Is there any problem building a wall under floor joists at mid span?

Question

I need to add a wall in a basement room. The wall would be placed mid span going across 7 trusses. Is there any problem placing a wall under a floor truss at mid span? The truss was not designed knowing a wall would be added.

Good question. In critical situations, an intermediate wall that does not allow a truss to deflect naturally under load can cause unanticipated stress risers in the truss. Anchor clips are available to connect walls to trusses while allowing the truss to deflect naturally. I seriously doubt you have a critical situation, so as shirlock says, it should be no problem. — bcworkz, Feb 08 '13 at 19:26

score 6 · Answer 1 · edited Feb 09 '13 at 14:33

6

There should be no problem adding a partition wall under trusses or floor joists. The only connection you will need is some nails or screws holding the upper plate of your wall to the joists. This will simply hold your wall up and plumb. There are no structural or load considerations in this simple wall addition.

edited Feb 09 '13 at 14:33

Michael Karas

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answered Feb 08 '13 at 11:30

shirlock homes

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Just to clarify: Don't try and jam it in to make it load bearing. – Chris Cudmore Feb 08 '13 at 16:09
Under trusses you should be careful not to attach it directly; you may get "truss lift" which can crack the drywall attached to the wall/ceiling. – Eric Gunnerson Feb 11 '13 at 05:27

Is there any problem building a wall under floor joists at mid span?

1 Answers1