How to Frame Non Load Bearing Walls

Measure the length and height of the wall area with a measuring tape.

Locate the wall studs in the adjacent walls with a stud finder. You need to position the wall so that it is anchored by adjacent wall studs.

Measure two sections of 2-by-4-inch lumber to the width to the wall. Cut the sections to length with a circular saw. These sections form the wall's top and bottom plates.

Place the bottom plate on the subfloor with the ends against the adjacent walls. Use a carpenter's square to ensure that the plate is square with the adjacent walls.

Drill pilot holes through the bottom plate into the subfloor at 4-inch intervals. The pilot holes should be about 1/16-inch smaller than the diameter of the wood screw shafts. Insert 4-inch wood screws through the pilot holes into the subfloor with an electric screwdriver to secure the bottom plate to the subfloor.

Place the top plate against the ceiling and parallel with the bottom plate. Drill pilot holes at 4-inch intervals and secure the top plate to the ceiling joist with 4-inch wood screws.

Measure the interior distance between the top and bottom plate. Cut sections of 2-by-4-inch lumber to this length with a circular saw to form the wall studs. You need one wall stud for each end of the wall, plus one stud for each 16 inches of wall length.

Place one stud between the top and bottom plates against each adjacent wall. Drill pilot holes through these studs into the adjacent wall studs at 4-inch intervals, and through the studs into the top and bottom plates at 45-degree angles. Insert 4-inch wood screws to secure the studs to the plates and the adjacent wall studs.

Measure 16-inch intervals from one of the end studs and center an interior stud between the top and bottom plate at each measurement. Drill pilot holes through each stud into the plates at 45-degree angles and secure the studs with 4-inch wood screws.