How to Close in a Carport to Make a Room

Use wooden framing as the skeleton for the walls.

If you are looking to expand the amount of usable living space in your home but building an addition is out of the question, remodel an existing space. If you have a carport, enclosing it can be the answer. This is a project which will require some professional installation to be done, such as electrical and plumbing work, but you, the homeowner, can do some of the work.

Things You'll Need

• Pressure-treated 2-inch by 4-inch boards
• Masonry screws
• 2-inch by 4-inch boards
• Tape measure
• Saw
• Safety goggles
• Hammer
• Nails
• Level
• Assistant
• 3/4-inch plywood sheathing
• Electrician
• Plumber
• Fiberglass insulation
• Drywall
• Drywall screws
• Joint compound
• Drywall tape
• Roofing paper
• Staple gun
• Door
• Windows
• Wooden shingles, siding, brick or stone for exterior finish
• Primer
• Paintbrushes
• Paint
• Carpet, tile or hardwood for the floor

Instructions

1. Install sill plates on the cement floor of the carport where you are building the walls. These are pressure-treated 2-by-4 boards that connect the wooden wall frames to the floor. Leave an opening along the floor for the door. Attach the sill plates to the floor with masonry screws.

2. Lay two2-by-4 boards on top of one of the sill plates and measure the distance between their top edge and bottom of the roof. This gives you the height of the wall studs.

3. Measure and cut 2-by-4 boards for the wall studs. Generally, the studs need to be no more than 16 inches apart, but follow your local building codes as it can vary by municipality. Divide the length of the walls in inches by 16 (or whatever spacing your building codes call for) to determine how many studs you need to cut.

4. Nail a stud to each end of one of the 2-by-4 boards that is going to be nailed to the sill plate (the bottom plate) so that it forms a "U".

5. Nail studs into the bottom plate between the end studs.

6. Nail a 2-by-4 to the tops of the studs. This is the top plate.

7. Lift the wall frame into position (you will need help with this step). Check the frame for level (horizontally straight) and plumb (vertically straight), and nail it to the sill plate and the ceiling.

8. Construct and raise the frames for the other walls, using the same technique. Build the frame for the door and any windows into the framing following your local building codes.

9. Nail 3/4-inch plywood sheathing to the outside of the wall framing. Stagger each row of boards to strengthen the walls, and cut in openings for the door and windows.

10. Hire an electrician and plumber to install any electrical or plumbing work that needs to be done. This work must be done by certified professionals.

11. Install fiberglass insulation between the wall studs and ceiling joists.

12. Hang drywall on the ceiling joists and wall studs by screwing it into place with drywall screws. Apply joint compound and drywall tape to the joints between the different sheets.

13. Cover the sheathing on the outside of the carport with roofing paper. Flatten the paper against the boards and staple it every 6 inches. Begin at the bottom, and overlap the edges of different sheets of paper by about 4 inches.

14. Install the door and windows, following the manufacturer's instructions.

15. Install the exterior finish on the carport. This can be wooden shingles, siding, brick or stone. Hiring a contractor to do this may be your best bet.

16. Prime and paint the interior walls.

17. Install the new floor surface. Options include carpet, tile and hardwood.

Tips & Warnings

• Contact your local zoning board to acquire any needed permits and to learn the building codes you must follow.

• Wear safety goggles when sawing the wood.

References

• Finish a Basement.com: How to Frame a Wall
• The Family Handyman.com: How to Install Drywall
• This Old House: How to Insulate a Wall; Tom Silva
• Home Renovation Zone: How to Enclose a Carport; May 27, 2009