Hello experts:
I was talking to a union carpenter about our extensive residential remodel. The carpenter frames mostly commercial interiors, and he was telling me about metal sheetrock/drywall nailers (not the tool, but the surface to nail rock in corners or in ceilings) that he loved when he was a drywaller for many years prior. Unfortunately he wasn’t very clear with his explanation, and we (who do a fair amount of the work on our remodel) could not understand how what he was saying would work:
He said a very light gauge metal – around 25g – “C channel” can be used as a nailer instead of a timber nailer. He said drywallers love it when this metal material is used, as it’s super easy to zip the drywall screws through it, and for us, it would be much cheaper and easier to install when framing. Furthermore, the material is easily and readily available at any Home Depot, etc.
For installation, he said the closed side of the C would run along the room’s rim joist. One part of the open side of the C would sit on the top plate and extend beyond the plate and thus serve as the drywall nailer. He also mentioned something about a “track” that can be extended further away from the top plate to extend the nailer.
Has anyone heard of this? We can’t understand how this can be installed at all (let alone “easily”), and how the metal can be strong enough to hold the weight of the ceiling’s rock. Normally, for the nailer, one would nail blocking on top of the plate and into the rim joist, and there’s no worry about drooping over a relatively short time period.
Also, what do drywallers think of this metal versus a regular nailer, and how is it to install drywall on this “c channel” versus a regular wood nailer?
Thank you very much for your insights. We’re scratching our heads…
Oink!
Replies
This sounds like a regular nailer but made of steel. Look into drywall clips which are even easier to install.
Sounds like he was refering to framing angle.
A piece of 25 or 20 gauge steel, one and one half inch by 1 and one half inch with a 90 degree bend (like an L).
Great to have when rocking a shack, especially when framers have left out nailers along the walls. Easy to throw up as you are rocking.
Comes in 10' lengths, available where ever metal studs are sold.
You are in the city, SF Gravel has it.
Mike
Trust in God, but row away from the rocks.
Edited 4/9/2006 8:14 pm by ruffmike