How to Frame a 2×4 Wall in Five Easy Steps
Step One: Cutting the Top and Bottom Plates and Studs
First, measure the length of the wall from one side of the floor to the other side. Cut two 2×4’s; one from fir the other from pressure treated yellow pine. Second, measure from the ceiling to the floor for your stud length. A good tip to get an accurate measurement here is to put two scraps of 2×4 on the ground and measure from the ceiling down to the top of the two 2×4’s. This gives you the length of your studs. To find the number of studs you cut, divide the length of the wall by 16. For instance if your wall is 128″ long you would calculate 128/16=8 so you would have eight studs.
Step Two: Sill Plate Layout
Place the two sill plates side by side with the 1 Ã?½” side facing up. Make sure the ends are even and measure 15 Ã?¼” and make a mark. Every 16″ you subtract Ã?¾” and make a mark. (15 Ã?¼”, 31 Ã?¼”, 47 Ã?¼”, etc.) When you do this, you make sure that a four-foot sheet of plywood, or a sixteen-foot piece of sheet rock, splits into the middle of the stud allowing it to be nailed. Do not mark the sill plates at sixteen inches. This is a common mistake. Mark an x after each mark to show that the stud goes on that side of the mark. Don’t forget to put an x at each end of the sill plate to show that each end has a stud.
Step Three: Nailing the Studs to the Sill Plate
Separate each sill plate with the pressure treated piece at the foot of the walls final upright position and the top plate on the furthest end. Place the studs on their marks against each end of the sill plate. Attach two 12d nails through the sill plate and into the stud to hold it in place. Standing on top of the sill plate and stud while you hammer will help hold the stud in place and prevent the stud from moving as much when you are striking the nail with your hammer. Work your way down one side of the sill plate to the other, then nail the other side. Once the studs have been fastened to the sill plates, slide the walls bottom plate across the floor, right up to the area where it will be set upright.
Step Four: Lifting the Wall
Lift the wall from the center of the top plate. Use the claw of your hammer to pry up the wall and slide a scrap 2×4 under the plate. This way you can get your hands under the wall easily. Use several blocks for long walls. Lift the wall up in a quick jerking motion so that the wall doesn’t slide on the bottom plate on the floor and off your mark. Once the wall is upright, the bottom plate is easily slide into place on your marks. Attach concrete nails into the bottom plate for a concrete slab or use 12d’s for wood sub flooring. Make sure a helper is holding the wall up while you do this or the wall might fall on you.
Step Five: Leveling the Wall
Use a level and place it against the end of each wall. Hold the level in place against the stud and move the wall until it is level. Make a mark with a pencil along side of the stud. Set the level aside and nail the wall to the mark you made. Attach the sill plates to other sill plates by angling nails on a 45-degree angle. Do the same for each side and you now have a complete 2×4-frame wall.
