framing a wall... any ideas?

Nadia

Grumbler
Joined
Jan 20, 2005
Posts
26
Loc
Virginia
I need to install a 4'x8' moulding on this guy's living room for his home theather movie screen. The screen is actually just painted wall, so I won't have to back the thing. I will be joining at the location, so v-nailing it is out. I'm thinking liquid nails and some bigger brad nails from the sides. The profile that he chose is very flat so I don't think I could screw it from the face (hard to touch up). Any ideas out there?
shrug.gif
 
Welcome to our humble Grumble, Nadia!

Now about this wall...

Why do you have to join it onsite? I would join it at the shop and strap it to the top of my truck to get it there. If you do have to join it there, I would take a vice or three and use cornerweld.

Does the frame have to be reaaaaallllly stuck to the wall? Can you just use Z-bars (cleat hangers) on the top rail, or maybe you could even velcro it but that might damage the wall more so than screws...

edie the itsfridayalright goddess
 
G'day Nadia,
Welcome to the Grumble.

Keyhole plates might be useful.
Of course to get the screw heads in exactly the right location, you might have to make up a full size thin board template.

Other methods might depend on the wall material a bit too.

Liquid nails could work ok on most surfaces, maybe 'key' the wall under the frame location a bit by drilling small holes first in numerous locations as needed (depends on frame rigidity a bit there), fill these up with LN and out onto the surrounding area a little where it would be under the frame.
While this is still wet, apply the LN to the frame as needed, so it will marry together and assist to hold it in place better when dry.
This would need to be braced fairly well to hold in place until dry.

The client should be sure they don't want to change aspects of the location in a hurry ! :D

Hope that helps.
 
Nadia,

First, welcome to the Grumble!

You need to visit a local finish carpenter and get some pointers on how they install trim moulding. What you want to do is exactly the same except that you are going to do a portion of the wall.

The method is the same regardless, locate the studs in the screen wall, your dimensions will work out OK for 16" on center studs, lay out the line of your "screen" and drive finish nails into the wall studs at each 16" center for the top and bottom rail and (if you located the studs correctly) the vertical rails should be right on 2 studs at each end of the "screen". You should be able to make minor adjustments for the width of the moulding to make sure that the 2 side rails fall directly on the studs at each end of the screen. Countersink the nails and fill the holes.
Good luck.

Framerguy
 
Some of us that do carpenter work would have mounted a pice of plywood to the wall and painted that,then frame the plywood. But if you do have that option, try using some silcone glue instead of liquid nails to glue the moulding to the wall and then use a yellow glue for the miters and brad the miters together.

Kevin
 
If your client swears he will not be moving this frame, use Volkem. Wear gloves and clothes that you will possibly be burning afterwards.

Otherwise peel and stick Red Tape. Also known as Double sided carpet tape. Adher to the entire backside of the frame.

First locate EXACTLY where the head rail is going and mount. Next locate side rails, then slip in the bottom.

Removing it, is the NEXT owners problem. Just don't put your shop sticker on the back dust cover. :D
 
I have done severla (if not many) large instalations.

Any of my onsite assemblies have been only for the reason that the frame will not otherwise fit into the building or room where the instalation will be.

Assuming it needs to be made on site, I see three options.

1) V-nail on site.

I have done it before. With an 810 none the less. So it's not an unheard of proposition. Compressor outside everthing else (all the other equipment)put into den. We just moved the Oscars off the shelves and put our tools there, and set up shop.

2) Clamp and glue (with L-Bracket).

Using a 4 Masterclamps, or 4 Ledsome clamps, glue up all 4 corners. While clamped, turn it over and place monster L brackets on the corners (in lieu of v-nails).

We used this method at City Hall. It was just after 9-11. The almost would not let us in the building with our equipment, and they really did not like the razors, and the nail guns. They had us run the moulding thru the x-ray machine, AND the metal detector. Of course the acrylic would not fit thru either machine, but they were even suspect of the sheet of acrylic.

Stanly clamps won't work because you can't get to the backside of the frame.

You can clamp and wait to dry, and then attach an L bracket too.

3) Biscuit and Clamp (with metal L brackets for added ooommpf). The biscuit or several biscuits will result in a strong and tight join.

With any of these opitons you may need to actually purchase a piece of needed equipment. Build it in the price, or just chalk it to equipment needed to run the business.

With any of these, you still need to hang it on the wall.

As The Goddess mentioned. Z-Bar, or it's cheaper cousin, The French Cleat will be easy to install and hang.

I have also done 4 sticks nailed to the wall (thru the compo), and assembled the frame literally on the wall.

I don't recomend this. The corners don't go together tighly, and you use a boat load of putty to fill, and it shows.

Walls are no always flat. This is a problem because unless it's Emafyl, or MDF, you can't bend the mldg to match the rise and recede of the wall. This can be very bad.

The other problem is that floors and ceilings are not always straight.

If you use the wronge reference point, or reference line, it may end up looking crooked on the wall. And once it's nailed in, it's really hard to move.

If it's assembled, and then hung, you can adjust the z-bar or cleat to make it look level to the room.
 
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