First time framing a room in

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HoLeChit

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My buddy bought a house. He has an old sunroom in the back that has a 3 foot base wall, and then windows all the way up to the ceiling. He wants to remove most of the windows and frame it in, turning the sunroom into a regular room. I've done lots of electrical work, a little carpentry, I can hang doors, so on and so forth. I consider myself to be a jack of all trades, master of none. I figure removing the windows and framing in the empty space left behind, drywall ing everything in, and applying sheeting to the exterior ready for siding won't be too hard.

Is it too difficult?any special considerations that I haven't thought of? Do I need any sorta permits to do so? I figure if I could save him money while earning some cash, I think it would be an all around win.
 

Boehlertaught

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If its a sun room its probably already considered part of the house so changing the walls that are windows to walls that are wood and drywall doesn't sound to me to be something that requires a permit. But a quick call to the permit office will put the issue to bed. As for building the stud walls its not a big big deal. But why would anyone want to get rid of a sun room?
 

streak

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you completely jack up your heat and air system. Look into installing one of those Mitsubishi units. Don't skimp on the threshold or building up to create a seamless transition.
 

HoLeChit

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But why would anyone want to get rid of a sun room?

My buddy is a no nonsense kinda guy, and has no need for a sunroom, he wants to turn it into a bedroom/playroom for his daughter. With the 60 year old windows and particleboard walls it is not only an eyesore, but is not well insulated.

you completely jack up your heat and air system. Look into installing one of those Mitsubishi units. Don't skimp on the threshold or building up to create a seamless transition.

He was thinking of a window unit, I love the Mitsubishi units but I think it's out of his price range at the moment. I'll probably get the concrete pad done and wall plumbed and wired for the one when he decides to upgrade though. The room is built on the old patio, so there is a 3 step drop down to the room, and will make for next to no work for the transition, the threshold and existing walls are going to be redone, so that's gonna be taken care of.
 

HoLeChit

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Here's some pics of the room. The windows are covering approximately 150 sqft, and are 5 foot high. There are three walls that are 12 foot, 12 foot, and 18 foot long.

Are there any rules of thumb or magical framing calculators online that can do some of the footwork on judging how many feet of lumber I need for the basic framework?




image.jpg
 

briarcreekguy

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Is the sun room high enough above the grade that it doesn't flood when it rains hard? My ex-wife's father enclosed his sun room, and the floor would flood in a heavy rain. You mentioned three steps down.
 

HoLeChit

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Is the sun room high enough above the grade that it doesn't flood when it rains hard? My ex-wife's father enclosed his sun room, and the floor would flood in a heavy rain. You mentioned three steps down.

Hmmmm didn't think of that. I'll have to look. Any good ways to test that, other than wait for the rain? Try and flood the back yard around the room with the hose? I noticed a little water damage on the bottom of the wall, but I kinda figured it was the window being left open or leaking.
 

Istandalone

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What kind of roof is on it now? are you going to change it. Good bet there is no footing under the walls if it is just on the patio slab. If the patio settles there could be leakage around the area where the patio room meets the house.
 

HoLeChit

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What kind of roof is on it now? are you going to change it. Good bet there is no footing under the walls if it is just on the patio slab. If the patio settles there could be leakage around the area where the patio room meets the house.

If I remember correctly, the roof is joined to the rest of the house, no difference in pitch either. The roof is 4 months old, was done the week before my buddy moved in by the previous owner. Just standard shingles.
 

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