How to Make Part of a Room Elevated

Measure the area you want to elevate. If your elevated floor is temporary or cannot be nailed to the existing walls then measure from inside your baseboard to inside your baseboard. When you nail the new floor to the walls, measure from wall to wall. Cut pieces of 2-by-6-inch boards to fit your measurements and the shape of the area.

Stand the boards on their long 2-inch sides. Nail the boards together using three to four nails per board end. Use a framing nail gun.

Place your tape measure parallel with your longest board with the end of the tape resting on the inside of an adjacent board. Measure 16 inches and mark. Mark every 16 inches until you reach the opposite side. Cut a 2-by-6-inch board 16 inches long to use as a guide. Place your tape measure perpendicular with your longest board with the end of the tape resting on the inside of an adjacent board. Measure to the inside of the parallel board. Cut boards to this length, one for each marked spot.

Position a board at your first mark. Use your 16-inch guide board as a spacer to keep the board straight with the end board. Nail three to four nails through the sides of the perpendicular boards into each end of the new 2-by-6-inch board. This is a joist for the elevated floor.

Measure, cut and nail your next board using the spacer to keep the boards evenly spaced apart. Continue across the floor. Cut a 2-by-6-inch board to 16 inches for every 4-feet length of floor joists. Position your 16-inch blocks staggered between your joists and nail through the sides of the joists into the ends of the blocks.

Move your floor into position in the room. Nail the floor platform to the wall at the wall studs if it is permanent. Measure and cut 3/4-inch plywood to fit the top of the platform tight to the walls. Mark the location of your joists on the plywood. Over hang the step area by 1 inch. Nail the plywood to the top of the platform. Stagger your joints.