# Walls---how to make



## rachelfoxy (Jul 24, 2020)

Hey everyone....I am trying to come up with a way to make walls that are cheap but that will also hold things. I need about 300 ft to do the haunted house I am wanting to do. Ive been planning on renting big partitions with drapes and was going to go that route until I heard the price of them! So I am wondering if there has been anyone who has made walls cheaply but not look cheap and strong as well. My party is October 21 and I am starting to really stress out about it. I guess I could always scale it down and not rent so much but hoping someone has some good ideas. Thank you in advance!
Rachel


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## Restless Acres (Apr 21, 2016)

300 linear feet of walls? As in, walls totalling 300 feet in length? Indoors I assume? Because outdoors walls are next level. Indoor no bargain either of course.

I mean if you are talking 300 linear feet...but you can't be. Strong (to hold things) and cheap no longer go together. At all.

Plus you don't mention height. What type of things you are thinking of hanging.


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## rachelfoxy (Jul 24, 2020)

yes 300 linear feet...mostly just to make hallways....but hanging pictures on some of them. I think it will be lame just having drapes the whole way through it so would also want to hang maybe plastic cover over it to make them look more like flat walls.


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## Restless Acres (Apr 21, 2016)

rachelfoxy said:


> yes 300 linear feet...mostly just to make hallways....but hanging pictures on some of them. I think it will be lame just having drapes the whole way through it so would also want to hang maybe plastic cover over it to make them look more like flat walls.


300 linear feet is a complete nonstarter. You didn't even answer my questions on height, indoor or outdoor. If you are this unserious I cannot advise you.


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## rachelfoxy (Jul 24, 2020)

wow such judgement. I don't know what you mean about 300 feet being complete nonstarter. Are you thinking it isn't enough? You didn't ask me the height that I saw hence why I didn't answer. This is indoors at a venue and I am taking half of the space and making this. It is simply to make a maze/hallways. This is my first time making something like this. I am also using some of the existing walls to help with it. You are not obligated to advise me I was hoping someone would have some ideas for me.


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## TXYardHaunter (Aug 23, 2021)

Restless Aces is a wealth on knowledge here and being disrespectful is not a way to get help. Instead of apologizing and explaining you decided to be rude to him.
This is a scenario we have all been in. This is a “pick two” scenario:
FAST, CHEAP, QUALITY. Pick two.
this member was trying to help advise and you just attacked him. What else could you possibly want?!


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## CharlzO (Oct 18, 2019)

TXYardHaunter said:


> Restless Aces is a wealth on knowledge here and being disrespectful is not a way to get help. Instead of apologizing and explaining you decided to be rude to him.
> This is a scenario we have all been in. This is a “pick two” scenario:
> FAST, CHEAP, QUALITY. Pick two.
> this member was trying to help advise and you just attacked him. What else could you possibly want?!


 I know I'm new here, and such, but it's a two way street. I'm not discounting anyone's knowledge, but when Rachel replied with hanging pictures but neglected top mention height or other details that it sounds like should've been inferred to be known, they were treated with "If you are this unserious I cannot advise you." Wealth of knowledge or not, someone not realizing what someone was asking or not, that sentence to many people would be considered to be rude in itself. Not saying they were trying to be, but I would've certainly taken it that way myself, especially if I just didn't give a 10 point diagram on everything that I had already admitted I didn't know enough about. So as I said, from an outside perspective knowing neither member, it seems to be both sides with equal footing.

Back to the original question, I want to ask a few more details. First, budget. Second, are you going to be in a position where wood of any sort would be an option, likewise with the space to put supports? Bare basics, you could do 2x3 studs with some thin plywood sheathing. 4 studs, single sheet of ply, gives you a 4x8 panel. You would need extra lumber to add support legs behind, and if you're looking at hallways, you could put some additional bracing across the top of the hallway area, etc. Doing it that way would give you enough support for pictures, would be light enough to maneuver into place and then support, and plenty of surface area for most other things. You aren't going for full on structural, so 2x3 and light ply would be plenty. Depending on where you find materials, even a box store like Lowes would run you about $20-30 per section. That's 4' though, so multiply that by a ways and suddenly you're looking at upwards of $2000 for a 300' overall length.

The other option would be using a combination of wall sections like that but only in the areas you need to have strength for props or pictures, and then use drapery and other tricks in between the gaps to narrow down your cost. But then maybe budget isn't an issue, which makes that a moot point. Honestly, that's probably the way I would do it. Map out how you want your path to go, see if there's areas that definitely need real walls, and the areas you can skirt with other materials, and go from there.


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## rachelfoxy (Jul 24, 2020)

CharlzO said:


> I know I'm new here, and such, but it's a two way street. I'm not discounting anyone's knowledge, but when Rachel replied with hanging pictures but neglected top mention height or other details that it sounds like should've been inferred to be known, they were treated with "If you are this unserious I cannot advise you." Wealth of knowledge or not, someone not realizing what someone was asking or not, that sentence to many people would be considered to be rude in itself. Not saying they were trying to be, but I would've certainly taken it that way myself, especially if I just didn't give a 10 point diagram on everything that I had already admitted I didn't know enough about. So as I said, from an outside perspective knowing neither member, it seems to be both sides with equal footing.
> 
> Back to the original question, I want to ask a few more details. First, budget. Second, are you going to be in a position where wood of any sort would be an option, likewise with the space to put supports? Bare basics, you could do 2x3 studs with some thin plywood sheathing. 4 studs, single sheet of ply, gives you a 4x8 panel. You would need extra lumber to add support legs behind, and if you're looking at hallways, you could put some additional bracing across the top of the hallway area, etc. Doing it that way would give you enough support for pictures, would be light enough to maneuver into place and then support, and plenty of surface area for most other things. You aren't going for full on structural, so 2x3 and light ply would be plenty. Depending on where you find materials, even a box store like Lowes would run you about $20-30 per section. That's 4' though, so multiply that by a ways and suddenly you're looking at upwards of $2000 for a 300' overall length.
> 
> The other option would be using a combination of wall sections like that but only in the areas you need to have strength for props or pictures, and then use drapery and other tricks in between the gaps to narrow down your cost. But then maybe budget isn't an issue, which makes that a moot point. Honestly, that's probably the way I would do it. Map out how you want your path to go, see if there's areas that definitely need real walls, and the areas you can skirt with other materials, and go from there.


Thank you! This is the information I was looking for. I want to do it as cheap as possible. the party is costing me close to 10,000. It was a party that was supposed to be for my 50th birthday. Covid hit and I had to postpone to this year. But It is going to be a Haunted house/disco party. So you have to go through the haunted house to get in to the disco party. So it is starting to add up. I have already purchased a long squeeze hallway to enter the party but my thoughts were to just have creepy hallways and a few rooms. Nothing gory or bloody just creepy and scary feeling hence the hallways I am wanting to make. I didn't realize that I would need to give the whole detailed list of my party. and what I was doing but apparently this is what people are needing to help give ideas? Thank you for say what you did, I did feel attacked and didn't realize that he wanted so many details to be able to advise. I didn't think my response was rude at all just responding to him. So yes there are two sides to it all. Thank you for being willing to give me ideas as I am trying to cut some costs if possible. I like the idea of not sturdy walls on where I am not hanging things. Thank you!


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## rachelfoxy (Jul 24, 2020)

TXYardHaunter said:


> Restless Aces is a wealth on knowledge here and being disrespectful is not a way to get help. Instead of apologizing and explaining you decided to be rude to him.
> This is a scenario we have all been in. This is a “pick two” scenario:
> FAST, CHEAP, QUALITY. Pick two.
> this member was trying to help advise and you just attacked him. What else could you possibly want?!


agreed, I don't want help from someone rude. I think he thinks I know more than I actually do about any of this. I truly just wanted ideas not to be slammed for what I am doing.


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## rachelfoxy (Jul 24, 2020)

rachelfoxy said:


> agreed, I don't want help from someone rude. I think he thinks I know more than I actually do about any of this. I truly just wanted ideas not to be slammed for what I am doing.


I am also curious what you think I needed to apologize for? saying wow such judgment?


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## Restless Acres (Apr 21, 2016)

I apologize for being short with my earlier comment. I do that from time to time. Sigh.

The walls question comes up with some regularity on this site. There is probably some good stuff there if you search for it. There are a number of questions that recur over time here. 

Again, my apologies.


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## rachelfoxy (Jul 24, 2020)

Restless Acres said:


> I apologize for being short with my earlier comment. I do that from time to time. Sigh.
> 
> The walls question comes up with some regularity on this site. There is probably some good stuff there if you search for it. There are a number of questions that recur over time here.
> 
> Again, my apologies.


no worries...honestly your comment made me think I am doing this all wrong and made me worry.....I really truly am an amateur just trying to make something simple and easy. I hope I measured right because your comment about the 300 ft worries me. Is that a lot or not hardly anything in your eyes? lol. Thank you for the information and I am sorry if I sounded rude back it was not at all my intention. I will try to search and see if I can find something else on the site. I just want very basic and simple


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## Restless Acres (Apr 21, 2016)

rachelfoxy said:


> no worries...honestly your comment made me think I am doing this all wrong and made me worry.....I really truly am an amateur just trying to make something simple and easy. I hope I measured right because your comment about the 300 ft worries me. Is that a lot or not hardly anything in your eyes? lol. Thank you for the information and I am sorry if I sounded rude back it was not at all my intention. I will try to search and see if I can find something else on the site. I just want very basic and simple


I think someone earlier had a very good post about using tricks (curtain walls etc, etc) to minimize actual sections of prop bearing walls you need to create. Certainly maximize use of the actual walls of the facility. Maybe literally have it be an L or even use three of the interior walls and wrap it around, and make it a straight line walk-thru. This also helps out when it comes to electrical outlets, as there should be ones along the exterior walls. No self respecting facility would let you tempirarily bring electricity to the interior of a haunted house in space. 

I helped build out a seasonal charity haunted house in the middle of a warehouse once, and between erecting the walls (which were already built in sections that they inherited from another haunt), electric, tarping over the "house", decorating the interior, took hundreds of man-hours. It was such a production that they burned out the hard-core volunteers and they closed up shop the next year, after like thirty years of operation (it had previously been more modest, and I think this was the first year they built out a walled space in a warehouse). Just because they bit off more than they could chew that one year. And those walls had already been built!

In my opinion, lighting is the biggest bang for you buck (and time). Get some LED blacklights (do not use incandescent, ever) and plan around those.


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## CharlzO (Oct 18, 2019)

One other thing that I hadn't thought of, was depending on your layout, you may be able to use both sides of most of your walls, if you end up with kind of a maze-like layout. It's a very common thing (that I've seen anyway) when limited on space, to have your runs going back and forth and that would enable you to just use the backside of another wall. Have you tried sketching out your ideas on paper, to give yourself an idea of your layout? I know when I was trying to visualize prop layouts earlier this week, I could walk my halls all day and not think but the moment I started writing out a first-person POV walkthrough, it all fell into place. Also might help if we had an idea of overall area size you're working with, too, to see if there's any other constraints that might jump out to someone else that others hadn't caught yet.


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## Restless Acres (Apr 21, 2016)

rachelfoxy said:


> no worries...honestly your comment made me think I am doing this all wrong and made me worry.....I really truly am an amateur just trying to make something simple and easy. I hope I measured right because your comment about the 300 ft worries me. Is that a lot or not hardly anything in your eyes? lol. Thank you for the information and I am sorry if I sounded rude back it was not at all my intention. I will try to search and see if I can find something else on the site. I just want very basic and simple


In my opinion, building 300 linear feet of walls is a massive project, that I personally would not attempt even for an annual haunt, and I am very handy. And that's not factoring in decorating. It would just take a lot lot of time and effort, and, increasingly, money. 

You know, for 10g (or much less) you could rent out a pro haunt for a Wednesday or Tuesday night (and have them incorporate your own ideas), dinner and drinks for everybody, party bus. Just thinking out loud. Doing a build out for a single night is a lot. I question the effort I put into my haunt and it is much more modest. 50th is special though, no doubt!


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## SquirrelGoneWild (Oct 7, 2020)

CharlzO said:


> I know I'm new here, and such, but it's a two way street. I'm not discounting anyone's knowledge, but when Rachel replied with hanging pictures but neglected top mention height or other details that it sounds like should've been inferred to be known, they were treated with "If you are this unserious I cannot advise you." Wealth of knowledge or not, someone not realizing what someone was asking or not, that sentence to many people would be considered to be rude in itself. Not saying they were trying to be, but I would've certainly taken it that way myself, especially if I just didn't give a 10 point diagram on everything that I had already admitted I didn't know enough about. So as I said, from an outside perspective knowing neither member, it seems to be both sides with equal footing.
> 
> Back to the original question, I want to ask a few more details. First, budget. Second, are you going to be in a position where wood of any sort would be an option, likewise with the space to put supports? Bare basics, you could do 2x3 studs with some thin plywood sheathing. 4 studs, single sheet of ply, gives you a 4x8 panel. You would need extra lumber to add support legs behind, and if you're looking at hallways, you could put some additional bracing across the top of the hallway area, etc. Doing it that way would give you enough support for pictures, would be light enough to maneuver into place and then support, and plenty of surface area for most other things. You aren't going for full on structural, so 2x3 and light ply would be plenty. Depending on where you find materials, even a box store like Lowes would run you about $20-30 per section. That's 4' though, so multiply that by a ways and suddenly you're looking at upwards of $2000 for a 300' overall length.
> 
> The other option would be using a combination of wall sections like that but only in the areas you need to have strength for props or pictures, and then use drapery and other tricks in between the gaps to narrow down your cost. But then maybe budget isn't an issue, which makes that a moot point. Honestly, that's probably the way I would do it. Map out how you want your path to go, see if there's areas that definitely need real walls, and the areas you can skirt with other materials, and go from there.


I can add to what ChartzO said. I'm current building walls for my display and I'm using 2x3 studs. But to get more out of my 2x3 studs, I've been cutting them in half. This allows me to get two boards out of one as well as making the panel weight slightly less. I use foam insulation panel instead of plywood not for cost but because I need to be able to carve a stone pattern into the wall. The pictures below are the walls I'm building using 2x3 studs that have been cut in half using a table saw.


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## [email protected] (Jan 8, 2018)

This guy just posted his video on quick easy how to on walls looks like something you might check out.
Walls


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## CharlzO (Oct 18, 2019)

[email protected] said:


> This guy just posted his video on quick easy how to on walls looks like something you might check out.
> Walls


Wouldn't work for the sections that need to have pictures or props hanging, but might be a good option for those filler spaces that can do without a solid form. I vote to cover it with Vaseline so that anyone that decides to run their hands along the walls for 'safety' gets a nice gooey surprise


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