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Does anyone know a good source of info on the web concerning steel framing for finishing a basement?
My customer has a family member who is closing out a supply house and we can get an unlimited supply of steel studs to use for the project.
Thanks….
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Best advice I can lend is to lay down PT 2x's for the base plate and then attach the bottom tracks to those so as to avoid direct contact with the concrete which will cause those steel tracks to rust/corrode.
Pete Draganic
*Jeff, All bsmt remodels i use steel. there is just so much more you can do with steel to get around everything that pops up in a bsmt. the plate isolation from the concrete could be a good idea. i always use a 2 1/2" track and stud that i hold off the wall 1/2 to 3/4 so any bad spots in the foundation wall don't interfere. the space will readily accept 3 1/2" insulation. ( be sure to get full 16" or 24" insulation as this will friction fit with the hollows of the metal stud. when wiring, if you use romex, get the plastic grommets that snap into the premade holes in the stud so the sheath does't get cut. I also block out the wall every cpl. feet with a pc. of steel bent and screwed at a 90 and fastened midpt. in ht. and fastened to a stud. this stiffens the wall. visqueen vapor barrier if you elect to use it on the inner surface, i spot tape with duct tape. you may need to wipe the oil of the metal to get it to stick. or staple to joists above till the bd gets hung. if you can, get a commercial carpenter to help you or let him frame it. there are tricks that only a good framer knows that make steel the way to go. it is different than wood framing. best of luck.
*A few tips I use with steel studs below grade:1. Don't put the studs up tight to the block. Leave a small space between the wall and stud.(1/4").2. Don't use vapor barrier 3. Use cca (pressure treated) bottom plates.4.Frame door openings with wood studs, let into the track.
*I've done several basements with steel studs. I think they are great because one guy can 20 instead of five. They frame faster and are more forgiving if you cut one 1/4" short. I also frame the exterior walls away from the foundation. I've always attachd the bottom track right to the slab. The PT plate sounds like a good idea though.Dont' cut them with a carbide blade, pieces of carbide will take off like bullets. Watch the screws that come with them. I still haven't found a way to carry them in a nail bag without piercing my fingers all day.I wire them with BX. It's not much more expensive and I don't have to worry about cutting into the romex. If you pull BX, be aware that BX will pull easily in one direction and will get stuck on every spiral the other way.
*Jeff: One other thing to consider, depending on where you live, is if you live in an area w/ expansive soils, as is the case here in Colorado. When building walls here, we install 2 bottom plates- the 1st attached to the floor, the 2nd, abt 1-1/2" above the 1st to allow for vertical shifting in the floor. Also, there are new blades for yr circular saw on the market now for cutting steel studs. Generally snips work quite well. The comercial framers i know here just cut the side of the stud & bend the stud back & forth a few times until it breaks. Seems to work for them. Good luck!