1. Building Walls & Avoiding Catastrophe
By: Justin Beaumont
(Not liable for use of information)

2. Planning
● Materials Needed:
○ Framing lumber, 16d nails, metal connectors, 4d nails, shims
● Tools Needed:
○ Drill and bits, combination square, plumb bob and line, chalk line,
hammer, stud driver, circular saw, 4-ft level

3. Partition Walls
● Use a partition wall to create a new living space or make a new room in a
basement.
● Two ways to build a partition wall:
○ Build it in place
○ Build it on the floor and then move into place
● Before installing drywall on the framed walls,
have a building inspector check the walls,
especially if you are going to be installing any
electrical or plumbing in the wall.

4. New walls
● A new wall that runs perpendicular to the joists are attached by attaching
the top plate (top piece of wood) to the ceiling joists.
● The sole plate (bottom wood) will be directly attached to the floor joists
with 16d nails.

5. New Walls
● New walls that are parallel to joists are attached by fastening the top plate
(top wood) to the ceiling joist and the solepate (bottom wood) to the floor
joists using 16d nails.
● If your original placement of the new wall does not place it under the
joists, move it a few inches either direction until it will attach directly to
the joists.

6. New Walls
● New walls that run parallel to joist, but don't align under joists will need
additional framing (or blocking).
● Install 2 x 4 blocking between the joists,
every 2 feet with 16d nails.
● Make certain that the bottom of the blocking
is flush with the edges of the joists.
● In an existing home, you will need to cut
holes in the ceiling to install the blocking
and then repair the holes.

7. Notes on Walls
● When making a wall that will hold large pipes, be sure to make the walls
wider thatn the common 2x4 size.
● A wider wall can be made by using 2x6 framing lumber.

8. Attaching the New Wall
● Mark the location of the new wall on the ceiling and snap two chalk lines
to outline where the wall will attach the ceiling.
● Locate a ceiling joist by measuring 16 inches from an exisiting wall and
then use your drill to drill into the ceiling to find the joist.
● Once you locate a joist, measure 16 inches to find and mark where the
other joists are within your chalk lines.

9. Attaching New Wall Continued
● Measure out two pieces of 2x4 lumber, to create
the top and bottom wall plates, cut to the lenth of
the wall (space in which you will be installing the
new wall).
● Lay the plates side by side and use a combination
square to outline the stud locations at 16 in.
intervals on center ("on center" means to center the
studs on the inch mark).

10. Attaching the Wall Continued
● Use a hanging plumb bob to locate the
position of the soleplate.
● Mark the position on the floor and repeat
at the opposite end of the top plate, then
snap two chalk lines to show the location
of the soleplate.

11. Attaching the Wall to the Floor
● Use 16d nails to anchor the soleplate to wood floors, straight into the floor
joists.
● Use a stud driver to attach the soleplate to concrete floors.
● A stud driver will fire a small amount of gunpowder charge which drives a
masonry nail through the wood framing and into the cement.
● NOTE: Use eye and ear protection when using a stud driver.

12. Installing Studs
● Install the first stud tight against the wall.
● Measure the distance between the soleplate and the top plate.
● Add 1/8 in to ensure a snug fit and cut stud to length.
● Position stud against wall and align with
soleplate, then nail into place with 16d nails.
● Nail the rest of the stud to the wall every
two feet.
● Repeat process on the other side of new
wall.
● Use metal connectors to secure studs to
the soleplate and the top plate with 4d nails.