having a contractor to build a short wall (sheetrock and 2x4's,
roughly 6' wide, 7' tall, and 5" thick) to help separate a rather
large basement into 2 rooms. The original plan was to connect one
side of the wall to an external wall, and leaving a gap of about
12" from the top of the wall to the drop tile ceiling. The opposite
end would be a square column of about 12" that would connect to a
beam in the ceiling, cutting the drop tile to fit around this
column.

If that doesn't make sense, think of an L laying on it's back, with
a really thick back and narrow leg. My house came with several walls
built this way, so we're trying to make this one match, and at the
same time help with heat/AC flow.

But I've been thinking. One room is going to be a gym, and the other
room will hold a pool table (essentially, a game room for when
friends come over). While everything will fit OK with the wall
stationary, I can't say that it's a GREAT fit, and certainly
doesn't leave any room for expansion; especially in the gym. So I'm
trying to think of an alternative.

The best idea I can come up with is to make the wall movable, and
this is where I need a few opinions. Ideally, I would be able to
push the wall further into one room or the other, giving that room
an extra couple of feet when needed while still separating the
rooms. In order to do this, I'm thinking that instead of nailing
the wall to the external wall and to the ceiling beam, I would use
something like drawer guides, and then place heavy weight casters
on the bottom.

Here are my questions:

1. Will this work? If so, how sturdy can I expect the wall to be?

Very flimsy.
__________________

2. Is there a better way to make a wall mobile to fit my needs?

Probably. An architect - especially one working on commercial
buildings - would be helpful.
___________________

3. If this is a good idea, where can I find 48" drawer guides? All
I'm finding are 24" rails, which aren't exactly right; the rails I'm
finding are long and separate out into 2 or 3 parts, while I would
prefer a stationary rail with a connector mounted to the wall (like
you see on older drawers)

Assuming guides would work, what's wrong with ones that are in
multiple parts? Any guides you used would by necessity be exposed and
I'd think the shorter the better. You'd need guides both top and
bottom...at least four. I know Knape Vogt makes guides at least 36"
long but I don't think drawer slides are a solution. I'd think tracks
(mounted horizontally on fixed wall at each end, top and bottom) and
wheels would work better.

I think you might do better to stop thinking of what you want as a
"wall" and think of it as a "divider". Do that and you get more
options...

1. A free standing accordian fold screen or screens
2. Bifold doors, track across the top of the room
3. Bypass doors, track across the top of the room. Obviously,
only half the area could be opened up with these.
4. Freestanding divider on casters.

For the latter option you'd need considerable depth for it to be
stable. A hard surface floor would be best.

I once had a long, narrow room like that, built a cabinet 96x96x24.
Lower portion had cabinets accessible from either side. Above the
cabinets was an open area about 18" high and above that were
bookshelves on one side, china cabinet on the other. It sat on a
carpeted floor and was solid as a rock...probably weighed 1000#
loaded.

When redoing the condo before selling I needed to move the divider for
new carpeting (it went with condo, too big too remove). To do so, I
tipped it slightly in one direction and slipped 3/4" blocks under at
each end on the raised side; then tip the opposite way, add
blocks...repeat until it cleared the floor enough to slip a piece of
ply with casters under each end, then remove blocks so it sat on the
castered ply pieces. Once done, it was duck soup to push it around on
the now uncarpeted floor.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

How about a moveable drape? Low cost, easy to move entire thing if
needed someday.

Jason wrote:
I'm having a contractor to build a short wall (sheetrock and 2x4's,
roughly 6' wide, 7' tall, and 5" thick) to help separate a rather
large basement into 2 rooms. The original plan was to connect one side
of the wall to an external wall, and leaving a gap of about 12" from
the top of the wall to the drop tile ceiling. The opposite end would
be a square column of about 12" that would connect to a beam in the
ceiling, cutting the drop tile to fit around this column.

I vote for curtains or room dividers.

Room dividers offer more flexibility - and are much cheaper than a wall.

On Tue, 13 Feb 2007 04:31:56 -0600, "Bob"
wrote:

But I've been thinking. One room is going to be a gym, and the other
room will hold a pool table (essentially, a game room for when friends
come over). While everything will fit OK with the wall stationary, I
can't say that it's a GREAT fit, and certainly doesn't leave any room
for expansion; especially in the gym. So I'm trying to think of an
alternative.

The best idea I can come up with is to make the wall movable, and this


If you put in a wall, you have to put power outlets in the wall.
That's code. If the wall moves, then the power in it has to also
move, which means you're going to need some very expensive, hard to
find, sliding/flexible electrical connections.

THEN you're going to have to solve the problem of making said
wall rigid in either (any?) position.

If the gym is never going to be used at the same time
as the game room, then I think you should arrange the
equipment into a fairly small section with an accordion
door/wall or even just a curtain separating it off, and
just open it up when you're using the gym.