How to Frame Square Interior Basement Walls

You may want to frame interior basement walls against the foundation walls as a means of increasing the heat efficiency of your home. You may be building partition walls as part of a basement renovation to create more usable living space. Either way, you need to be sure that your walls are plumb and square. If your framing is off, it will cause you trouble in the future when you attach drywall and finish trim.

2-by-4 lumber
Powder actuated nail gun
Hammer drill
Concrete screws
Drill
Screws, 3-inches long
Hammer
Nails, 3-inches long
Plumb bob
Pencil
Tape measure
Circular saw
Four-foot level

Instructions

- 1
  Attach the base plate of the wall to the floor. You can do this with a powder actuated nail gun or with a hammer drill and concrete screws. Because basement ceilings are low, it's usually easier to attach the plates and then build the wall in place, rather than building the wall on the floor and standing it up.
- 2
  Attach the top plate of the wall to the underside of the floor joists by screwing or nailing it into the joists. Be sure that the top plate is directly over the base plate by holding the string of a plumb bob against the underside of a joist and adjusting it until the point of the plumb bob is touching the edge of the base plate. Mark this point and align the edge of the top plate to it.
- 3
  Measure the vertical distance between the bottom of the top plate and the top of the bottom plate. Cut a stud to this length using a circular saw. Place it between the plates, be sure that it is perfectly vertical using a four-foot level, then nail, or screw it into place.
- 4
  Continue along the wall installing all of the studs in the manner described in Step 3. Leave exactly 16 inches between studs to accommodate insulation.

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