Feature Wall Consctruction

Hi all you guru's I was wondering if I could get some advise.... We are going to build a feature wall at the end of a pergola extension.

The panel which I need to enclose is about 2.1m in height, and approximately 1300mm in width. What I want to be able to do is to fix a frame of some sort inside this span, which will adequately allow me to fix fibro cement sheets to the front, which will end up being water proofed, and 3-4 300x450mm tiles affixed using a rubber adhesive.

What I would like to know, should I build a full frame with studs and noggins, to allow support for the cement sheeting, or should I just get away with a couple of cross beam, and risk them sagging in the middle.

I was planning to build the frame using 70x35 treated pine, to allow the cement sheets to be flush with the 90x90 posts on either side.....

Is this the right path to go down? or is it overkill?


If anyone could offer me some options and if your feeling kind, maybe some scribbles of the options that would be greatly apprecaited.

You're only talking about 3 square metres of wall here.

If it were my wall, I would frame out the space with 30x70 on top & bottom & both sides then fill in some studs at 450mm spacing. You can use less of course, but it would be noticibly wobbley if you were to touch it. Some people use 600mm stud spacing for non-load bearing walls - but I think they feels a bit wobbley if you lean on them. For your application, you only need about 10m of timber to do a stiff frame, which will cost about $25. I suggest you do that.

i was thinking of box frame with studs, and maybe on or two noggins in each spacing.

Thanks for that.... off to price timber now me thinks... :)