How to Render an Internal Wall

An extensive home remodeling plan, such as the addition of an extra room, typically calls for the construction of new interior walls or partition walls. Building a new wall, although a challenging task, can still be completed if you have strong home improvement skills. Interior walls usually do not help support the structure of the home, which makes them much less dangerous for the amateur handyman to construct than load-bearing walls. Consult a professional to determine whether your new wall is a partition or load-bearing wall before starting any construction.

Tape measure
Pencil
Plumb bob
2-inch by 4-inch lumber
Chalk line tool
Hammer
3 1/2 inch nails
3 inch nails
Mallet
Carpenter's level
2 1/2 inch nails
Stud finder
Saw
Combination square

Instructions

- 1
  Use a tape measure and pencil to mark the ceiling joists for the wall's top plate, the long beam that will help support the studs. Hang a plumb bob from each of the two end marks on the joists. Make a mark at the end of the plumb bob on the floor to establish the correct line for the bottom plate.
- 2
  Cut the 2-inch by 4-inch lumber for the top and bottom plates to length with a saw. Place side by side on the floor. Make marks every 16 inches on each plate to indicate the location of the wall studs.
- 3
  Use a chalk line tool, a tool with a taut string which leaves a long chalk mark when you snap the string, to make a placement guide on the joists for the top plate. Extend the string from one mark on the joists to another and snap the string. Repeat the process on the floor, using the marks that indicate the location of the bottom plate.
- 4
  Raise the top plate to its proper position along the chalk line. Fasten the plate to the ceiling, hammering two 3 1/2 inch nails into the board at every joist it crosses. Cut nailing blocks to length and nail them to the joists for backing, if the new wall runs parallel to the joists.
- 5
  Place the bottom plate on the chalk line on the floor. Use the hammer to nail one 3-inch nail into the plate every 16 inches.
- 6
  Measure the distance between the plates at the marks for the wall studs. Use a saw to cut the 2-inch by 4-inch lumber for the studs to length. Place the studs between the two plates. Tap them into position with a mallet. Use a carpenter's level to check for plumb.
- 7
  Attach the stud to the top plate with two 2 1/2 inch nails for each side of the stud. Repeat the procedure for the bottom plate.

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