When Louis Philippe got the call that his parents were moving back to Maine after living in Florida for 25 years, it didn’t take him long to respond.

Philippe, who rents rooms in his home, had two available, side by side. They were small — approximately 10 by 20 feet, big enough for a single person but cramped for a couple.

His cousin came over, saw in hand, to make a large framed cut-through. He kept the wall’s outer and upper perimeters intact and made the two formerly small rooms into a livable suite.

Philippe’s parents stayed there for two years, until they moved into their own place.

Eager to re-establish two separate rooms, Philippe put up a temporary, makeshift wall, which included large pieces of acoustic tile glued to insulation board, with a plastic accordion door on one side, and a heavy drape on the other.

He had added acoustic board beneath the drape, which Philippe (a musician) admits, “Works great in the studio but not for walls.”

Enter carpenter Steve Bilodeau of Handy Hands to put up a proper, permanent interior wall. For a professional carpenter, putting in an interior wall is pretty basic. For the average homeowner bent on a do-it-yourself project, it’s possible but not necessarily uncomplicated.

Many people today are putting up and taking down walls. Bilodeau says that it can often be cost-effective for a buyer to purchase an older style home and update its look. “A lot of houses now have an open concept … older homes had smaller bedrooms. It all depends on what the customer wants.” Punching through a wall can give that pleasing, larger look.

In Philippe’s home, restoring the original number of bedrooms made sense, as did having it professionally done. 

Basic steps for this project:

1) Remove all fasteners of the temporary wall.

2) Carefully remove the frame with a hammer and flat bar, salvaging any good material for future projects, which Philippe hopes to re-use someday (no comment, let’s just say I hope to be around to photograph whatever it becomes).

3) Put up 2-by-4-inch studs, securing them to floor and overhead plates.

4) Ensure everything lines up plumb.

5) Add soundproofing.

6) Framing it up/hammering up drywall and taping it.

7) Applying drywall mud and once thoroughly dry, sanding.

8) Paint the new wall, matching the existing room color or using a new color for the room for a fresh look.

If a completely new wall is being put up, it’s a bigger procedure, and details vary with the project’s specifications. 

The basics:

An interior wall consists of a skeleton of vertical 2-by-4-inch studs secured to horizontal plates on the floor and ceiling, although stud measurements can vary depending on factors such as extensive plumbing within the wall. This is covered with gypsum wallboard (drywall). If it’s a bathroom wall, water-resistant wallboard should be used.

The essential tools:

General materials include but are not limited to: 2-by-4-inch studs, stud-framing clips, screws/nails, basic tools such as hammer, power saw, sander, flexible-blade putty knife, drywall, drywall mud, joint tape, measuring tools, a level, screw gun or drill driver, step ladder, and optional soundproofing board.

There are multiple websites that describe building an interior wall in detail. My current favorite: www.hometips.com, which is Don Vandervort’s Home Tips website. 

Safety first:

My recent trip to Home Depot in South Portland revealed factors one needs to know about walls: Taking a wall down can be riskier than putting one up because of possible structural or electrical components. If it’s in an older building, there is potential risk for exposing toxic substances.

Contact your town office and local fire department regarding safety requirements and building codes.

You need a solid working knowledge of electricity if the wall contains any electrical wires. Other factors: Is your home used for daycare? Might it be considered a historic building? Will there be a window egress once the wall is put up? Bilodeau reminds, “There are codes for safety.”

The question of making this a do-it-yourself project requires careful research. Walls can be tricky. Materials and structure can be heavy. Using a professional may be the way to go, depending on the experience and expertise of the homeowner.

Carpenter/builder Mike White of Island Carpentry advises a novice to “read a good carpentry how-to manual” if not using a professional. As your mom used to say: Better safe than sorry!

As I left Louis Philippe’s house, I chuckled at his ingenuity as I glanced at the scrap pile of salvaged debris … and thought about what a great deck I could make with it.

Kathy Eliscu is a freelance writer who lives in Westbrook.