Breaking Down Walls and Applying Half Wall Caps to Make Use of Them

There are a lot of reasons for you to opt in favor of a half wall. These are great for dividing and organizing the space of your home, particularly if you want to open up some rooms. For some, this means opening up the living room and dining room in order to create a wider social area. The whole process, from breaking down the walls and applying the half wall caps, makes it perfectly possible for you to do so.

Making a Wall Into a Half Wall

If you are thinking about converting a wall into a half wall, first you need to make sure that you are not doing so with a structural or a bearing wall. If that’s the case, then you are going to need to install a header or a beam first, ensure that the header is supported all the way down to the foundation with a point load. It’s very important to determine that once you remove the upper half of the wall, the structural integrity of the room and the ceiling will not be compromised. Once you’ve done so, it will be safe to cut down the wall all the way down to your desired height. Usually, people choose to have half-walls at approximate kitchen counter height, if not a bit higher than that.

Strengthen the Wall and Make it Sturdy

A common problem with half walls is that they can often be a little wobbly and shaky. You don’t want the half wall to move around that much, especially if you are planning on placing stuff on top of it. A good way to make sure that it remains sturdy and stable is to add plaster onto it, as well as maybe some sheathing. If you wish to make sure it’s even stiffer, adding vertical studs to the ends of the wall. If you can add structural support, tying the support to the floor joist underneath. This way, you can make sure, not only that the half wall won’t wobble, but that it also won’t fall after a harsh impact.

Capping the Half Wall

There are many ways to cap a half wall in the interest of making it into a usable surface. They can, after all, be great tools to better decorate a room, organize space, and enhance a room. For purely decorative purposes, you might want to go for granite, while for more practical ones there’s metal. Aesthetically, there are always wooden surfaces to choose from, be them oak, pine, mahogany, or others. That capping surface will ultimately be up to do and what goes better with the look of the room the half wall is in.

Half Wall Caps in Seattle

However, you need to make sure that the integrity of the wall itself will be fine before applying the half wall caps. This means you will need to get it flashed in order to protect it from humidity and similar damage. At New Standard Building Materials, we are here to help you cap your half wall with the right surface and flashing. For more information on our products or custom quotes for materials, you can always give our team a call at (206) 268-0663. We are here to help you find the best cedar fascia boards.