How to Attach a Mudroom to Your House

Select an area for the mudroom. It should be in an existing part of the house so that you can build simple walls around it -- carving a bit of space out of the garage might be the best choice. Measure 3 3/4 inches from an existing wall, then use a straightedge to mark 3 feet away from the center in both directions indicating where you want your new room to be attached. These measurements will create a mudroom that is 6 feet long.

Snap chalk lines along your measurements to indicate the specific placement of the walls; make sure the corners are perfectly square.

Mark out the positions for the soleplates to provide an accurate template onto which the timber frame can be nailed. Soleplates are the main supporting piece, the base on which the studs for the walls are placed.

Measure and cut the lumber for the first wall frame. Assemble the lumber -- soleplate, 8-foot-tall studs every 16 to 18 inches and a top plate -- using a framing nailer. Prior to anchoring this new wall frame to the existing wall, double-check your measurements to make sure everything is correct .

Measure and cut the lumber for the second wall and build it the same way as the first wall, assembling it with the framing nailer. Measure in the framing you want to create the door to your mud room.

Measure and cut lumber for the final wall and assemble it. Position the final wall and attach it to the other two walls.

Anchor the frames to the existing interior wall. Then anchor them to the floor with masonry screws.

Cover both the inside and outside of all of the framed walls with drywall, hammering the drywall into the studs. This means your drywall is attached to the frames that you just built.

Cut out the doorway using a rotary tool to remove the drywall.

Apply joint compound to cover the seams and nail holes on the exterior and interior drywall. Place a small blob of joint compound on the wall with a putty knife and use a wide putty knife to smooth the compound. Let it dry thoroughly.

Sand down the joint compound to a smooth surface so there will be no bumps in the walls when they are painted.

Attach thin metal drywall corner bead to all the corners of your walls to strengthen and cover the corner seams. Use a corner bead tool to help install the corner bead. Add a few screws to hold the metal in place.

Apply a layer of joint compound to the full length of the corner bead, covering all of it. Allow the joint compound to dry, then sand it to get rid of bumps.

Prime the walls and then paint them.