How to Frame a Wall on a Slab

Walls are among the most important components of a building. In addition to defining interior space, they carry the weight of the house. They also hide wires, pipes and ducts and provide the framework to support doors, windows, wallboard and sheathing. Anyone with basic carpentry skills and tools can frame a wall on a slab, as long as you adhere to local building codes. A helper to hold studs in place while you nail will make the job go much quicker.

Chalk line
Tape measure
Carpenter's pencil
Nail gun or hammer
16d framing nails
Masonry nails

Instructions

- 1
  Determine the location of the wall. Snap a chalk outline the length and width of the proposed wall.
- 2
  Lay a pressure-treated 2-by-4 alongside the outline and, beginning at one end, mark it at 16-inch intervals. This is your sill plate and is the bottom component of your framed wall.
- 3
  Toenail (nail at a 45-degree angle) a wall stud to the sill plate at each mark. Use two nails for each stud; drive two more from the opposite side of the stud for added strength.
- 4
  Toenail a 2-by-4 to the studs opposite the sill plate. Again, use at least two nails per stud.
- 5
  Stand the wall inside the outline. Nail it to the slab with a masonry nail between every two studs.

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