Tips & Techniques

A methodical approach to blocking

Issue 142

Here’s a slick way for one carpenter to walk a wall while installing blocking with a minimum of wasted effort. As shown in the drawing, I start a 16d nail in the corner of each block at the angle required for toenailing. Next, I put a nail partway, into each stud just below the location of the blocks. Then I hang a block on each one of these nails, using my angled nails as the hooks. As the blocks are picked off their nails, their hanger hooks are driven home as toenails.

Jon Sherman, Steamboat Springs, CO

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