Don Vandervort, Head Homeboy, has written more than 30 DIY home improvement books, been a segment host on HGTV, served as MSN.com's home improvement expert and written countless magazine articles.
This illustration shows the basic wall framing components of an interior wall. Wall studs, typically spaced 16 or 24 inches from center to center, are the vertical supports that run from top to bottom.
Along the floor, a bottom plate serves as a base; a top plate does the same across the ceiling. Both plates are nailed to solid framing.
At openings, wall studs are doubled at each side, and a header spans the top of the opening. Fire blocks run horizontally across the center, adding support and a nailing backer for wall-covering materials.
