My steel fireplace goes into a rough chase hole that is about 60w x 76h. I want to frame within that hole with 25 gage stud and track, all 3-1/2″ deep, available my local supplier.
The steel framing will support 1/2″ Durock and its tile facing. The fireplace opening, framed out like a little door in the steel array, is about 36w x 34h.
A couple drawings attached show what I am questioning. The pic sketch shows the framing, with the right side jamb being a single stud. The header for the opening is just a single track.
On the left side jamb, I show two studs, back to back, with the open-face section of the opening-side stud faced with a section of track. It is a beefier jamb.
In the other pic, I show a section view of a 4-piece header arrangement, two studs face to face, with a track nested on the bottom, and a track screwed to the top, to receive the cripple studs above the header. A beefier header.
Question is, do I need the beefier jamb? The beefier header?
One more thing. I have RH, LH, and straight snips. But for simple length cuts, won’t an abrasive-blade chop saw, the kind my plumbers use, work best?
Edited 9/26/2005 5:26 pm ET by Stinger
Replies
Gene,
If it was me, and it isn't.
Any concern with the weight should be made up by using 20 gauge steel, which I wouldn't do.
The usual methods of framing with steel studs will work. The doubled up "jamb" studs serve no purpose. The "box" header doesn't either since you will no doubt span across the whole face with horizontal cement board, thereby taking much of the weight on the full length studs. If you're concerned with sag in the middle of the opening. Run a horizontal "bar" screwed to the studs and crips across the back of the opening.
For the few cuts you have, straight snips are just fine. Cut both ears, bend down the stud, cut the rest. For your weight, sit the studs down on the floor track, slop to the top. This is normal o.p.
edit: If you wan't a light show, cut the steel in the dark with the chop saw.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
Edited 9/26/2005 5:39 pm ET by calvin
Thanks, Calvin. I always err on the overkill side, and now I won't on this little project.
The only time I can recall being around guys running stud and track, and the memory is getting dim, is one time at Therma-Tru when we were doing an office addition to the Indiana plant. Come to think of it, about the only power tool noise coming out of them (an extremely efficient crew of two) was the sound of the clutched screwgun driving framing fasteners.
Yes, when I framed steel, we did use the abrasive chop saw but then only for the 20 ga. and thicker except to gang cut bundles of 25.
Recently did a remodel office framing where they had in their shop a metal bandsaw (hinged like a chop saw) at the end of a bench. Quick and easy to take the banded bundle, make the mark and lower the saw. Quieter than the chop saw and no sparks.
And as a comic aside and a little bit of safety warning when using an abrasive blade with chop saw...........
We were working out of town, long hours, little sleep.......lotsa work. We were gang cutting in an unoccupied mall. Hundreds of studs getting cut because the GC thought it was cost prohibitive to order up the steel precut (It was the framing of all the common walls on the first floor-no dimension difference). So we get paid to cut.............savings?
We put a dampened cardbd box behind the saw to catch the black dust from the blade. Well, it must have dried out I guess. We were taking coffee across the space when we saw the glow.
FYI. There are Tech screws that have a high head. Pointed for the lite ga. metal. I always get the low profile wafer head. The board doesn't sit out as much using the wafers. Used to be able to get them pointed, but lately only see the self tappers. They work, but set your depth proper on the screw gun so you don't spin them out. Clutch gun don't usually work, depth gun only.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
Edited 9/26/2005 6:53 pm ET by calvin