Raising walls

One advantage of platform framing is that each story creates a level surface on which to build the walls for the next story. When possible, walls are built on their sides and then raised into place when they’re finished. Framing walls from a horizontal position has big advantages: wall parts can’t tip over or fall since they’re lying flat, and the framers can work without ladders. Big walls are preferably built immediately adjacent to their final location, so they only need to be tilted up into place. Smaller walls can be built anywhere and then carried where needed. Crews often raise walls using manpower, but walls that are too big for the crew to handle have to be raised with jacks, cranes, pulley systems, or other tools.

Once a wall is raised (and sometimes during the raising process), it may be supported by temporary diagonal braces to keep it from toppling over. In the case of my tall western wall, pieces of framing lumber were nailed to the wall studs on one end and blocks of wood fastened to the subfloor on the other. This creates a strong triangle form that should keep the lone wall stable even if it gets windy. Once the framing is complete and everything is tied together the temporary braces will be removed.

Photos taken December 24-27, 2019. Posted January 8, 2020.