Metal Stud Framing Contractor in Houston, TX
Silverheels Construction is a metal stud framing contractor in Houston, TX. We handle non-structural, light-gauge interior framing for commercial spaces — partitions, demising walls, ceiling grids, soffits and bulkheads — framed to your drawing set and ready for drywall. Free estimates.
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Silverheels Construction handles metal stud framing in Houston for commercial and tenant spaces. Commercial interior walls are framed in metal, not wood, and metal stud framing is its own skill — track and stud layout, proper spacing, and headers and blocking at openings and wherever fixtures or millwork will mount. We do light gauge framing for partitions, demising walls, drywall ceilings, soffits and bulkheads, then detail head-of-wall and deflection where the framing meets the structure above. Our metal frame installation is laid out to the drawing set so the walls land where they belong and the next trades can start clean.
Metal stud framing for commercial partitions and demising walls
Most commercial interior walls start as metal. We set bottom track to the floor layout, plumb and space studs, and run top track at the structure or ceiling line. Partitions get framed to the height and rating the drawings call for, and demising walls between tenant spaces get the stud depth and spacing that let them carry their full-height assembly.
Openings are where framing earns its keep. We build headers at doors and borrowed lites, add jamb studs and blocking, and set backing for anything that mounts to the wall later — grab bars, millwork, casework, wall-hung fixtures and monitors. Get the blocking right during framing and nobody is cutting open finished commercial drywall to chase it afterward.
Commercial metal framing also sets the pace for the whole interior. Straight, plumb, properly spaced studs give every trade behind us a clean reference, and they give the board a flat plane to hang on.
Light gauge vs structural framing — what we take on and what we don't
Here is the plain line on scope: structural steel and load-bearing framing are not what we do. We do non-structural, light-gauge interior framing — the walls, ceilings and soffits that divide and finish a space, not the framing that holds the building up.
Light gauge framing is thinner-wall steel sized for interior partitions and finishes. It carries drywall, doors, backing and its own weight, plus lateral bracing at the top. Anything that carries building loads — beams, columns, bearing walls, the primary frame — is a structural specialist's scope and is left to the trade that owns it. We make no engineering claims about structural members; we frame the interior to the non-structural details on the drawings.
If a job mixes the two, we stay in our lane. The load-bearing portion is a separate scope we don't take on, and we coordinate our light-gauge work around it.
Framing for drywall ceilings, soffits, bulkheads and clouds
Ceilings and overhead features are framed before board goes up. We frame drywall ceilings, dropped soffits, bulkheads over casework and corridors, and floating clouds — hung and braced off the structure above to the heights and reveals the reflected ceiling plan shows.
Soffits and bulkheads take real layout. We frame the faces plumb and the bottoms flat, leave the right access and clearances for whatever lands inside them, and keep the framing square so the finished corners are clean. Clouds get perimeter framing that holds a crisp edge and a consistent reveal.
All of it is drywall framing: the metal grid and support that the board and finish attach to. We build it to receive the ceiling so the finish trade has a true plane to work from.
Head-of-wall and deflection detailing
Where a full-height wall meets the structure overhead, the top of the wall needs room to move. Floors and roofs above deflect, and a wall framed tight to them will crack or buckle. Head-of-wall detailing handles that movement.
We frame the top track and stud connection to the deflection detail on the drawings — slotted track or a deep-leg track that lets the deck move without loading the studs, with the firestopping and closure the detail calls for at rated walls. The studs stay free to the structure while the wall stays braced against lateral push.
We follow the detail as drawn and coordinate the head-of-wall condition with whatever runs along the deck above so the movement joint actually stays free.
Gypsum underlayment and floor leveling
On commercial jobs the floor is rarely as flat as the finishes need. Gypsum underlayment is a poured, self-leveling floor topping that fills low spots and gives flooring a flat, sound base. We place it where the drawings call for floor leveling under tile, resilient flooring or carpet.
It also ties into framing. Partition track sits better on a level floor, and a consistent slab-to-ceiling dimension keeps wall heights and door frames working out. We coordinate the pour with the framing and flooring sequence so the underlayment goes down at the right stage and cures before the next trade starts.
Floor flatness is a cost and schedule driver more than people expect — the worse the existing slab, the more leveling it takes, so we flag it early.
Working to a drawing set and coordinating with other trades
We frame to the drawing set — floor plans, partition types, ceiling plans and the wall and head-of-wall details — not to a sketch on site. The partition schedule tells us stud depth, spacing, height and rating for each wall type, and we build to it.
Framing is also the stage where other trades get what they need. We leave openings, chases and backing so the work that runs inside and mounts to our walls has a clear path, and we hold our schedule so the trades behind us can load in. Anything outside our scope is the trade that owns it — we frame around it and coordinate the hand-off.
Good coordination up front is what keeps a job from stalling. When the framing matches the drawings and the other trades' needs are built in, the board, finish and fit-out all go faster.
Frequently asked questions
Do you do structural or load-bearing metal framing?
No. We do non-structural, light-gauge interior framing — partitions, demising walls, ceilings and soffits. Load-bearing framing and structural steel are a structural specialist's scope and are left to the trade that owns it. We make no engineering claims about structural members.
What is the difference between light gauge and structural framing?
Light gauge framing is thinner-wall steel used for interior walls, ceilings and finishes — it carries drywall, doors and backing, not building loads. Structural framing carries the building and is a separate scope we don't take on. We stay with the non-structural, light-gauge interior work.
Can you frame drywall ceilings, soffits and bulkheads?
Yes. We frame drywall ceilings, dropped soffits, bulkheads and floating clouds to the reflected ceiling plan, braced off the structure above, so the finish trade has a flat, true plane to board and finish.
Do you install the drywall too, or just the framing?
We can do both. The metal frame installation gives the board a flat, plumb plane to hang on, and our commercial drywall work can follow the framing so the wall goes from layout to finished board under one scope.
What is gypsum underlayment and do I need it?
Gypsum underlayment is a poured, self-leveling floor topping that flattens an uneven slab before flooring goes down. You need it where the drawings call for floor leveling or where the existing slab is too rough for the finish flooring. We coordinate the pour with the framing and flooring sequence.
What areas around Houston do you frame in?
We take metal stud framing work across the Houston area — downtown, midtown, the Galleria, the Energy Corridor, Westchase, Sugar Land, The Woodlands and Katy. Send over your drawing set and we will put together a free estimate.
Service areas
- Downtown
- Midtown
- Galleria
- Energy Corridor
- Westchase
- Sugar Land
- The Woodlands
- Katy