Preparation
Measure the area you wish the wall to be, both length (base) and height. Exact measurements are crucial to a tight, properly constructed wall.

Materials

• Hammer
• Circular saw
• Tape measure
• Level
• Framing Square
• Pencil
• Drill

Step-by-Step

• First, cut the top and bottom plates the length of the wall. (A plate is the piece of lumber that your studs will be anchored to.)
• Then cut the studs. It's important to not cut the stud the entire height of the wall. You have to allow for the top and bottom plate. Add the width of the plates together and subtract those inches from your height. Then cut your studs according to that height.
• After the lumber has been cut, lay out the frame and make sure it looks right.

EXAMPLE: Our wall measures 111 ¼" height. Each plate is 1 ½" thick. Add the widths of the two plates together = 3". Subtract 3" from 111 ¼" - you get a height of 108 ¼". That is the measurement you use to cut the studs.

• Measure the door. Then cut a board for each side of the door - called a trimmer - and the header. Also cut 2 pieces for the space between the header and the top plate - this is called a cripple. The cripple should follow 16" on-center (O/C) marks. Lay everything out once again and check your measurements.

ALMOST READY TO START NAILING

• At the first 1 ½" on the plate is where the outside stud goes. Put an "X" where a stud goes. The next 1 ½" is the trimmer for the door frame. Put a "T" on that for trimmer. And then we need to measure across to the next trimmer and stud using the door measurements.
• The door we are using is 2' 8" wide, so we to go 2' 10". That gives 2" for the rough opening for the door. Mark the spot for the trimmer - "T". The next 1 ½" is another wall stud, mark it with an "X".
• This stud is an important one. It is where the wallboard ends. Wallboard is 4' wide, and it has to end right in the center of a stud. Really double check the measurements. When you are ready to nail on the wallboard, you want to make sure you hit a stud. Continue placing stud marks, "X", at the proper intervals until you reach the end of the base plate.
• Check over your wood before you start nailing. It's pretty common to have bends, bows and crowns in your lumber. Make sure they are all going in the same direction. If some lumber is bowed, line them up so they all bow in the same direction. If not, you will have a wavy wall.

START NAILING

• The first part to nail together is the header, which is the piece that goes above the door. Now, the 2"x4" studs are 3 ½" wide, so the header needs to be the same width. They’re 1½" thick, so take two 2"x4" studs and another half inch. Using a piece of wallboard or plywood that was ½" thick, cut that to size, and lay it in between. Since this will not be a load-bearing wall, it doesn’t have to be very strong, it just has to be the right width.
• Nail the first stud on one end of the base plate. Begin nailing the studs together around the outside perimeter of the wall frame, anywhere there’s a stud intersecting the top or bottom plate. Once that’s all firmly nailed in place, you can begin nailing the interior pieces - like the door trimmers and the cripple where it meets the header.

TIP: Dull the ends of your nails to avoid the possibility of splitting the boards.

• Once the wall is positioned level and straight, begin anchoring it:
  • On the top and bottom end of plates, drive the nails in at an angle.
  • Place a bead of glue (ordinary construction adhesive) on both sides of the base plate. Let it work its way underneath. It will also help seal it, as well as hold it in place.
  • For the base plate, you will need a masonry bit to drill into the concrete. Insert a 'tap-con', which is a screw made especially for concrete.

  NOTE: The older the concrete is, the harder it is going to be.

• Once the wall is firmly secured, cut out the bottom plate where the door goes. A reciprocating saw makes cutting the base plate easy.

SHEETROCKING

• A full sheet of wallboard is heavy and is hard to maneuver it into place and start attaching it to your studs without at least one other person to help. Wallboard typically comes in 8, 10 and 12-foot lengths. But if the sheets you are working with are shorter than the height of the wall, be sure to mount the top of the wallboard flush with the ceiling. That will put the seams down on the bottom of the wall where they are less noticeable. Mount the wallboard with screws. Be careful to drive the screws or nail heads in just below the surface of the wallboard but not through the paper surface.
• It is easier to sheetrock right over the door. Cut out the extra sheetrock. Score it down one side and then swing it open. Come back along the crease and score it again.
• The reciprocating saw is handy for cutting out the corners of the door opening installing the rest of the wallboard goes about the same way. You will need to cut pieces to fit the spaces that are smaller than a full sheet and once you have it all attached to the studs, you are ready to tape and bed.
• Spread on a layer of joint compound over the seams
• Press in wallboard tape
• Let it dry overnight
• Sand and add another coat of joint compound
• 3 coats is recommended

INSULATING

• Before attaching the drywall to the other side of the wall, fill the spaces between the studs with insulation. Follow the manufacturer's instructions on use and safety precautions.

ADDING THE DOOR

• Measure the placement for the door hinges. Our example is 7" from the top of the door but we are adding a ¼" to that to give us the placement of the hinges on the new door frame. That will make sure the door doesn’t hit the top of the frame after it is installed. Remove the hinge screws from the old door frame - starting with the bottom ones first and take the door out of the frame.
• Next, put the new door frame in place. If the door is a standard size, you should be able to buy one pre-cut to fit. Just ask for a 'k-d' or knock down, frame to fit the dimensions of the door.
• Position the hinges over the indentations you have made for them. Then drive the screws into place. Drill a starter hole for at least one screw per hinge before you drive the first screws in. That will make it easier to get them started while you are still bearing the full weight of the door. Level the door frame to the trimer and then secure in place.
• Gently force wood shims in between the door frame and the 2"x4" trimmer until the gap between them is uniform from top to bottom with the door closed. You want the door frame to hold firmly in place but you don’t want so much pressure against the door that it’s difficult to open.
• Drill screws through the door frame and the shims and into the trimmer. Then cut or break off the shims. You don’t have to worry about cutting them off neatly because the door trim will cover them up along with the edge of the frame.
• Now the wall is ready for texturing and trim.
• TIP: You can save a lot of money by using an existing door. With our example, we moved it from an old, existing frame up to this K-D frame. Much more inexpensive, because, ordinarily, you buy a pre-hung door with a frame. All we had to do was buy an inexpensive frame and mount it.

NOTE: This is meant as a basic demonstration, not a complete guide on how to install a wall. You made need to adjust some steps to fit your needs.