How to Frame an Adjoining Wall

Build the stud wall lying horizontally and raise it into place later. Cut the header and footer to the desired length and lay them out on the floor, on their narrow edges, parallel to each other, with enough space in between to put the studs.

Cut the studs to the desired height of the wall minus 3 inches to allow for the header and footer. Cut one stud for every 20 inches for an interior non-load-bearing wall plus one for the second end stud. For an 80-inch wall, you will need five studs.

Align one end stud at either end of the frame wall so they line up with the ends of the header and footer boards, and secure them in place with two nails on each end of the studs. Nail through the bottom of the footer into the end of the stud and through the top of the header into the end of the stud.

Stand the stud wall upright and align the outer edge of the wall with the outer edge of the adjoining wall. Nail through the wall you just built into the ends of the wall that was previously standing. If the original wall is already drywalled, as in a renovation, use a stud finder to find the stud to attach the new wall to.

Attach a ladder cross member every 2 feet from floor to ceiling between the last two studs of the original wall during initial construction if drywall has not already been installed. A ladder cross member is a 2-by-4-inch stud with the 4-inch dimension running vertically, positioned against the inner edge of the studs creating a nailing surface to attach the drywall to.