Set aside roughly an hour to frame an 8x8-foot wall. Additional footage will require more time. Before you begin, make sure you know how to measure, mark, crosscut, and drive nails. Prep for the project by installing the wall’s ceiling plate. Laying out the positions of the studs in a wall is a crucial step in construction. Get it right and installing drywall is easy; make a mistake and you’ll have problems. The most common spacing is 16 inches on center (OC). This means the distance from the center of one stud to the center of the next is 16 inches. The space between studs that are 16 inches OC is 14 ½ inches. The first and last studs in a wall are exceptions to the rule. The first stud is shifted over ¾ inch as its centerline corresponds with the end of the wall, so its side is flush with the ends of the plates. This makes the space between the first and second studs 13 ¾ inches. The last stud in the wall may or may not be spaced evenly. Its position depends on the length of the wall. Thus, the spacing between it and the second-to-last stud can be anything from a couple of inches to the standard 14 ½ inches. Whatever you do, don’t adjust the spacing of all the studs to avoid having a single odd space. If you do, the edges of your drywall sheets won’t line up with the studs. Framing in a Small Space If you are working in tight quarters, you’ll have to build the wall in place. Start by laying out the plates as described above. Attach the wall top plate to the plate already attached to the ceiling. Use a plumb bob to locate the bottom plate. Anchor it to the floor. Cut the studs to fit between the plates. Toenail them in place top and bottom. Pre-drilling makes nailing easier. Drive toenails into the face of a stud at an angle so that they come out the end of the stud and enter an adjoining piece of lumber. Usually, three nails are adequate, one driven from one side and two from the other.
