How To Frame a Wall

Measure the height and width of the frame. You’ll need a stud for every 16 inches of wall, including one for each end of the frame.

Saw the wood according to your measurements. Each plate is 1 ½ inches thick, so subtract 3 inches from the length of each stud in order to get the wall height you want.

Lay the two plates parallel to each other on the floor. The distance between the plates will be the height of your wall.

Place the first stud at one end of the frame, so that it fits between the inside edges of the two plates. Continue laying the studs at 16-inch intervals, until you reach the opposite end of the frame.

Attach the studs to the plates by hammering nails through the outside of the plate into the end of each stud. Use two nails at each stud end, for a total of four nails per stud.

Lift the new wall frame off the floor. Align the ends with the markings you’ve made on the existing walls.

Nail the wall frame into your existing walls, ceiling, and floor. Hammer the nails at regular intervals, to ensure that the wall frame is securely in place.