I'm planning on adding a wall to a living room making it a master bedroom and have a few questions. How would I go about securing the bottom plate to cement? What would be the best way to make sure that the top and bottom plates are parallel? Would it be best to toenail the studs to the top and bottom plates or build the frame on the floor then raise it and nail it?

Any help is appreciated.

 

[QUOTE=cl_jay]How would I go about securing the bottom plate to cement?[QUOTE]

1) Concrete screws - pre-drill hole with carbide bit
2) powder-activated gun (fires a 22 blank and shoots the nail into the ground - you can rent them at most home repair stores

3) Some pneumatic nailers will fire a nail into concrete

[QUOTE=cl_jay]What would be the best way to make sure that the top and bottom plates are parallel?[QUOTE]

If I were you, I would use metal studs. Lay the bottom plate on the ground exactly where you want it, secure it, then use a plumb bob to located where on the ceiling the top plate needs to go. Then use the metal studs to frame the wall. It's very easy and addresses the problem where the floor and ceiling are not perfectly flat (trying to raise an 8' + wall and deal with the low spots on the ceiling are a bitch. You be able to cut each stud to the exact height to address the variances in height.

You'll need a cut-off saw and a metal blade to cut the top and bottom caps and studs but it's sooo easy. That's how we framed our basement.