In the old days, framers tackled each wall separately, a process that is still common in some areas. But for the serious framer, it's too slow. Now we concentrate on each step in the process, not on each wall. The first step, called snapping, is to locate and mark out each wall and its exact intersection with other walls, using a chalk line. The second step, plating, is to cut and temporarily nail together a top and bottom plate for each wall. The third step, detailing, is to locate each component of every wall — windows, doors, headers, intersections — and mark it on the plates. This is the brain work in wall building. Once it's done, the
