Supporting Wall - Framing Stairs

Supporting walls are used to support structural framing components like floors, walls, roofs and stairways. In the picture below, every wall that you're looking at is a supporting wall, for another part of the building. The taller walls are supporting the floors and the smaller wall underneath the stairs are supporting the landing and stair stringers.

Measuring And Building Supporting Walls

It doesn't matter what part of the building you're working on, make sure that your walls are going to be built to the correct heights. In other words, double check and verify all of your measurements at least once, before cutting any lumber, to build a supporting wall.

For example, I'm building a stairway that is going to require a structural support wall underneath the landing. After I add my individual risers measurements together and come up with a specific measurement for the over all height of the landing, I can start subtracting the width of the other building material components.

I will need to deduct for my framing plates, landing joist and landing sheathing. I will also need to subtract these measurements exactly, otherwise I could build a wall that's too small or too tall.

If you subtract one measurement incorrectly or forget about a specific piece of lumber, you're in trouble.

Sometimes it takes a little bit of practice, until you get a system down that works. In a situation like this, where you're going to be building supporting walls for your stairs, you might need to make corrections and adjustments along the way, until you have enough experience and understand how everything works together.

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