Mounting wood studs into concrete
- Thread starter IVB
- Start date
IVB
Senior Member
Yep, already got an email into them asking them which particular bits & sets they'd recommend - was all set to press the buy button last night, but their eCommerce store had some ambiguity.
SnyperBob
Active Member
I have also just used the gun that requires the hammer. It was about $20 from Menards or Home Depot, and it worked great. My concrete is new (less than 2 years old), but you're only firing the nail into the concrete less than 2 inches. I don't think it would cause problems.
Do you know how thick your concrete is? I'd just say try it in a inconspicuous area and see what happens.
I used the gun nails and hammer for walls that don't support anything. If you are putting up walls that need to support something important, like rafters or whatnot, I would suggest going the tapcon route just to be safe.
Do you know how thick your concrete is? I'd just say try it in a inconspicuous area and see what happens.
I used the gun nails and hammer for walls that don't support anything. If you are putting up walls that need to support something important, like rafters or whatnot, I would suggest going the tapcon route just to be safe.
Ranger Digital
Active Member
IVB, that surely is a good concern. As a General Contractor for commercial facilities, our AVERAGE was bout 30% good shots in old concrete. The rest either busted concrete or bend the nails. Not the way to go and we no longer use bullet guns on old concrete installs.
123
Senior Member
I've done a fair bit of reno work and know some of the local building codes (Quebec, Canada).
Generally speaking, treated lumber should not be used within living spaces. OK, that hasn't stopped me from using it as a sill plate for an exterior door but you should be aware that treated wood is not intended for interior use.
Wood should never be installed directly onto concrete. Most concrete surfaces within a home have a dry, interior face and a wet, exterior face (i.e. basement floors and walls). Concrete is porous and, given the right conditions, will wick moisture. The modern construction technique is to isolate wood from concrete using a moisture-resistant barrier that also serves as a thermal break. Go to your local building supplier and look for a roll of (pink) closed-cell foam about 4" wide. Place the foam strip directly onto the concrete and then place the 2x4 onto the foam.
Concrete screws are your best bet. Buy a kit that includes screws and a bit. You don't need a hammer-drill but it will make life easier. Tapcon screws come with a Robertson head (the "square-hole", popular in Canada but not in the US) or a hex-head. I like the hex-head variety because I can apply a lot of torque with a cordless drill and hex-socket. If you use concrete screws, make sure you drill a clean, deep hole. If the hole is shallow the screw will bottom out and you won't be able to drive it in fully. If the hole is filled with dust and debris, it will present too much resistance and you will break the screw while driving it in. A nail gun, the kind that uses 22 caliber shells to fire nails into concrete, is loud, dangerous, and can spall the concrete (i.e. break off flakes of concrete). I used one in the past and now prefer to use concrete screws.
Good luck!
Generally speaking, treated lumber should not be used within living spaces. OK, that hasn't stopped me from using it as a sill plate for an exterior door but you should be aware that treated wood is not intended for interior use.
Wood should never be installed directly onto concrete. Most concrete surfaces within a home have a dry, interior face and a wet, exterior face (i.e. basement floors and walls). Concrete is porous and, given the right conditions, will wick moisture. The modern construction technique is to isolate wood from concrete using a moisture-resistant barrier that also serves as a thermal break. Go to your local building supplier and look for a roll of (pink) closed-cell foam about 4" wide. Place the foam strip directly onto the concrete and then place the 2x4 onto the foam.
Concrete screws are your best bet. Buy a kit that includes screws and a bit. You don't need a hammer-drill but it will make life easier. Tapcon screws come with a Robertson head (the "square-hole", popular in Canada but not in the US) or a hex-head. I like the hex-head variety because I can apply a lot of torque with a cordless drill and hex-socket. If you use concrete screws, make sure you drill a clean, deep hole. If the hole is shallow the screw will bottom out and you won't be able to drive it in fully. If the hole is filled with dust and debris, it will present too much resistance and you will break the screw while driving it in. A nail gun, the kind that uses 22 caliber shells to fire nails into concrete, is loud, dangerous, and can spall the concrete (i.e. break off flakes of concrete). I used one in the past and now prefer to use concrete screws.
Good luck!
BraveSirRobbin
Moderator
123
Senior Member
You're welcome but don't feel obligated to undo anything. There's plenty of non-compliant renovation work being done today by the so-called "pros" and nobody knows what's right or wrong because it's all hidden by drywall. Let's be fair, you're building a partition and not a load-bearing wall. The majority of your existing basement walls are probably like mine and the wood sits directly on the concrete ... one more wall built the same way isn't going to upset the apple cart.
But if you're the least bit concerned that in the future, treated wood is considered a health-hazard equivalent to asbestos (or unfairly stigmatized like aluminum wiring and urea-formaldehyde foam insulation) then, yeah, take out the eery-green lumber and opt for plain-vanilla spruce or pine.
IVB
Senior Member
Interestingly enough, I was having a drink with my neighbor, totally forgot that he's been in construction for 11 years and is in the process of buying out the current owner. He's the one remodeling his house that I ran a CCTV to, so he's seen the "before" horror basement live.
He said that the use of treated lumber indoors in basements in CA is *definitely* not against code. He said that although there's some off-gassing for a few years, it's nowhere close to an issue.
Of course, it doesn't address that asbestos example of yours, though, that's still a sticky wicket...
He said that the use of treated lumber indoors in basements in CA is *definitely* not against code. He said that although there's some off-gassing for a few years, it's nowhere close to an issue.
Of course, it doesn't address that asbestos example of yours, though, that's still a sticky wicket...
Ranger Digital
Active Member
thats why building is texas is so great. we can kill ourselves and no laws to stop it. LOL
oddly even, i consider exterior walls in a living room LIVING space yet treated can go there. go figure.
oddly even, i consider exterior walls in a living room LIVING space yet treated can go there. go figure.
