How to Hang a Wall From a Ceiling to Divide a Room

Hanging a Soft Wall

• 1

  Move a stud finder across the ceiling at the approximate location of the divider wall and mark the location of the ceiling joists. The ceiling joists will run parallel or perpendicular to the wall. If the joists run in the same direction as the new divider wall, locate the closest joist for the actual location of the wall. Joists are evenly spaced across the ceiling. If the joists run perpendicular to the new dividing wall, you can position the divider wall anywhere on the ceiling.

• 2

  Measure away from the nearest wall parallel to your new divider wall. Mark two locations centered on a single joist or centered on any two perpendicular joists. Snap a chalk line by pulling a string covered with chalk from a chalk box. Hold the string over the two marks. Lift the string and snap it down. The string will leave a straight chalk line between the two marks.

• 3

  Mount a ceiling curtain track system to the ceiling. Cut the track to the wall length you need. Add one end cap. Screw a bracket centered on a joist for every 4 feet of curtain track. Press the track into the brackets. Slide plastic sliders into the track and finish with the second end cap. Attach your curtain, string, beads, chain or other soft material to the sliders to create a soft wall hanging from the ceiling.

Hang a Hard Wall From the Ceiling

• 4

  Locate your ceiling joists using a stud finder and mark the joists at the location of the new divider wall. A hard wall is made of hard material like a barn door or several attached doors. Hard walls can consist of smaller pieces that can be pushed to one side, or can hang fixed as a single panel.

• 5

  Cut your sliding door track to the correct length using a saw rated for the type of metal you are cutting. Screw track brackets into the center of a joist every 2 to 3 feet. Use the fasteners provided by the track manufacturer and screw them directly into the joists. Typically, this type of track has a hanging J shape.

• 6

  Mount the reciprocal inverted J shape track to the top of your wall material. Some systems use rollers and several tracks to allow you to create a wall that can be pushed to one side in smaller units. Follow the manufacturer's directions on installing the brackets or rollers for your particular system