I usually put the plywood sheathing on my exterior stud walls before I raise them into position. However, once the wall has been raised it often takes four hands to move it around, and it can be quite awkward to maneuver the bottom plate toward the layout line. Here’s a clever way to handle this problem that I learned from some production carpenters.
While the wall is lying on the subfloor and before the plywood is applied, toenail the bottom plate to its layout line with 16d nails, as shown in the drawing. As the wall is raised, these nails will bend and lift out of the floor. These are your handles. Using your hammer as a lever, you can pull the wall inward to align it. Nail it home, then nip off the bent nails with your side cutters.
—Tom Strong, Westcliffe, CO
Edited and illustrated by Charles Miller
From Fine Homebuilding #34
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If you put the nails in the other direction towards the line and nail the plate on the line while it is lying on the floor then you wont have to make any adjustments or pull any nails or worry about anyone trying to move the plate by kicking it with their foot and putting a nail through, their boot.
I agree with you entirely. When I first started as a carpenter, 40 years ago yours was the way I was taught to raise a wall. And there is no need to remove the nail. The method shown here is entirely counter-intuitive! I would have expected more from Fine Homebuilding. If you really need to move the plate you will need a 10# sledge, certainly more than a hammer.
Your comment about where to place the holding nail is the way I was thought 52 years ago. You could pull the nail out, after fixing the wall in place, without splitting the plate. JFL
Hang the plywood below the plate at least 6" , like you should, is the way I was taught 50 yr.s ago, and all you have to do is slide the wall back toward the structure. Come on guys.
thats gonna tear out a big chunk of the bottom plate......bad idea.
Qual-Craft makes a tool called a "Little PeeVee" . It's $30 and designed to address this issue. I've used one- not perfect, but better than the make-do approaches.
https://www.acmetools.com/little-peevee-2605/012643026057.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwio6XBhCMARIsAC0u9aGJ87AtR-1DmCfIXlZmgaX3bCR1eN6uyTUwZqGEft2853ygRSjNvZ4aAg7_EALw_wcB