How Do You Add A Wall Between A Ceiling Joist?

Generally, adding a wall in an already existing room is easy. Just nail the floor plate to the floor and the top plate to the ceiling joists and you are ready to install the wall studs. But what happens when you want to add a wall between a ceiling joist? Sometimes new walls don't cross ceiling joists, making fastening the top plates a bit of a challenge. Mark the ceiling with the location of the top plate. Use a drill and drive a screw through the ceiling at both ends of the wall. Enter the attic or unfinished space and look for the screws protruding up from the ceiling to locate where the wall will be in relation to the ceiling joists. You might need to remove insulation to find them. Measure the distance between the joists that fall on either side of the wall. Use a hand, circular or miter saw to cut 2-foot by 4-foot studs according to the distance measured in Step 4. Return to the attic and install the 2-foot by 4-foot blocks, laying them on top of the ceiling and then nailing ...  more