How To Set Up Wall Jacks

Fine Homebuilding Projection Guides

Framing

How-To

Wall-Framing Tools I Love: QualCraft Wall Jacks

Go out the heavy wall lifting to Jack—Wall Jack, that is

Bruce and I sheath as much of the exterior walls every bit possible before tilting them up. I normally lay out the superlative plate for the next floor's joists or rafters, and sometimes we install the rim joist. The walls are heavier than two old guys tin can lift safely without assistance.

Over 20 years ago, I bought a pair of QualCraft Wall Jacks #2601 and have used them to lift walls and beams on dozens of jobs. The jack looks a miniature stout pump jack and works on the same principle. The wall jack creeps up a ii×4 post when yous crank on the lever arm. The lever arm accepts a one-in. piping (you supply). Our pipes are about 2 ft. long and give plenty of leverage.

You demand to elevator the height plate of the wall off the subfloor several inches in lodge to appoint the wall jack. We generally apply a pry bar to go the initial lift and rest the plate on a short stack of wood blocks (4-1/2 in. to half dozen in.). With the wall raised a piffling, the wall jack can exist hooked beneath the top plate. It's best to support the 2x jack post with a cake of wood nailed to the subfloor to continue it from sliding out. QualCraft makes a hinged postal service base for a more secure attachment than a boot-out block, and I've sometimes used long strap hinges screwed to the subfloor and posts. We besides tether the jacks to the top plate or a stud. A brusk length of rope or chain is all that'due south needed. We necktie or hook the tether to the torso of the wall jack and around the plate with 6 in. of slack. The tether prevents the jack and mail service from sliding sideways when the wall is upright and you move on to plumbing and bracing it in identify. Without the tether, the post and jack can fall and knock you on the head (and I take the scar to show). QualCraft offers an accompaniment Wind Hook that serves equally tether.

QualCraft Wall Jack is like a stout mini pump jack for lifting walls and beams. — QualCraft'south Wall Jack is similar a stout mini pump jack for lifting walls and beams.

As you lot lift the wall, the jacks creep higher on the two×four post to a point where they get beyond achieve. You'll need stepladders to accomplish the jacks, particularly when lifting tall walls.

Once the wall is about two-thirds of the way up, Bruce and I usually finish lifting the wall with a low-cal push rather than jacking the entire mode. Just before the final push, we pause and prep another framing tool I love: a turnbuckle wall aligner.

And y'all don't necessarily need two workers to operate the wall jacks. I've lifted walls over twoscore ft. long alone using the wall jacks. I just walk from one jack to the next, giving a few cranks on the lever pipes with each pass.

Bottom bracket hinge stablizes the 2x4 jack post and the wind retainer cable tethers the Wall Jack to the wall plate — Bottom bracket hinge stabilizes the 2×4 jack post, and the air current retainer cable tethers the Wall Jack to the wall plate.

We lifted the 34-ft.-long walls on this job with just two jacks, but when we accept longer walls, we use three or 4 jacks.

The wall jacks aren't one-trick tools either; they can be used to elevator a heavy beam. Yous merely brace the top of the posts to a nearby wall, balance the beam on the jack arm, and pump it upward.

QualCraft Wall Jacks sell for $110 to $120 each, and the accessory kit sells for $50 to $60 each.

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