How to Combine Two Bedrooms
It’s relatively simple to knock out a wall to combine two bedrooms into one space. You can create a double room as a master bedroom suite or combine two smaller bedrooms into a large bedroom for two siblings. Opening up a wall area might include borrowing space from a hallway or closet area. If possible and you have the space, consider making a vaulted ceiling at the same time you remove a wall to combine two rooms. Use your imagination to envision different ways to join two rooms. Then, select the best option.Things You'll Need
- Graph paper and pencil
- Measuring tape
- Yardstick
- Lumber
- Insulation
- Electric wiring
- Light fixtures
- New flooring material
- Electric screwdriver
- Screws and nails
- Drywall
- Joint compound
- Paint
- Large sheets of plastic
- Design books
Review home design books and magazines to visualize the look you want for your new space. It’s better to know the end result you’re after before you start knocking out walls. Figure out how to tear out drywall and remove framework in stages to keep the interior mess under control. Hang sheets of plastic between work areas and the rest of your house to keep down dust.
Work from a detailed plan on graph paper. Use one square of graph paper to represent 6 inches for your new floor plan. Sketch all windows, closets and hallway space by viewing the new space from above. Draw furniture into a finished version of the plan as well. Remove all furniture and clothing from the two bedrooms and store in a garage area or end of a family room.
Begin to disassemble the framework between the two rooms. Have a building expert on hand to determine if you are removing a load-bearing wall. If so, you will need to build a support beam and support posts into the opening between the two rooms. Otherwise, your upper floor may sag or you might damage the structure of the house. Once you’ve supported the home’s structure by sufficient framing, you can begin the process of reworking the space into one large room.
Carry off all drywall and lumber that will be discarded. Sweep the area as clean as possible. Set up sawhorses to measure new Sheetrock and trim for the new space. Install drywall and molding to cover up any exposed areas caused by removing the wall between the bedrooms. Rework the floor area to blend the rooms together where the adjoining wall once stood.
Enlarge or reposition exterior windows in the area, if needed. Call in an expert if you plan to cut framework inside exterior walls of your house. Framing and replacement of exterior wall surface is not a job for an amateur either.
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