But, the 2x4 is still most popular for remodeling and add-ons. These marks will enable you to visualize and check the project's layout before the walls are made. The chalklines also serve as guidelines when actually raising the walls into place. That mark will be the near edge of the next wall stud. Lay out the centers to line up over the floor joists for more structural strength.
Most plans call for two top plate layers.
Fit the second cap plate on the top plate, but cut it short to leave the ends exposed. After the walls are set, we'll overlap the corner joints. Cutting Wall Studs Inspect the straightness of your wall studs before cutting them. Try to skip over ones with bad warps or twists, because they're hard to nail flush and can throw the stud spacing off. Keep them in mind for trimmers or cripple studs.