Cut the Plates to Length

Straight stock makes for straighter walls, so I choose the straightest lumber for wall plates—especially for the double top plate, which we add after assembling the walls but before raising them. I stack the studs neatly, near where we will be framing the walls.

For accuracy and efficiency, I always stack the top and bottom plates and cut them together. Depending on site conditions and limitations, I either cut the plates on sawhorses or set the stock directly on the snapped layout lines and cut them in place. I prefer to do the latter because transferring the length directly is faster, and transferring the measurements directly minimizes the chance for error. It’s also usually much easier to bring the circular saw to the lumber to make the cut rather than moving the material multiple times.

For speed and efficiency stack the top and bottom wall plates and cut them together. After measuring the length, square a line across the top.
For speed and efficiency stack the top and bottom wall plates and cut them together. After measuring the length, square a line across the top.
Keeping the plates stacked cut through the top plate and into the one below. Then move the top plate out of the way and cut through the bottom plate following the kerf from the initial cut.
Keeping the plates stacked cut through the top plate and into the one below. Then move the top plate out of the way and cut through the bottom plate following the kerf from the initial cut.

Cutting the top and bottom plates at the same time ensures that they’ll be the same length. After marking the length on one of the plates, I stack the plates, flush their ends, and cut completely through the top plate, scoring the one below. Following the score line on the bottom plate, I then cut it to length. I keep the ends and edges of the two plates flush and tack them together with a couple of 8d nails before continuing. This keeps the matching plates together and allows me to work with them as a single unit for detailing. I repeat the process until I cut a pair of plates for every wall snapped.

Lay Out the Studs

I lay out stud locations with the plates still tacked together on edge, marking the layout on the edges so the marks will be visible when I’m assembling the walls. I start by selecting an outside corner of the building to work from (typically the end of the longest uninterrupted exterior wall) and pull my layout from there.

Most measuring tapes come with 16-inch layout marks highlighted in red.
Most measuring tapes come with 16-inch layout marks highlighted in red.
With the plates stacked together on edge pull the measurement from one end. To put the studs centered on the 16-inch layout mark, mark 3/4 inch (half the thickness of 2x stock) to one side of the mark.
With the plates stacked together on edge pull the measurement from one end. To put the studs centered on the 16-inch layout mark, mark 3/4 inch (half the thickness of 2x stock) to one side of the mark.
Continue the layout down the length of the plate marking an X on the side of the mark where the stud will be attached.
Continue the layout down the length of the plate marking an X on the side of the mark where the stud will be attached.

To make layout easier, measuring tapes have highlights at every 16-inch interval, and some have additional marks at 24-inch intervals. I hook a tape on the end of each pair of plates and working down the length of the wall, I mark the locations of studs at the appropriate on-center spacing. Rather than marking the actual centers, I hold my marks back from the on-center dimension on the tape by half the thickness of the framing material, usually 3/4 inch for 2-by lumber; that is, I make the marks at 15 1/4 inches, 31 1/4 inches, and so forth. This approach allows me to line up the edges of the studs on the mark while preserving the on-center spacing. The offset layout allows the edges of the wall sheathing to start with full bearing on one end and then finish in the center of a stud on the other end. After marking the stud layout along the entire length of the plates, I square the marks across the edges of both plates, and then place an X on the right side of each mark to indicate where the stud will be placed.

Next, I mark the layout for the corners and intersecting walls. These details seem to vary from region to region; some carpenters build three-stud outside corners, while others use the two-stud “California Corner.” For intersecting walls, three-stud U-shaped assemblies (also called partition studs) were once the norm, but the desire to optimize insulation values to meet more stringent energy codes is pushing many builders towards “ladder backing,” where short horizontal pieces bridge between studs on their normal layout.

By walls (walls that go all the way to the outside corner of a house) receive corner studs. The simplest corner is two studs nailed together in an L shape.
By walls (walls that go all the way to the outside corner of a house) receive corner studs. The simplest corner is two studs nailed together in an L shape.
Here the author nails the corner together taking care to drive the nail straight into stud so that it doesn't pop through the edge of the stud below.
Here the author nails the corner together taking care to drive the nail straight into stud so that it doesn't pop through the edge of the stud below.

I use California Corners for outside corners whenever possible. These simple assemblies, made popular by California tract builders in the post-war building boom, nail together quickly in the shape of an L. Because only one leg of the L shape is perpendicular to the plates, I don’t put any additional information on the plate layouts. I simply mark an X on each end of every through-wall plate, while trying to be aware of the width of an assembled corner (typically the width of the framing stock plus 1 1/2 inches). If a stud falls within this distance from the end of the wall, I omit it and let the corner assembly take its place.

The other abnormal framing in a basic stud wall is a ladder back (right) for attaching an intersecting wall. The "rungs" of the ladder are scraps of 2x stock cut to 14 1/2 inches to fit between the studs in the normal layout.
The other abnormal framing in a basic stud wall is a ladder back (right) for attaching an intersecting wall. The "rungs" of the ladder are scraps of 2x stock cut to 14 1/2 inches to fit between the studs in the normal layout.

For the ladder backs, I place the horizontal members on the flat between studs on either side of the intersecting wall, from top to bottom, about 24 inches apart. I normally pre-assemble these components and drop them in when I’m framing the walls. I’m careful to note their location on the plates by writing “LB” on the appropriate side of each stud the backing will be affixed to. I also note the exact location of the left and right sides of the intersecting wall, because the double top plate of the wall has to lap onto the wall I’m building.

Layout for a ladder back is indicated on the edges of the plates.
Layout for a ladder back is indicated on the edges of the plates.

Building the Walls

I use pre-cut studs for most of the walls I build, so once I’m finished laying out the plates, I remove the tacks and separate the plates by the length of the studs plus a few inches. I place the edge of the bottom plate on the line I snapped for the wall, which will keep the wall straight as I nail it together. To keep the plate on the line, I drive 8d toenails through the face of the plate and into the deck every several feet. These nails also let the wall hinge up when it’s time to raise it.

To build the wall, separate the two plates and set studs at each of the layout points. Set the ladder back in place and make sure the rungs are facing the right direction for attaching the intersecting wall.
To build the wall, separate the two plates and set studs at each of the layout points. Set the ladder back in place and make sure the rungs are facing the right direction for attaching the intersecting wall.
Drive nails through the plates and into ends of the studs.
Drive nails through the plates and into ends of the studs.

I place a stud at each of my layout marks and set corners and ladders in place. I make sure I keep any crowns in the lumber facing up, which minimizes waviness in the wall finishes. Using a pneumatic framing nailer, I drive a pair of 16d nails at each stud-plate connection. I also drive nails into the corner L and into the horizontal members of the ladder.

When the wall is assembled add a second top plate. Note that the second top plate steps back the width of the framing to let the top plate from the abutting wall overlap.
When the wall is assembled add a second top plate. Note that the second top plate steps back the width of the framing to let the top plate from the abutting wall overlap.

If the wall is to receive a double top plate, I add that next, keeping it back from the corners by the width of the plate stock plus 1/4 inch or so to allow room for overlapping plates that tie in any perpendicular walls. For long walls on which I need to piece in the plates, I’m careful to offset any joints between the two top plates by at least 4 feet, which creates a stronger wall as well as being required by code. For intersecting butt wall locations, I hold the second top plates 1/4 inch back from the layout mark to leave plenty of room for the overlapping plates. When fastening the second top plate to the first, I’m careful to avoid driving nails between studs. Instead, I drive two 16d nails directly above every stud location, to keep nails out of the path of mechanical trades that may need to drill through the plates to route their systems.

Sheathing the Walls

Before adding the sheathing, I need to square the wall, which I do by taking diagonal measurements from corner to corner in both directions and adjusting the wall until the two measurements are equal.

Next square the wall by taking diagonal measurements. Once the wall is square, secure it before adding the sheathing.
Next square the wall by taking diagonal measurements. Once the wall is square, secure it before adding the sheathing.

Most walls are sheathed with some type of sheet goods, typically OSB or plywood. I prefer to sheathe the walls while they’re lying flat, allowing gravity to work for rather than against me. It’s safer and more efficient than installing sheathing after the walls are up.

Assuming that the walls are the standard 8 feet high, it usually doesn’t matter whether the sheathing is installed vertically or horizontally. I prefer a horizontal installation, because I can see the studs that I’m fastening to. To be sure the sheets are straight, I measure up and mark 48 1/8 inches from the bottom plate at both ends of the wall. I then snap a chalk line across the studs between the marks.

Holding the edge of the sheathing to the snapped line, I drive a nail in each corner to tack the sheet in place. If the wall is more than a single sheet wide, I make sure the sheet breaks in the center of a stud. I also make sure I leave a 1/8-inch space between sheets to allow for expansion. When I have a full course of sheathing tacked on, I go back and nail off the sheet, following whatever the engineering or code requirements are for both the size and the spacing of the fasteners.

Measure up 48 inches at each end of the wall for the sheathing layout. Tack a nail in above the layout mark to provide the spacing required by the sheathing manufacturer.
Measure up 48 inches at each end of the wall for the sheathing layout. Tack a nail in above the layout mark to provide the spacing required by the sheathing manufacturer.

Before adding the second course of sheathing, I tack 8d nails to the studs in a few locations to maintain the expansion gap between sheets. For the second course, I stagger or offset the joints from the first course by at least two studs, which eliminates any continuous vertical joints between top and bottom plates. This offset also increases the shear resistance of the wall.

Once the sheathing is completely nailed off, the wall is ready to be raised. To raise a wall safely, I try to have at least one crew member for every 12 feet or so of wall. As an alternative, I have also used commercially available wall jacks to assist in lifting the wall. Before raising, I nail vertical 2-by blocks to the outside of the rim joist to keep the wall from skidding off the deck as it is raised.

Once the wall is raised into position, I immediately brace it diagonally with 2x4s, nailing these to the face of the studs near the top of the wall. I plumb the wall before securing the bottoms of the braces to blocks nailed through the floor sheathing and into the floor framing. After the first wall is up and secure, the other intersecting walls can be raised and nailed to it.

All photos by Sue Burnet