Westover Commercial Metal Stud Framing & Drywall Upfit | Fayetteville NC

Commercial steel stud partition walls framed to the acoustic ceiling grid in Westover

Phase 1 • Structural Layout & Framing

Powder-Actuated Slab Layout & Steel Studs

To divide an open commercial floor plate into functional private offices and central circulation corridors, our crew handled the entire structural partition buildout. Commercial upfits require plumb alignments and rigid door framing that resist the daily impact of commercial traffic.

Powder-Actuated Slab Fastening: Runner tracks were snapped to architectural chalk lines and shot directly into the reinforced concrete slab using powder-actuated fasteners.
Top Track Ceiling Tie-In: Upper tracks were aligned and fastened overhead directly to the acoustical drop-ceiling grid and framing structure.
20-Gauge Light Steel Studs: Plumbed and friction-fit studs at 16-inch centers, locking them into the runners with pan-head framing screws for rigid vertical partitions.
Solid Wood Jamb Backing: Inside all rough door openings, we boxed the steel studs and installed solid dimensional wood framing bucks to provide structural holding power for heavy commercial door hinges and strike plates.

10-foot commercial drywall hung vertically along office hallway partition

Phase 2 • Commercial Drywall Hanging

10-Foot Vertical Sheetrock Installation

In standard 10-foot commercial ceiling drops, hanging 8-foot boards horizontally creates long horizontal butt joints that run the full length of the hallway. Under high-lumen commercial LED troffers, those mid-wall joints are notoriously prone to shadowing.

Continuous 10-Foot Panels: We sourced full 10-foot commercial gypsum boards and hung them vertically from floor plate to the acoustic ceiling grid line.
Zero Horizontal Butt Joints: Vertical installation eliminated mid-wall horizontal seams entirely, confining taping to factory recessed edges that feather flat under critical corridor lighting.
Rigid Screw Fastening: Fastened to the 20-gauge steel studs using fine-thread self-piercing drywall screws driven flush below the paper face without breaking the gypsum core.

Finished commercial office corridor painted in satin with cased door openings

Phase 3 • Taping, Doors & Coatings

Level 4 Corridor Mudding & Interior Finishes

With sheetrock hung and inspected, our finishing crew prepped the partition walls for high-traffic durability and clean presentation.

Corner Bead Reinforcement: Clinched and fastened metal corner beads along all corridor returns, squared openings, and partition corners to protect edges from cart and equipment impacts.
Multi-Pass Level 4 Mudding: Taped and bedded all vertical joints with setting compound, followed by two wide skim coats of lightweight topping mud sanded flat to a commercial Level 4 standard.
Two-Panel Door Package: Hung 2-panel interior passage doors into the wood-backed steel frames, squared the jambs, and secured mitered finish casing.
Durable Commercial Coatings: Applied commercial PVA primer followed by washable satin wall paint across all office suites and corridors, finishing doors and trim in crisp semi-gloss enamel.

Jobsite Progression & Upfit Walkthrough

Documented jobsite records walking from bare concrete slab and steel layout to finished office corridors.

Powder-actuated fastening tool on concrete slab during steel runner track layout

Layout Stage

Track Fastening to Slab

Steel runner tracks pinned to the concrete slab using powder-actuated fasteners under acoustic grid.

Light gauge steel stud partitions framing office suites and corridor

Metal Framing

20ga Steel Partition Studs

Plumb 20-gauge studs framed to 10-foot ceiling drop with boxed door headers.

Framing layout of commercial office partitions and door headers

Office Layout

Door Header & Jamb Detail

Boxed jamb studs and solid framing headers laid out for private office suites.

10-foot drywall hung vertically inside private office suite

Board Hanging

10-Foot Vertical Sheetrock

Full 10ft boards hung vertically to avoid horizontal butt joints below the grid.

Drywall boards hung flush around commercial door opening

Drywall Phase

Cased Opening Drywall Fit

Panels fastened tight around wood-backed steel door frames ready for corner bead.

Corridor drywall taped, bedded, and floated with corner bead on opening

Level 4 Mudding

Corner Bead & Taped Seams

Metal corner beads set on openings and multi-pass mud floats along the office corridor.

Bright commercial corridor painted in satin with clean door cutouts

Finished Trade

Commercial Corridor Satin

Completed corridor painted in washable satin under bright 2x4 fluorescent troffers.

2-panel commercial interior door hung, cased, and painted in semi-gloss

Door Package

Wood-Backed Door Installation

2-panel passage door hung into wood-backed frame, trimmed in casing, and coated in semi-gloss.

Project Specifications Summary

Commercial jobsite specifications, steel gauges, and coating systems for the Westover buildout.

Location & Project Scope

Neighborhood: Westover Commercial District, Fayetteville, NC.
Space Type: Commercial office upfit / tenant division.
Initial State: Open floor plate with concrete slab and drop ceiling.
Execution: Single-source delivery from framing layout to final paint.

Framing & Drywall Substrates

Metal Studs: 20-gauge light structural steel studs at 16" on center.
Track Fastening: Powder-actuated pins shot into concrete slab.
Drywall Layout: Full 10-foot sheets hung vertically to eliminate butt joints.
Door Openings: Solid wood backing installed inside steel jamb studs.

Finishing & Millwork

Mudding Standard: Level 4 commercial mud float, taped and feathered.
Wall Finish: Two coats of durable, washable interior satin paint.
Doors & Trim: 2-panel interior passage doors coated in semi-gloss enamel.
Corner Protection: Metal corner beads installed on all cased opening corners.

Commercial Steel Stud Framing, 10ft Drywall & Office Upfit