Space under a staircase can become hidden storage.
In many homes the area under the angle of a staircase is hidden behind walls because the original builder didn't want to invest the time or expense to convert the space. The best part about this type of conversion is that usually most of the work has been done for you. If you want to install a room, you have to determine the size of your door first. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Move a stud finder along the wall that is under the staircase. Mark the location of each stud using a long vertical line. Use a level to ensure your line is straight. Cut a wire clothes hanger 10 inches long with wire cutters and then bend the wire into an L shape.
2. Poke a hole in the wall between two of your stud marks. Insert the wire and turn it around. This will help you identify if anything is inside the wall cavity. If the wire moves easily, remove the wire. Cut a rectangular hole in the drywall with a drywall saw. The hole should be 4-by-6 inches. Shine a flashlight through the hole into the area under the stairs.
3. Look straight down the wall to check for any electrical wires, pipes or ducts. You do not want to have to move ducts or pipes for your doorway. You will likely need to move a wire. Saw along the studs. Remove material frequently and check for wires. If you see a wire, turn off all electricity to that area of the house. Check the wire with a wire tester to test whether it is live. A wire tester can be purchased at a home improvement store. Some plug into outlets, others touch wires to determine whether they carry current. The device lights up when current is present.
4. Avoid electrical wires and cut enough drywall for a small doorway. Depending on the shape and placement of your space, you might only have a short opening or you might be able to install a full height door. Try to remove only the drywall in the area replaced by a door. This will save you repair costs later.
5. Look at your space once the opening is wide enough for you to go inside the opening. Usually, the stair stringers angle up with no vertical supports until they reach a landing or another floor. You should have an open cavity. The cavity should have subfloor because most staircases are built on top of the subfloor. Determine how you want to finish off the space. You will already have rough-framed walls. The most common finish is drywall or paneling.
6. Frame a header over your new door. A header is simply several boards nailed together that span across an opening. The header carries the weight of the load above the header. Determine the width of the new door plus the jambs. Locate where the door will fit in the wall. Cut two pieces of 2-by-4 inch board the height of the header. Nail one board on the new door side of the stud on the low side of the staircase. Nail your second board on the new door side of the stud on the high side of the staircase. Usually you will have an existing stud between the two. Cut that existing center stud with a Sawzall the height of the header plus twice the thickness of a 2-by-4 inch board. The top part of the cut stud is called a cripple stud.
7. Measure the width apart of the two original studs that you nailed your new studs against. Cut two pieces of 2-by-4 inch board to this length. Nail the boards together with nails spaced every 6 inches. Slide the pair onto the top of the short studs and against your existing studs. Nail the header to the existing studs using two nails at each end. Nail the loose cripple stud to the top of the header using two nails toenailed into the header. Drill wire holes through your existing studs and cripple stud using a 1/2-inch hole saw.
8. Move or cap off any wiring that is running across your door opening. The wire will not be long enough to run up and over the doorway unless you add a junction box. A junction box is an electrical box where electrical wires are joined. By law, all joined wires must be accessible. Move your junction box on the side of the doorway where the wire is short. Mount the electrical box to the stud and run the wires into the electrical box. Mount a second box on the far side of the new door. Mount it to a stud. Run new wire up the wall cavity, stapled to the stud, over the new door header through drilled holes in the studs, down the other wall cavity with the wire stapled to the stud and into the new electrical box.
9. Cut the bottom plate even with your header supporting studs using the sawzall. The bottom plate is a 2-by-4-inch board mounted flat on the subfloor. You may need to pry up the center portion with a prybar and hammer to remove it.
10. Add blocking around the edges of the ceiling and wall corners. Blocking is pieces of wood attached to the wall framing to provide a support to nail drywall to. The edges of drywall need to be firmly attached to prevent the corners from splitting. Cut and fit scrap lumber so it's level and flush with the inside of your studs. Check each corner from ceiling to wall, wall to wall and wall to floor to ensure you can attach your wall boards correctly.
11. Measure and cut the drywall to size. Use a utility knife and score along the line of the cut. Bend the boards away from the score line and snap the drywall. Cut through the remaining paper with the knife. Cut your ceiling panel first. Hold the ceiling panel against the underside of the stringers and over your blocking. Screw the panels to the blocking and stringers using drywall screws. Measure and cut your walls and install them in a similar way.
12. Press paper corner tape over the corners. Use joint compound on a wide putty knife to fill and smooth corners and any seams.
13. Measure the width of the door opening. Cut 1-inch thick board to length. Level the board under the header with shims and nail the board to the underside of the header. Install jambs on each side by measuring the height from the board to the floor. Cut two pieces. Router out your hinge locations and strike plate using a router and templates. Level the jambs against the sides of the header studs using wood shims. Nail the jambs in place so that they are level and straight.
14. Measure and cut your door to fit your doorway opening. Use a solid wood door with no panels. Line up your hinge locations and router the edge of the door for the hinges. Line up your doorknob area and use a template to cut the knob hole. Attach your hinges and knob using screws and a screwdriver.
Tags: your door, 2-by-4 inch, 2-by-4 inch board, cripple stud, electrical wires, existing studs, inch board
