Material Movement for Walls
- Locate wall framing so that once the wall is built, it can be raised into position as close to where it finally goes as possible.
- Spread the headers, trimmers, cripples, and sills as close to their final position as possible.
- Eight is an average number of 2 × 4 studs to carry.
- You can use your leg to stabilize the studs you are spreading. Stabilize them with one arm and one leg to free up your other arm so that you can spread them one at a time. This way you won’t have to set them down, then pick them back up to spread them. (See photo.)
- Select a straight plate for the top and double plates, and position any crown in the double plate in the opposite direction of the top plate crown. This will help straighten out the wall.
- Nail the headers to the studs first. Make sure that they are flush on top and on the ends of the headers.
- Nail the trimmers to the studs. Make sure that they are up tight against the bottom of the header and flush with the sides of the stud.
- Nail the studs and cripples to the plates. Nail sills to the cripples and the trimmers. Make sure that all the connections are tight and flush.
- Align the bottom plate so that when it is raised, it will be as close to the final position as possible.
- Attach the bottom plate to the floor along the inside chalk line for the wall. Toenail through the bottom plate into the floor so that the sheathing won’t cover the nails. If the wall is in position, it can be nailed on the inside, and the nails can be pulled out after the wall is raised.
- Use your tape measure to check the diagonal lengths of the wall.
- Move the top part of the wall until the diagonal lengths are equal. Example: If the diagonal measurements are different by one inch, then move the long measure toward the short measure by one half inch diagonal measure. Make sure the measurements are exact.
- Once the diagonals are the same, check by measuring the other diagonal.
- Temporarily nail the top of the wall so that it will not move while you are sheathing it. Make sure you nail so that your nails won’t be covered by the sheathing.