Home and Garden | Framing Walls - Inside Wall

Before you can lay out a wall for framing, you need to know how typical wood-frame walls are constructed. All walls have a bottom or soleplate, a top plate (doubled in bearing walls), and vertical supports called studs. There are three kinds of studs: king studs, jack (or trimmer) studs, and cripple studs. King studs run from the soleplate all the way to the top plate. Jack studs run from the soleplate up alongside a rough opening to the underside of its header. Cripple studs can run from either the soleplate to the underside of a rough opening's sill or from the top of the opening's header to the top plate (Fig. 1).

Most load-bearing walls are framed with 2x4s or 2x6s, depending on structural or insulation demands. A 2x6 wall is proportionately stronger; although each stud costs more than a comparable 2x4, the overall cost is only marginally different because fewer 2x6s are needed. (Building codes usually allow them to be placed 24 inches on center, while 2x4s must be spaced every 16 inches on center.) Wider studs also allow more space for insulation. A 2x4 wall can accommodate a 3-1/2-inch-thick batt of fiberglass insulation, while a 2x6 wall accepts batts up to 5-1/2 inches. Federal guidelines call for higher insulation values in exterior walls; this is one of the easiest ways to attain it. For any other framing jobs you may tackle, such as sheds, dormers, and garages, 2x4 studs are recommended; they are the most economical.

Below are guidelines on how to frame an exterior wall. Keep in mind that this is only an overview; there are many details involved in a framing project, and procedures will vary with floor plan, local codes, etc. Study framing techniques, and contact your local building department before you begin.

Fig. 1

PROJECT BASICS

Project: Difficult
Estimated Project Time: Varies with scope of project
Start Tips: Study framing techniques and contact your local building department before starting.
Safety Tips: Wear hearing protectors, gloves, and safety goggles when cutting lumber. Also wear a dust mask, especially when cutting pressure-treated lumber.
Recommendation: Do-it-Yourself

4) Prepare rough openings
For each door or window rough opening, insert the header in them while working on the floor. Drive 16d nails through the trimmers into the sills and through the sills into the cripples; then insert the completed assembly into the rough opening. Attach the bottom plate to the cripples and trimmers with 16d nails, and then nail the trimmers to the king studs with 8d nails. (See Figure 1)

Fig. 6

6) Position the wall
Before erecting any wall, snap a chalk line along the subfloor to establish a reference guide for positioning the inside edge of the wall's bottom plate, and nail cleats to the rim joist.

With as many people as you need, slide the wall into position so that when you raise it, it will stand close to the guideline. Erect the wall, and align it with the line. (Fig. 6)

Make Sure the Wall are in a Straight Line

Fig. 9

To make sure the wall is in a straight line, make three identical blocks of wood, 3/4-inch thick. Mount two blocks on opposite outside corners of the same wall, and stretch a string tightly between them, tying the string to nails so it is taut against the blocks. Run the third block beneath the string. If the wall is true, the string will stand off the wall 3/4 inch along the full length of the wall and just barely touch the block. (Fig. 9)

Fig. 10

11) Install corner posts
There are two basic types of corners: inside corners and outside corners. Inside corners occur where interior walls, or partitions, butt into another stud wall. Outside corners are the corners of walls.

Outside corners are key to a building because they do three important jobs: support a lot of weight, form a plumb connection between two walls, and provide nailing for siding outside and drywall inside.

There are many styles of corners. DIYers may want to build the most substantial, a stud-and-block corner that provides maximum support and nailing surfaces (Fig. 10).