Leveling an Interior Wall

Stand the wall upright with the help of your assistants. Move the bottom plate of the wall to align it with your chalk mark on the subfloor.

Nail the bottom plate to the subflooring with 16d framing nails. Place a pair of these nails through the bottom plate of the frame beside every other stud to secure it firmly in place.

Hold a level against the first stud or corner assembly in the wall. Place the level on the vertical face on the inside of the wall. Grasp it and the stud in two places to insure a firm grip.

Push or pull the stud until it is perfectly plumb. Nail it into place on the adjoining wall with two 16d nails every 8 inches along the length of the stud. Repeat the procedure on the opposite end of the wall.

Choose a stud in your wall that is a little less than 8 feet from one corner. Place an 8-foot board against this stud at a 45-degree angle. Arrange the board to run from the middle of the stud to a point on the floor. Drive two nails through the board to secure it to the stud. Repeat this process every 8 feet along the length of the wall.

Nail a 24-inch board to the subfloor beside every brace board. Place your level against the stud holding each brace board. Push or pull the wall until each braced stud is plumb. Nail the brace board to the anchor board mounted on the subfloor to hold the wall in place at each spot.