Sticking with the remodeling theme, and this is on topic, I have a question:
I am finishing a portion of my basement to be an exercise room for the winter. Concept2 erg, trainer, rollers, TV, DVD, you get the picture (See? On Topic:)).
I am framing the concrete walls with 2x2s attached with powder actuated nails. I am using the most powerful load, but some/most of the nails are not flush with the lumber. Most stick out 1/4 inch or so.
So, what do I do when hanging the wallboard. Do I just lay it on top of the nailheads? I would then fear cracking the board when screwing in the board. Or, do I dig out a little bit on the backside of the board. Surely I am not the first person to do this.
Or, should I have figured some other solution before attaching 30 or 40 2x2’s?
I finally succumbed to my wife’s remodeling whining (I think women are genetically programmed to want to change their kitchen cabinets every 7-10 years). Of course, she wanted me to take some of our existing cabinets and put them in the laundry room, garage, basement etc., which I did this weekend. Just a tip, the wood screws they use to install the cabinets are 3 inches (74 cms for you metric mutants) and are easily stripped. So, if decide to cabinetize your new workout room, beware of the big screws. Getting one 90% in or 10% out is a pain in the ass.
Oh, so as not to make this totally OT, I was not able to workout at all this weekend because of the big screws. Maybe someone will want to incorporate this big screws scenario into their tapering strategy.
If the heads of the nails are small enough you’ll be able to lay the drywall right over the tops of them without a problem. This will work unless the nails are too close together or the heads are too big to recess into the drywall. I’d waste a sheet first and attempt to place it over the nails, without mashing the nails into the concrete which may chip the concrete and loosen the nails.
I just put a double thick 1/2" patch of 4x8 ft drywall on my dining room ceiling as a result of the air hander upstairs leaking. The drywall was able to bend slightly to match the exisiting 80 year old plaster and when I finished the drywall with mud the patch totally disappeared. You can’t even tell a patch is there. it looks just like the plaster.
Glue the 2x2s on and you will then need a lot less nails. Glue plus 2 nails will be plenty strong. I ain’t tallking Elmers glue. Get on down to the hardware store and get some construction adhesive and a caulking gun.
I have been a Union Carpenter in NYC for over 30 years and what are you doing shooting holes into your foundation walls? I hope it is poured concrete and not block. You should have framed a new wall in front of the foundation wall with 2x3's, either wood or metal. Besides not damaging the foundation, this would give you room to pull wires and insulate if you want to. Stay away from the five lb sledge, if you bend the concrete nails over you'll probably loosen most of them up. Thirty or forty 2x2's isn't that much of a loss. I'd say it's time to start over.
Are the 2x2’s right on the cement? If so…GLUE em to the wall, stronger than nails.
If you do have 1/4" do NOT cut off the head, bend em, the head is what keeps the board from coming off the wall and or creaking.
More often than not I would keep the 2x2’s about 1" from the cement wall and make sure there is a vapor barrier between the walls. I would frame in a 2x2 on 16" centers and screw the drywall to the 2x2’s. This way you do not need to worry about the cement walls leaking or anything in the winter/spring time. I also know people who have built a 2x2 wall with it 2" from the back wall - insulate the back wall with “Foamular” (foam sheets) and then put in a vent on one side and a fan on the other to keep moisture out of behind the wall (basements)
I used glue and also the nails. 16" o.c. 2x2’s are over the poured concrete which has been sealed with Drylok. I will be using foam insulation between the 2x2’s. That will have to do it because i am doing no more. Not a wet basement. I checked for condensation on the walls and I should be good.
you are good to go bang the heads back and hang rock glue the rock it on for giggles with pl-400 or con adhesive liguid nails what have you. make sure that the screws you are hanging the rock with are not going to be too long. 1 1/2 for the stud and 1/2 rock =1 3/4 screw max. good luck sounds like you are going to have a sweet tri lab when all said and done.
20+ years in the wallboard biz…ex and I owned a wall/ceiling/light gauge framing company…and this is the right solution.
If you wanna do it right…
A “free-standing” wall attached to the block/concrete is the way to a quality finish job. Second choice would have been laminating (gluing, for you DIY’ers) the furring strips to the wall with construction adhesive and then shooting as few nails as needed.
You could try and pound the nails in, or bend them over, but the end result will be shaky at best and the quality of the finish on those walls you will be spending so much time within will be less than stunning.
Actually, you probably coulda floated out the block/concrete and skipped the rock altogether and ended up with a decent looking finish. Done that more than once.
Why folks are so often willing to sacrifice the finished product in the interest of saving a few bucks is beyond me…
Actually, you probably coulda floated out the block/concrete and skipped the rock altogether and ended up with a decent looking finish. Done that more than once.
Here in Wisconsin I will need some insulation. Brrr!
Isn’t the usual protocol to impact nail down a 2x4 to the poured floor as a footer, and then toe-nail the top of your frame to the joists? And then glue along the length of the 2x4s up the wall?
Basically, I think you should nail a 2x4 to the floor.
Just got done with a similiar project here in rainy cold PA. I have to agree with Sweeney and greglevq and say that framing the wall may be your best bet. I have block walls, I drylocked the wall, placed foamboard insulation and framed it out with 2x4’s. I learned as I went, and asked around (I know a few contractors, they come by to check it out and get a little chuckle). I made a few mistakes, but my friends pointed them out and things are looking pretty fair after I fixed them. Got real good at using screws to put it together, so when I screw it up I can take it apart. I anchored the frame to the ceiling joists and tap-conned the bottom to the floor every few feet. I asked about anchoring the wall, but all I heard about was the consequences of busting the wall (most were bad).
I hung the drywall and I am certain that I am very glad I do something else for a living. Spackle-sand-prime-paint.
The best part was installing built in shelves on the wall to place all of our trophies (a couple are mine, most are my wife’s). Also made shelving for the TV and VCR-DVD. There is room for 3 trainers and 2 sets of rollers. I built an adjacent room that is dedicated to bikes and stuff. My wife had me paint it yellow.The only thing I got alot of help with was the electrical stuff (read: didn’t touch a goddamn thing there…).
Well, the thg that may make some difference is that i intend on hanging waincoting over the drywall. So the cosmetics of the drywall do not matter to me.
you should be able to build the frame on the floor and then just stand it up and nail it into the concrete floor on the bottom and the floor joists above…no toe nailing needed. the only exception is the wall that runs parrallel to the floor joists…but you could just throw a nailer up there.
