How To Frame Exterior Walls

Basic Construction And Carpentry Techniques Home

Laying Out The Top And Bottom Wall Plates

Lay out the wall location on the sub floor where the wall's bottom or sole plate will be positioned. Measure from the outside edge of the subfloor, the width of the sole plate plus the sheathing, if the sheathing extends to the sub floor; or the width of the bottom plate if the sheathing extends over the boxing joist to the concrete foundation wall. Snap a chalkline.

Select straight stock for the bottom and top plates, square of one end of each plate, and lay them side by side on the subfloor. If the plates have to be made out of more than one piece of lumber, make sure they join over a stud centre. See figure 27.

Measure and mark the locations of the door and window opening centres, openings located from centres, partitions and studs. This information is provided on the blueprint.

To locate the openings on the plates, measure one half the distance on each side of the opening and mark the positions. On the other side of the marks, write C for cripple (or sometimes T for trimmer). Mark lines on the other side of, and one studs distance away from each C mark. Mark X's for studs on the far side of the lines marked. Write the name and size of the opening on the plates.

Mark the locations of partitions P, blocking B, And corner studs X.

From one wall corner to the next, mark the stud locations with Xs. The distance of the first stud from the corner is reduced by half the width of the stud. Omit stud locations that fall on cripples or partitions. Place a stud beside the cripple or partition if it falls half on and off during the layout. Never increase the distance between studs when you place this stud.