Proper Wood Framing Techniques for Corners & Partitions

California Corner

• Whether you are framing an interior wall or exterior wall, you are following a stud schedule in which one stud is placed in the wall the same number of inches from the next -- often 24 inches from center to center. But just because that is the increment of the studs doesn't mean there will be a stud where a corner is drawn. In this case, you have to add studs. Where two walls intersect, you can add one stud flush, inside the bottom plate, then turn one stud perpendicularly, nailing to the end-stud, forming an "L" if viewed from above. This is sometimes called a "California corner." The perpendicular piece provides additional nail-backing when you nail the two walls together, forming a corner.

Stud-Block-Stud

• Another way to frame a corner is to cut a few pieces of stud material to use for blocking. Nail one snug to the end-stud and tight to the bottom plate, another snug to the end-stud and tight to the top plate and the final block snug to the end stud, midway up the wall. Next, add a full-length stud to the blocks so that the blocks are sandwiched by the end stud and the secondary corner stud. This will give you plenty of nail backing to tie your other wall corner to. This method is acceptable, but has generally given way to the California corner, which is less labor intensive and provides better nail-backing, not just for tying the walls together, but for subsequent drywalling.

Top Plates

• Walls have one bottom plate and two top plates. Bottom plates get nailed, bolted or glued securely to the floor. Top plates lace together by overlapping the upper top plate of a perpendicular wall onto the lower top plate of the wall it is being attached to. The two walls are checked for plumb, then the top plates are nailed together from above (or below). If you frame an entire floor full of interior walls, the top plates of intersecting walls will never butt into one another; one chord always weaves over another, where it is nailed in place.

Nail-Backing

• Nail-backing isn't just a mater of aesthetics or convenience. Just because nail-backing for the drywall -- or whatever kind of wall you are using -- isn't required to hold the structure up, it is necessary. So, for example, if you are building a partition wall in a basement, perpendicular to the ceiling/floor joists, installing a top plate gives you a perimeter to nail or screw the drywall for the wall, but not the ceiling. You need additional nail-backing to span the bays of the joists, directly above the top plate, extending beyond the width of the wall, providing a ledge or lip to fasten the ceiling drywall.