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A partition wall is often useful for separating a large bedroom into a smaller bedroom and a bathroom or an en-suite bathroom. Building regulations stipulate that all bedrooms must have a window that opens onto the outside of the property, so you cannot simply divide a large bedroom into two smaller ones unless a window can be fitted onto an external wall! It is a good idea to ask your local building control office to see if permission is needed before starting any work.

Before building a stud partition wall you have to decide exactly where it is to go and whether or not a door opening is needed in the partition. 3" by 2" rough sawn timber is normally used although for a large partition you could use 4" by 2" timber. After deciding where the partition is to go cut a piece of timber or a couple of pieces of timber to reach from one wall to the other wall where the partition is to go and nail it to the floor, this is called the sole plate.

Using a length of straight timber and a spirit level mark a line down each side of the two walls by placing the timber vertically on the sole plate, draw a line up each side of the timber on both walls. Check which way the joists in the ceiling are running, if they run opposite to the partition you can now fasten a piece of timber along the ceiling (head plate) using screws as nails could damage the plaster on the ceiling, fasten the piece of wood so that it aligns exactly with the pencil lines that you have drawn on the walls. If the joists run the same direction as the partition you will have to fix noggins between the joists or move the partition so that the head plate is directly on a joint.

Fasten a stud between the sole plate and head plate on each wall, If the walls are solid at each end of the partition secure with wall plugs and screws.