How to Build a Stud Wall

Load and non-load bearing walls, walls that have any ceiling joist running across them or roof loads on them will be load bearing, walls that run the same way as ceiling joists are non-load bearing.

Layout, there is two basic layouts 16" on center and 24" on center. Most houses are build with 16" centers and all load bearing walls should be 16" centers unless the load above requires different. 24" centers are a normal layout for garages, sheds and non-load bearing walls, they are also normally found in track homes.

When starting to build the wall you will need 3 2x4s [if 2x4s are what your building the walls out of] cut to the width of the wall being built, them are your top and bottom plates. one is for the bottom two is for the top, one of the top plates are just for nailing the wall together the 2nd top plate is for connecting the new wall with the wall or walls it runs into. To start the layout first check to see if there is a layout of above to transfer load, if there is transfer the layout to the plates. Standard layout for a wall on 16" centers is 15-1/4" and go, for 24" centers it is 23-1/4" and go. [the "and go" means measuring down your centers the rest of the way, example: on 16" centers off the 15-1/4" it would go 16, 32, 48, etc]

Last after all your layout is on your plates marking out where the studs go, nail each plate to stud using two 16-D nails if there is a wall connecting into the wall being build there wall need to be a triple stud place where the walls meets. The top plates should also have two 16-d nails over where the studs are below, bottom plates should have two 16-d nails put in next to the stud nailing it through the plate into the floor.