Basic Components of a Wall
A framed wall is a simple yet flexible design.
Precise placement of the studs horizontally and vertically is what makes the design so strong.
This two-by-four runs horizontally and rests on the floor.
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At the top, they will connect with the top plates.
Generally, it’s safest to space the studs every 16 inches.
Top Plates (Horizontal)
Paralleling the bottom plate are two top plates, also two-by-fours.
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This plate connects to the tops of the vertical studs and to the ceiling.
For large projects,calculate the number of materialswith an online calculator or manually.
Prepare a large section of floor to work on.
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The floor should be perfectly flat.
Stack Plates
Choose the two-by-fours that you intend to be the wall’s plates.
Lay them on edge, side-by-side.
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With the square, verify that the ends are perfectly lined up.
Temporarily hold the studs in place with a C-clamp or a bar clamp.
execute the tape measure the entire length of the plates to the end and lock it in place.
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With the pencil, mark every 16-inch increment on the stud until you reach the end of the board.
With theSpeed Square, spin up the mark across both plates.
These are the on-center locations for each vertical stud.
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Do not remove the tape measure.
To do this, mark backward 3/4 inch from each of the previous on-center marks.
So, an on-center measurement of 16 inches would also be marked backward to 15 1/4 inches.
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Leave the on-center marks in place but “X” them out to avoid confusion.
Continue Measurements to Face
Rotate the two-by-fours a quarter-turn each so that they are now laying flat.
With the Speed Square and pencil, continue the edge marks across the faces.
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Sight down each of the vertical studs to determine the crown or curvature direction.
Lay each stud with the crown facing upward.
If any stud’s crown differs from that of the other studs, remove it from this project.
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Leave the lower of the two top plates full length.
The plate that rests on top of that plate should be cut 3 1/2 inches shorter.
This allows the adjoining corner wall to interlock at the top.
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Raise Wall
Snap a chalk line on the floor where you want the wall frame to run.
With an assistant, tilt the wall frame up and move it into place along the chalk line.
Drive nails about every 24 inches down the two adjoining boards.
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Joists are not visible.
They are located under the subfloor.
Nail between the joists, too, wherever possible.
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If the floor is concrete, use apowder-actuated nailerto attach the bottom plate to the concrete.
Permits and Codes
Most communities will require you to apply for abuilding permitbefore building a wall.
Or, it may come under the broad designation ofchanging the interior space, either structurally or non-structurally.
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Interior wallsare typically framed with 3 1/2-inch nails.
Screws should not be used for framing, and manybuilding codesrequire the use of nails.
Nails are less likely to break over time.
The Spruce / Kevin Norris
The Spruce / Kevin Norris
