I’ve seen this recomended elsewhere, but around here it isn’t done much. Ceilling joists are 12″ o.c. the best runs would be perpendicular to the joists. Can I do this without furring the ceilling? It’s a basement ceilling, and my concern is flexing. There are I joists 12″ deep and span between 14′ and 17′ and I have definetly walked on stiffer floors, or maybe I just need to loose some weight. Thanks for your input, patrick.
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I would definitly go with the furring strips. A little work now will save a lot of work later on. You never regret doing a job right the first time. You could also use a metal track called, hat channel, h-track, and sound resilient channel. Whatever you call it, it works very well at absorbing sound and goes up with just a couple of screws. Your local lumberyard might have them. It's not really that hard to put up hat channel or furring strips. Not a step I would skip.
Patrick,
Mr. Rhodes is correct, if you have reservations, use RC-1 Channel which has been found to curtail drywall cracking due to wood shrinkage and movement. The RC-1 Channel is screwed to one side and the other side floats to which the sheetrock is adhered to. Should there be wood movement, the RC-1 Channel will flex thus withholding any drywall damage.
Further to my previous mail, go to this link. Resilient Channel is RC-1 Channel - it's the same thing and your drywall yard always carries it. Use 4 fine thread screws in the field and leave your butt joints between the RC-1 channel by using 5 inch wide strips of 7/16" OSB board, screwed well with 1 1/4" coarse screws, at intervals of 5 inches, one screw 1/2" from the butt joint and the other 1" from the butt joint. Bes ure to read the last paragraph.
http://www.wconline.com/wc/cda/articleinformation/features/bnp__features__item/0,3299,22578,00.html
Very good article. Say, where do you find those kind of articles at on the net. I really enjoy building science-type articles.
Also, why the plywood on the butt-joints. I've hung drywall for longer than I like to admit and I've always just broke it in the middle of the hat channel (RC-1). A little harder to hit for the diy'er, but is there another reason? maybe a site for that too?
Mr. Rhodes,
In short, you don't have enough space on a stud whether wood, steel or resilient channel to butt the two boards together properly. The screws on each board should be at least 3/8" of the end, preferably at at least 1/2" - you just don't have that much space on each board due to the width of the studs. to properly bind them. Further, on wood studs which are never straight, one board will stick past past the other compoundind the butt joint problem., this also happens on steel studs. On steel you have less space on the stud than on wood by 1/4". All of these types of studs are bearing as there are forces acting on them. Essentially, you are binding two boards on a fault line that will surely move in time resulting in "ridging" or "cracking" of the butt joint.
We splice wood, pipe, wire, etc., well why not drywall? That backer board binds the two boards together, you have 5 inches holding the boards together instead of 1 1/2" or 1 1/4" - which is better? The OSB board contains only 4% moisture while a wooden stud normally 19%. Also much faster with the backer board for the rocker and easier for the finisher and they don't crack nor ridge.
Since the butt joint is in between the studs - no direct forces are acting on the butt joint. Just a lot of common sense!
Further reading on http://www.butttaper.com
Edited 3/23/2003 10:22:03 PM ET by Zano
good points. I agree. but it's really not just common sense. Ask half of your drywallers and even they are not doing it like that. It seems like common sense after doing it for 20 years. I did order a video for that butttaper. Do you have one?
It all depends on what degree of quality you are seeking - most don't care about quality! It's "that's the way it is and where's my check" - the heck with what happens after 2 months, hey, but then, it's an extra for me unless of course one subs for a large builder and then you have to give a year's guarantee or if it's your own house or a friend's of yours, then it costs you money and appearence. Yes, I use it, have so for the past two years - it's faster for the rockers and for the finishers, cheaper, and offers a better job. My rockers complained on the first job, then they realized that they can rock faster and now want it all the time.
Most guys still drywall like they do in Charlie Chaplin movies - God bless them!
Here is another thing you can do with that system. Make your backer ply at the butts say 11" in this case, 12" for 16" spaced joists. Then put a small shim at the edges of the backer. About 1/16" thick. Use strips of cardboard or thin rippings and staple or tape them to the edges of the backers and then when you screw up the ends the shims create a slight trough which the butts are drawn into ... this makes a slight hollow for your tape to lie in ... similar to a factory edge. It takes a little time but saves it back when feathering.
That's a good idea. Kind of like the butthanger