TI project. 5/8″ drywall on 3 1/2″ metal studs 24″ oc.
The architect left out the drywall when determining room dimensions. While working out this ommision, we were forced to move a 12′ wall 3 1/2″ further away from the toilet to meet the 18″ separation from adjoining wall ADA requirement. This put the wall into the electrical room space which sits 2′ below the main floor level and extended the wall height requirement to 14′.
Okay. No big deal, right (after everything else that i’ve been through here). Only the supplier has nothing exceeding 12′. Are there metal studs out there exceeding 12′??? Things as they are right now, we are looking at building up with a 2′ metal stud “pony wall” below a 12′ wall and reducing the stud spacing to 16″ to be on the safe side.
Are we going to pass inspection? Alternatives???
Thanks for being here,
brian
Replies
In my neck of the woods that would require a stamped plans change and a trip to the plans examiner for the record so that the inspector would be able to correlate the plans with the actual work.
Yes, you can get longer metal studs. Just go to a different supplier than Home Depot.<G> My supplier, specializing in drywall, metal studs, etc, carries 18' in stock (quoted a job with 18' walls last month) and with a little lead time, can come up with almost anything, special order.
Trying to picture your wall and the edge of a floor. Does that floor just stop at the wall location and drop 2' down to a new level?
You have the right picture, Ralph.
At the main floor level and at the ege of the concrete, we were at 16' 5/8 " from center of toilet drain to finished sidewall. My recommendation was to keep the 12' wall that we had constructed, move it out the minumum 2" that we needed, and "fur" out the conrete floor with flat 2x and plywood. I'm not personally big at all with simply adding more concrete....
Because of the space that we're losing in the utility room by moving the wall completely into that space, a ladder closet is being deleted that we might be able to keep if we only move into this area by 2".
Boy, talk about plan changes...
Never mind the room dimension changes (because of the architect's mistake), the substitution of floor mount toilets for wall-mount toilets that is leaving us so very close to the 5' circle of freedom for wheelchairs, if not within it - had to shorten the 4" wall return for the doorway down to 3" to maybe make it. We'll find out when the plumber comes out with the new toilet with the minimum footprint for ADA approved toilets. And a new backwall to accommodate the plumbing vents (not even addressed in the original plans - where was the city engineer on this oversight?) All this without any stamped plan changes...
It's been a hell of a week...
brian
Edited 5/1/2003 12:49:01 AM ET by brian smith
not even addressed in the original plans - where was the city engineer on this oversight?) All this without any stamped plan changes...
Whoa, has to check my sub list, I thought you were talking about my building (then I remembered that we're still on the shell work--mostly . . . )
I learned that "TI" stood for "tiny income" (and that the answer to the next question was "Yes.")
Let's see, drafter at the out-of-town architect shop uses CAD to draw all walls 4" wide. The walls are (mostly) all flagged with symbols for type. Building owner passes the plans off to interior work subs without pointing this out (or, possibly, not knowing). What fun. The 4" elevator wall has 1" rock in "j" studs, so it is off by boat loads. The stair wells are 3 hour, not 1 hour rated, so they are off (2 layers of X on both sides). All floor penetrations were spotted "on the fly," and thus, do not fall in the indicated chases. That was the last building--this one is worse, it's Build-Design (with no Designer).
Ok, ranting ends.
Check with your stud supplier; you may have to go up a gauge to get longer studs, but they are available.
oops. my oversight. i didn't mention "25 guage."
everyday is a new day...
and what did today bring??? the ranting continues...
the owner was by while my general and i were discussing the "wheelchair ramp" on the west side of the building not being to spec - 5'1" instead of 5'2" wide before the drywall installation that laps over the pony wall above and the concrete curb and ramp below, and the handrail. my boss and i had decided to go with a 2x4 instead of 2x6 wall and keep the finished drywall in-line with the finished face of the concrete to keep as close as spec as is now possible and not intrude into the ramp space any further. the owner was fine with this yesterday, but today changed his mind and ordered that the drywall be lapped over the concrete.
he informed us that this wasn't a wheelchair ramp per se, but that it was simply his preference to use a ramp to the emergency exit ("that will probably never be used") instead of steps and not called for by ADA, and that the 5'2" dimension was an arbitrary choice and not a requirement...
i questioned my boss about why it doesn't become an ADA regulated space? the owner had pointed out that there was wheelchair ramp access and egress provided for at the front of the storefront ...
HELLO
if a delimited space has been made accessible to a wheelchair by design (it's approximately 5' wide) and if a wheelchair can enter this space and if it's an emergency exit that someone in a wheelchair can approach only to find out that it is an emergency exit and if he/she now wants to turn around, there had better be 5' there for them to do it...
ARGHHHHHHH
i'm just the worker bee. and you know what? based on their enlightenment to their own perspective, they have asked me to move the pony wall to install the drywall down the face of the ramp sidewall...
then the inspection will happen and i may have the opportunity to install it a third time back to where it stands today...
end of rant,
brian
ps.
after informing everyone involved that there are studs available in longer lengths, it was too much bother for my admin office to locate some. guess that i am going to find out the verdict on the wall solution recommended to me by tuesday.
guess i'll return next week and let anyone who's interested know about the results to these issues...
brian
Edited 5/2/2003 9:14:27 AM ET by brian smith
brian, just a thought, why not just sister the metal studs??. I personnelly have never worked with metal studs. I'am certain you have all your fire blocking taking care of. As a good friend of mine, will often say to me , "c mon jimmy lets relax, and have fun on this job, your stressing on me buddy. best of luck Jim J
Dumb question maybe - But what's a "TI Project"?
Ambiguous headline: POLICE BEGIN CAMPAIGN TO RUN DOWN JAYWALKERS
I think it's like T & A. :)
Since it involved metal studs, I thought maybe it was "Tin Indian".
But I like your idea better...........Ambiguous headline: SAFETY EXPERTS SAY SCHOOL BUS PASSENGERS SHOULD BE BELTED
HUH!?!? I thouth it was ten injuries.
SamT
"Tenant Improvement" project (ie commercial job). When you hear "TI", you would visualize metal studs, drop ceilings, and such...
brian
Some large projects, commercial and residential developments, "manufacture" metal studs and other metal framing components on site, using portable trailer mounted machines similar to continuous gutter machines.
You might nose around and see if any are operating in your area. They can roll and cut any length you want, punch out wire chases, the whole enchilada.