The bottom plate, studs, top plate, sills, and beams are essential to a building’s structural integrity. Bottom plates are an extension of the foundation, usually made of wood, and attached to the sub-base. The studs are nailed or screwed into the bottom plate and top plate. Wooden beams can be used for added load resistance. Beginners often confuse bottom and top plates with footers and headers.
When framing a building, the bottom plate, as well as the studs, top plate, sills, and ceiling or roof beams, are the essential elements to the building’s structural integrity. Also known as a single plate, the bottom plates can be thought of as an extension of the foundation upon which the roof, ceilings and walls rest. In a wood frame building, the bottom plates would most likely be wood, although various other materials, such as steel, concrete, or composite materials, may be used.
In a simple wood frame building construction project, the sole or bottom plate is attached to the sub-base or rough floor. In an interior wall design, upright studs are fitted and then nailed or screwed into place through the subfloor and bottom plate, or if that would cause damage to the floor, simply nailed to the bottom plate. The studs are then nailed or screwed into the top plate, which sits flush with the ceiling. Thus, the bottom plate is the foot of the wall, the studs are the ribs, and the top plate is the head of the wall.
As a rule, interior framing in a completed structure should be done vertically; bottom plate nailed to subfloor, studs nailed or screwed to bottom plate, then to top plate. The outer wall construction is normally done horizontally. The bottom plate, top plate and studs are nailed or screwed together horizontally on the sub-floor and the whole construction is then lifted, all as a complete assembly, into the correct position on the sub-floor. Roofs and ceilings are generally not built yet, thus allowing for the casual erection of the wall.
In a wood frame, the bottom plates, studs, and top plates are commonly Douglas fir, pine, or hemlock. Wood is readily available, relatively inexpensive, and strong enough to provide a reasonable construction life. Wooden beams, generally larger than the two-by-four or two-by-six planks normally used in wooden building construction, can be used as top or bottom plates for added load resistance.
Quite often, beginners in construction will confuse the bottom and top plates with footers and headers. A header is used in the installation or construction of window or door openings, and a footer is a term for the underside of a building’s foundation. While similar in concept, the terms are differentiated for the sake of clarity. You wouldn’t want to build a window or door frame, or lay a foundation, when a wall frame is what you actually want.
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