Timber Framing

Before you can lay out a wall for framing, here is some information on how a typical wood-frame wall is constructed.

All walls have a bottom element which is called a soleplate a top plate and vertical supports which are called studs.

There are three kinds of studs:

King studs - run from the soleplate all the way to the top plate.

Jack (or trimmer) studs - run from the soleplate up alongside a rough opening to the underside of its header

And cripple studs. - run from either the soleplate to the underside of a rough opening's sill or from the top of the opening's header to the top plate.

Timber Framing

Instructions on Timber Framing

Most load-bearing walls are framed with 2x4s (50mm x 100mm) A 2 x 4 wall can accommodate a 3 1/2 inch thick batt of fiberglass insulation.

Prepare the Stud Frame

Start by marking the layout on both the soleplate and one of the two top plates at the same time so studs will line up.

Cut the king studs, trimmers, headers, cripples, sills, and corners to length.

Nail Studs to Soleplate

Work on the subfloor to assemble the frame.

Position each king stud, stand on it to prevent shifting, and nail through the soleplate.

Nail first top plate to studs

When the soleplate is nailed on, shift to the top of the wall, and follow the same procedure to nail on one of the top plates.

Prepare Rough Openings

For each door or window rough opening, insert the header in them while working on the floor.

Drive nails through the trimmers into the sills and through the sills into the cripples; then insert the completed assembly into the rough opening.

Attach the bottom plate to the cripples and trimmers with nails, and then nail the trimmers to the king studs.

Check Alignment

Check the frame alignment by comparing diagonal measurements.

If the wall is square, the diagonals should be equal.

Position the Wall

Before erecting any wall, snap a chalk line along the sub-floor to establish a reference guide for positioning the inside edge of the wall's bottom plate, and nail cleats to the rim joist.

With as many people as you need, slide the wall into position so that when you raise it, it will stand close to the guideline.

Erect the wall, and align it with the line.

Brace the Wall

Using a 4-foot level, get the wall as plumb as possible. You'll fine-tune it for plumb when you install the adjacent wall. Run braces from studs or from cleats on headers to cleats that will be nailed to the subfloor.

When you have the wall plumb, have a helper nail the cleats to the subfloor.

Timber Framing

Fasten the Wall

With the bottom plate properly positioned, nail it to the rim joists and to the floor joists with 16d nails, one nail per stud bay.

Check for Plumbing and Alignment of Walls

Use a 4-foot level to check several studs for plumb. Make adjustments as necessary.

To make sure the wall is in a straight line, make three identical blocks of wood, 3/4-inch thick.

Mount two blocks on opposite outside corners of the same wall, and stretch a string tightly between them, tying the string to nails so it is taut against the blocks.

Run the third block beneath the string. If the wall is true, the string will stand off the wall 3/4 inch along the full length of the wall and just barely touch the block.

Install Corner Posts

There are two basic types of corners: