How To: Frame a wall for your house

Walls don't last forever, be prepared. Building a house from scratch, a room add on or if it's just time to turn one room into two you will need to make a sturdy wall frame to ensure the proper construction of your new wall.

Reinvent your living space by installing a new wall.

You Will Need

* Stud finder
* Tape measure
* Wooden 2X4 boards
* Circular saw
* Hammer
* Box of 10D, or 3-inch nails
* Work gloves (optional)
* Pencil (optional)

Step 1: Decide where to install your wall

Use a stud finder to figure out where your new wall will go, and mark the existing walls accordingly. Remove furniture and other items.

Step 2: Take measurements

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.

Take careful measurements before going to buy your wood. It's always a good idea to pick up a few extra boards.

Step 3: Saw the boards

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.

Wear work gloves when framing a wall to protect your hands from splinters and blisters.

Step 4: Lay the plates on the floor

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

Step 5: Lay studs in between the plates

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.

When measuring the distance between studs, mark the plate with an X at each spot where you will nail a stud.

Step 6: Nail the studs into the plates

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.

Step 7: Inse