How to Install a Wall

Putting up a wall is not that difficult if you have the right tools and a basic understanding of construction methods. An exterior wall is more complicated than an interior wall because it needs to be insulated and is probably load-bearing, meaning it needs to be engineered for sufficient strength. An interior wall that's being added to an existing home won't be load-bearing, so it only needs to be strong enough to support itself.

Chalk line
Plumb bob
Screws, 3 inches long
Drill
4-foot level

Instructions

- 1
  Frame the wall flat on the floor to make it easier and to ensure that the wall is flat. Build the wall with its base plate laying next to the location where the wall will be installed, so you just have to tilt it into a vertical position once it's constructed.
- 2
  Mark the location of the wall on the ceiling by making two pencil marks 3-1/2 inches apart (the actual width of a 2-by-4). Make these marks at both ends of the space where the wall is going, then make two chalk lines on the ceiling by stretching a chalk line between the points and snapping it against the ceiling.
- 3
  Hang a plumb bob from the chalk line in several locations and mark these locations on the floor with a pencil. Connect these points by snapping chalk lines on the floor that are directly underneath the chalk lines on the ceiling.
- 4
  Stand the wall frame up and position it in between the chalk lines. Put shims in between the top plate and the ceiling to fill in any space that remains there. Slide a shim in from each side of the top plate so that the shims overlap, then push them together so they are tight. Drive two 3-inch screws through the top plate and the shims and into a ceiling joist. Trim the shims off with a sharp utility knife.
- 5
  Check that the wall is perfectly vertical by holding a 4-foot level against the studs in several different locations.
- 6
  Screw the bottom plate to the floor with 3-inch screws.

How to Insulate a Fully Exposed Basement Wall

Repairing a Break in a Brick Wall

Walls