Basement Waterproofing Specialist

Steel Framing Systems

This is an excerpt from the Book called “Ultimate Guide To Drywall“ by John D.Wagner. Continue reading to learn more about Steel Framing Systems, thanks to the author.

Steel-Framed Walls

Steel has long been the material of choice for commercial buildings, but not for houses. However, while lumber prices increase and lumber quality decreases, both the cost and strength of steel has stayed steady.

Steel doesn’t warp, shrink, or split like wood, and it isn’t food for insects. It won’t rot from water leaks-though it may corrode over long exposure. Steel doesn’t make a house fireproof, but it won’t contribute fuel to a fire, and it keeps the structure intact long after a burning wood frame would collapse. That’s one reason why metal framing is standard in commercial construction. Unlike lumber, which can be-and these days increasingly is-riddled with defects, steel studs are never warped, checked, or green.

Even well-built modern homes with wood frames are likely to undergo some shifting and settling that can pop drywall nails and trim joints-or worse. These problems are greatly reduced with steel. It doesn’t hold water, so metal studs won’t shrink and twist the way wood often does, particularly in the first year after construction when wet wood dries out during the heating season. Also, steel framing members are lighter than solid wood, and put less load on the foundation, which can reduce cracking and faults in masonry as well.

Residential steel construction initially caught on along the West Coast, where the extra strength was valuable against earthquakes, and then in the Southeast to resist damage from hurricanes. It continues, gradually, to gain favor with contractors and homebuyers. Fewer than 15,000 houses were built with steel framing in 1993, but 11 years later it was closer to 200,000.

Typical steel construction involves 20-gauge metal studs about the shape of 2×4s, but with one open side (like a letter C in cross section). These studs are attached (generally with sheet-metal screws) to U-shaped tracks attached to the floor and ceiling. In situations with concrete floors, the bottom track is easily secured with powder-actuated fasteners (PAFs).

Steel studs are generally spaced 16 to 24 inches on center, the same as wood framing. These light-gauge studs are only used for non-load-bearing interior walls; they’re not strong enough to support loads (without being sistered together). But a do-it-your-selfer without experience in steel construction can easily use steel systems to construct partition walls-and at a lower cost than lumber. Large drywall-supply houses will usually carry steel-framing supplies.

Preparing Steel Framing For Drywall

There is only minimal preparation before attaching drywall to steel-framed walls. You should check the framing for straightness as you would with wood (although it’s most likely going to be straight). You’ll also have to check the orientation of the studs themselves. The open side of the C-shaped channels should all be facing in the same direction.

You’ll install the panels of a wall starting in the corner that the open end of the stud faces. If you install the panels in the opposite direction, to the solid side first and then the open side, the screw might bend the open end outward, causing the panels to abut unevenly. Use bugle-head screws with self-tapping points to install the drywall-ordinary drywall screws are capable of drilling through 20-gauge steel, but in the process they will dig out a hole in the drywall larger than the head of the screw, creating finishing problems and unstable drywall.

The panels should ideally all be cut so that the edges break exactly halfway across the stud. If you need to add blocking, clip away the ¼-inch lip that forms the mouth of the “C” and screw a piece of plywood on the inside of the studs.

Suspended Ceilings

If you want to install a perfectly flat ceiling over old drywall with a hilly topography-or even over brand-new framing that seems out of whack-using a steel-frame suspended ceiling system might turn out to be easier than endlessly fussing with furring and shims. Modern suspension systems (such as USG’s Drywall Suspension System) are substantially easier to install than the old cold-rolled or hat channel systems: tees snap together, eliminating laborious fastening with ties and checking for square, and both the channels and the hanger wire are easier to cut.

The Pros Know

Hanging 100-percent level channels for a suspended ceiling system can be a headache with a water level, and a full-blown migraine with just a measuring tape and a spirit level. If you can spare the expense, a truly liberating tool to add to the collection is a hand-held laser level-it will cast a perfectly level beam of light all the way around the room, eliminating doubts and a whole lot of painstaking measuring and rechecking.

Installing A Suspended Ceiling System

Tools And Materials

Difficulty level

Basic hand tools

Measuring tape
Water level
4-foot level
Resilient metal channels
Hanger ties

Screws (sheet-metal and drywall Type S)
Screw gun
Aviation snips

1. Install the Track.

Using a water level (or, if available, a laser level), mark the desired elevation where you want the dry-wall to go. (Keep in mind that the drywall will be ½ to ⅝ inch below the suspension system-depending on drywall thickness-and that most building codes require at least 90 inches of headroom in normal living spaces. Check with your local building inspector before planning a suspended ceiling.) Now mark the line where you will install the track-either channel molding (which is C-shaped) or wall angle (which is L-shaped) – into the studs at the top of the wall using sheet-metal screws. Periodically check the track level as you install it.

2. Install The Main Tees.

Main tees generally come in 10- or 12-foot lengths. If one of your room’s dimensions happens to be 10 or 12 feet, make this the dimension across which you will place the main tees. Otherwise, you will have to cut the main tees to fit a shorter dimension or splice two of them together (using hanger wire or specially-made splicing clips available where you purchase the tees) to fit a longer dimension. Place the main tees on the track every 2 feet. Check the tees for level, and then attach the hanger wires from the main tees to the existing ceiling joists, to provide additional support for the ceiling.

3. Install The Cross Tees.

Install the cross tees perpendicular to the main tees every 16 or 24 inches on center. (Cross tees are manufactured in 2-foot lengths to fit in between the main tees.) This will provide a level surface and sufficient support for drywalling.

After you’ve marked the elevation with a level, you’re ready to install the track around the perimeter of the room. Screw it into the studs using metal screws.
Main tees will be installed 24 in. on center. Cut or splice them as needed to the proper length, and snap them into the track. Attach hanger wires for additional support.
Cross tees are installed under the main tees every 16 or 24 in. on center. They come in 24-in. lengths to fit between the main tees.

Metal suspended ceiling systems require no special equipment to install. Lightweight steel is screwed into a track and tied to existing joists with hanger wire. Suspension systems are usually compatible with acoustical tiles and lighting panels, if you wish to mix these with drywall in your installation.

Suspended Drywall Fascia And Sculptured Ceilings

Advances in both suspension systems and flexible drywall have permitted designers to be much more adventurous in their use of curves-not just in walls, but in multilevel ceilings and serpentine soffit boxes. It’s something that is most effective when used minimally, but a room can be given a great deal of flair at minimal expense-without having a frame of fancy curves in wood-with the addition of an undulating corner or recessed ceiling panel. Think of them as partial dropped ceilings. Special curved main tees and trim are available, so any shape can be dropped down from the main joists: circles, serpentine boxes, any kind of shape you can imagine.