ᐅ Drywall Construction for Storage or Hobby Room – Tips

Prager91 schrieb:

A wall made of aerated concrete could definitely be an option, now that I think about it. I imagine the construction might be simpler—especially regarding the door. The only issue might be the dust when working with aerated concrete blocks, since I don’t really want to clear out the entire basement.

Go outside to saw. It doesn’t produce that much dust anyway, especially if you’re sawing by hand. You’re not using a machine...

But as I said, with aerated concrete, I’m not sure whether you can build directly on the screed or if you really need to chisel down to the base slab. Drywall is also installed during the shell construction phase, before the screed is laid. Whether this is done only to avoid drilling into the underfloor heating or for structural reasons—I don’t know.

MachsSelbst schrieb:

Go outside to do the cutting. It doesn’t produce that much dust since you’re cutting by hand. You’re not using a power tool...

But as I said, with aerated concrete blocks, I’m not sure if you can lay them directly on the screed or if you’d really have to remove it down to the slab. Drywall partitions are also built during the shell construction phase before the screed is poured. Whether this is done just to avoid fixing into underfloor heating pipes or for structural reasons... I don’t know.

Alright – I could still ask our plasterer from back then, who also does drywall work.

Then I can decide what makes the most sense.

Prager91 schrieb:

I kind of expected that—it all sounds like a lot of work, so right now it seems difficult to put into practice…

Well, there’s no need to go to extremes. Just decide where you want your wall, mark the combined width of the stud framing, drywall, and expansion joints (at least 5mm (0.2 inches) on each side), and see how that fits with the laminate flooring. Maybe it’s not as complicated as it sounds, and by chance your wall will line up with the floorboard pattern without leaving any small leftover pieces.

If that’s the case, there’s no reason not to cut the laminate to fit. You might even be able to cut it so that the planned doorway is accounted for as well—I can’t quite picture it, but maybe a practical solution will emerge on site.

Harakiri schrieb:

Well, you don't have to go to extremes. Just decide where you want your wall, mark the width of the profile plus cladding plus expansion joints (at least 5mm (0.2 inches) on each side), and see how that fits with the laminate flooring – maybe it’s not that complicated, and by chance, your wall will align with the plank pattern without leaving any very small leftover pieces.

Then there’s no reason not to cut out the laminate. Maybe you can even cut it in a way that incorporates the intended opening – I can’t quite imagine it, but perhaps a solution will present itself on site.

I see it the same way – cutting out the laminate shouldn’t result in having only a 5cm (2 inches) piece anywhere along the entire length, as that would definitely feel wrong to me.

Perhaps my installation pattern will create a suitable “line” that I can nicely cut along. I’ll check that out in the coming days.

MachsSelbst schrieb:

But drywall construction is also installed during the shell phase before the screed is poured. Whether this is done just to avoid fixing into the underfloor heating or for structural reasons... I don’t know.

There are several reasons for this: on the one hand, because otherwise the screed acts as an excellent sound transmission path (which can be relevant depending on the room’s use); on the other hand, especially when insulation and underfloor heating are located below the screed, significant loads in the form of line loads arise. These can either cause cracks in the screed or, alternatively, cracks in the drywall construction if the screed settles. Furthermore, it can be advantageous to limit the screed area in this way anyway, as expansion joints will be needed regardless.

Typically, drywall is installed on screed only when absolutely necessary—that is, during renovations like these or when the intended use and room layout might change frequently. In those cases, you gain significantly more flexibility.

@Prager91: You can certainly consider aerated concrete blocks (porous concrete), although I think drywall might be easier; just check whether the load per area of the blocks matches your screed thickness and floor build-up. Depending on ceiling height and screed thickness, the weight could become critical.

Alternatively, you might think about gypsum wall boards—similar to masonry blocks but somewhat lighter and they don’t require plastering (only joint filling). This would be a hybrid between drywall and solid construction.

Again, the question is what major problem could arise if a 5cm (2 inch) leftover piece of laminate remains right against the wall in a basement room on a hard subfloor. This is not a trade show floor that gets walked over by 20,000 visitors daily.
If anything shifts, just put some wood glue in the gap and clamp it back together with a pry bar—done.

Very short pieces sometimes can’t be avoided even with a well-planned installation.