Dear James: We are building a guest house using wood stud walls. We plan to build the walls on the ground and raise them. What is the easiest method to do this and have nice, flat walls? -- Laurie S.

If you’re hanging or mounting heavy items on your walls, such as mirrors or flat-screen TVs, you need to attach them to a stud—the wooden or metal beams that make up your home’s framing. Since these ...