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I am preparing to remodel my unfinished basement. What is the best way to attach bottom plates and furring strips to concrete? The floor is a poured slab as are the walls.
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I usually use treated 2x4 for the bottom plate, lay the plate to the chalk line, pl 400 it, and shoot it to the cement with a 22 caliber slammer. On the walls I like to build a separate stud wall about an inch away from the block. It's not a good idea to nail into a block wall if it's exterior. You might get away with cut nails in a poured wall, if it's green, or use the 22 slammer. wear ear protection.
*Jim: I do alot of basement and general building and I like to use Tapcon Cement Screws. It does a better job of drawing the wood to the concrete for a tight fit. also if you by chance change your mind all you have to do is unscrew the fastener. You will need a hammer drill but I think that it is a much safer way than using the 22 or 25 caliber gun shot. Good luck on your project and don't forget to use construction adhesive.
*Ditto the Tapcons - 3/16 x 2-3/4 should do the trick. A little slower, but don't require buying a tool that you will seldom use. Hope this helps. Rich.
*Tapcons for me also. But don't buy generics at HD, make sure they are real Tapcons.
*jim... just like jim W... we use pt shoe.. and shoot 'em in with ram-sets...keep your eye & ear protection..use the right loads, and the right shots...very quick, very permanent..and you can use them for steel too....
*I got a $30 powder-actuated tool that i use a two-pound sledge with to set the plates in two houses. Not as expensive as a hammer drill, for sure, and nice to have around. Have put three hundred or so shots through it at different loads with no safety issues. Goggles and earplugs, for sure, though. Tried to pull a test piece up and the nails came through the plate. It didn't work on another, older house with amazing concrete, though--just wouldn't penetrate, even with heaviest load, so i had to drill for that one to install jambs.
*Hammer drill with tapcon bits and use tapcon anchors.My vote. (and you can count that as many times as you like)Ed. Williams
*The key point in fastener length is that Tapcon recommends at least one inch penetration into the masonry. A 3/16 Tapcon with countersunk head will generally sink itself into pine without requiring the countersink to be drilled out first.
*We have a Hibachi pneumatic concrete nailer. The best money I have ever spent. When we break it out on a job all the subs come to try it out. We can put down 3 to 4 times the amount of material than with ram sets and the like.
*I usually use metal track (light gauge - 25g)and metal studs . They do not have moisture problems like wood in the basement area . They are also cheaper and environmentally friendly . An alternative I use when I need wood studs is to shoot down 3 5/8" metal track and screw wood studs through the track . Fasten the metal to the basemment floor with 1" track pins by Hilti or other and a Hilti or Ramset tool .You'll also find that metal track fastens easily to the bottom of the floor joists with drywall screws and is easier and faster to notch with a pair of snips than taking out the circular saw and trying to do the same when an obstruction is encountered .
*...and bar-b-que lunch when you're done! ;-)
*Never use firring strips , that went out in the seventies with paneling. 25% of my work is tearing that crap out and framing a wall , studs on edge ,1" away from the block wall. Do it like the rest of the house , now its a finished lower level , and not a basement or gameroom
*Here is a little trick I use alot. I drill a 1/4" hole with with a concrete bit and hammer in 2 16 penny galvanized nails together. I know how well it will hold because I have had to remove the plates. The boards will split before the nails pull. Trust me.
*Kevin, tell me more about this pnuematic concrete nailer by "Hibachi"Hitachi I own, never heard of Hibachihow long of nails of what diameter costing how much per box galvy I hope in a tool that costs how much and breaks how often.And anything else you might add. I just envisioned shooting a 2x ledger into foundation with a gun, and it was good. Given the probable fracturing if set too close, what is the minimum spacing required for nails? Can you get the nails in .148 or larger diameter? Ever see a structural detail with this application? (say, a treated 2x ledger for a stair landing).nw
*Can this "Hibachi" nailer be converted to a charcoal grill during lunch breaks ?
*Quote:---------------I usually use metal track (light gauge - 25g)and metal studs . They do not have moisture problems like wood in the basement area .---------------I, too, am about to start finishing my basement. I was considering using steel studs as well, but after doing some digging, I decided to go back to treated 2x4s. The problem with the metal studs is that they can remain relatively cool and allow moisture to condense on them in humid areas, and then, as they are steel, they can't dissipate the moisure as well as wood. I am by no means an expert and I'm sure there are various drawbacks to using treated lumber as well...just another thing to consider...One question I have when using the Power Actuated nailers (screws or nails): how many do I need to anchor the 2x4 to the floor? Is there a rule of thumb for this (ie, x number of fasters per x length of wall?)
*I'm a home owner working on my second basement finish project. In our first home, I used wood studs. This time I'm using steel. I'm sold on metal framing for several reasons. It's very easy to move materials to your work site. No sawdust, except when you have to frame out a door. Our basement floor is OSB on steel joists, so laying the bottom channel down is a breeze w/ screws and a cordless drill. Changing your mind or re-doing a mistake is very easy with the screws.Regarding a concrete floor, if you have any potential for soil swelling in your area you may be required by code to float the walls down there. This is very important so check with the pros in your area.Some other advantages to steel framing:1. Studs can be cut 6 or 8 at a time on a chop saw with a metal blade. They can be a little short and screw into the channels w/ no problem. Keep a pair of tin snips on your tool belt for individual cuts.2. The purists won't like this, but I think manmade materials are generally better. I used Timbertech for an outside deck project. Loved it. The material is straight, and exactly the same dimensions from piece to piece. The same can be said for metal framing. Here's an easy way to plumb the walls w/ metal studs:Attach a two foot level to one of your metal studs w/ a couple of those plastic pull / bundle wraps. You now have an 8 foot level. After fastening down the bottom channel, put your stud/level in place and your the channel that attaches to the ceiling on top of that. Adjust the channel on top for plumb, then screw in place. Do the same thing on the other end, and of course everything in between will be plumb.Good luck, and if any pros out there have suggestions about floating walls on concrete, please let me know.
*Tim, leave a gap of 1 1/2" between your top channel and your ceiling.At the points of attachment, install clips made by bending tin the same guage as your channels and the same width as your studs into an Z shape. After you chalk your ceiling line, screw the top tab ( when your facing the clip edge it forms a Z) to the ceiling with two screws and then screw the top plate with another two screws to the bottom tab. You want movement up and down but none side to side and that's why you put a screws as close to the edge as possible.This installation is meant to compensate for deflection but works well for the opposite also.Gabe
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I am preparing to remodel my unfinished basement. What is the best way to attach bottom plates and furring strips to concrete? The floor is a poured slab as are the walls.