[bergsj]

Hi All,

I'm starting to frame the exterior walls of my basement. I have a poured foundation, and there is Dow rigid foam insulation around the concrete walls (on the interior). It is silver (aluminum foil coated for vapor barrier).

I'm framing a wall along this, and the ceiling joists run parallel to my wall. I can just nail into the joists at the top (I get it), but I had to drop my wall in the middle to make room for a soffit that will house my heat runs.

I would normally block nail into the concrete foundation, but the rigid foam insulation prevents this. How can I secure this lowered portion of my framing to the wall?

Any advice would be much appreciated!

 

[jmd87]

What type of floor do you (or will you) have. You're not building walls before the sub-floor is in are you? I think I'm confused of your question.

 

[bergsj]

What type of floor do you (or will you) have. You're not building walls before the sub-floor is in are you?

It's a concrete floor, but no subfloor is needed. Bone dry basement, it's not needed in my area.

 

[brockmiera]

Can you post a picture?

 

[joecaption]

Tap Cons or Ram Sets will work fine where it attaches to the slab.
Bottom plates need to be pressure treated.
Going to need to add fire stops at the top of the wall.

 

[jmd87]

Connect top plate to floor joists as you mentioned and bottom plate to concrete floor. No need to connect to foundation. Make sure foundation is water-tight though

 

[spring3100]

Mark and square the corners of wall,then attach sill foam to the bottom of the pressure treated plates you are going to install.
Then Ramset your plates to the floor.
Then measure from the top of the plate to the bottom of first floor joist.
Construct 8 foot sections wall on the ground,making the height 1/4 inch shorter than the plate/joist measure you just took.
Lift section into place,shim at top.
You will have a solid section of wall.
Only by #1 grade wood for this project,much easier to work with and much easier to rock later on.
Buy or rent a compressor and a framing nailer.
Buy a Ramset gun with trigger,not the cheap arse "hit it with a hammer" kind.
End nail your connections,saves time and material 2 nails versus 3.
Sill foam prevents any contact with wood of any kind to the floor.Good Luck.

 

[brockmiera]

Hi All,

I'm starting to frame the exterior walls of my basement. I have a poured foundation, and there is Dow rigid foam insulation around the concrete walls (on the interior). It is silver (aluminum foil coated for vapor barrier).

I'm framing a wall along this, and the ceiling joists run parallel to my wall. I can just nail into the joists at the top (I get it), but I had to drop my wall in the middle to make room for a soffit that will house my heat runs.

I would normally block nail into the concrete foundation, but the rigid foam insulation prevents this. How can I secure this lowered portion of my framing to the wall?

Any advice would be much appreciated!

Do you only have a issue with the portion of the wall that will run under the duct work?

 

[bergsj]

Do you only have a issue with the portion of the wall that will run under the duct work?

Yes.

Where my wall is lowered, the top plates of the wall are about 1 foot lower than the joists. And, being that I have foam on the walls, I can't block nail the framing to the foundation.

I have the framing attached at the beginning and end, but the middle portion is lowered and there isn't anything to attach to. I assume code requires the top of the framing to be attached every couple studs. Correct?

 

[brockmiera]

Yes.

Where my wall is lowered, the top plates of the wall are about 1 foot lower than the joists. And, being that I have foam on the walls, I can't block nail the framing to the foundation.

I have the framing attached at the beginning and end, but the middle portion is lowered and there isn't anything to attach to. I assume code requires the top of the framing to be attached every couple studs. Correct?

A picture would really help. Why do you have duct work up aagainst your exterior wall?

id frame a full stud to either side. Then frame under the duct like a window. Minus the header of course.

 

[bergsj]

Here are two pics.

 

[hand drive]

are you going to continue that wall across the entire room? if so, where the wall continues past the ductwork interference and where you can add the next full length stud back up to the ceiling, that next stud in the wall could be used to nail a lowered wall plate to and then run the plate back level to the last full stud in the wall as shown in the pic. fill the studs in under this new lowered plate and then build your soffit/bulkhead for the ducting off of the wall- however much soffit is needed. does that make sense? you are basically using the two full studs either side of the obstacle to nail the wall plate to that will be placed into the wall at the height needed as determined by your obstacles.

 

[bergsj]

are you going to continue that wall across the entire room? if so, where the wall continues past the ductwork interference and where you can add the next full length stud back up to the ceiling, that next stud in the wall could be used to nail a lowered wall plate to and then run the plate back level to the last full stud in the wall as shown in the pic. fill the studs in under this new lowered plate and then build your soffit/bulkhead for the ducting off of the wall- however much soffit is needed. does that make sense? you are basically using the two full studs either side of the obstacle to nail the wall plate to that will be placed into the wall at the height needed as determined by your obstacles.

Ok, thank you. In summary, the lowered portion of my wall (under the ductwork) will be nailed to the first and last studs that go all the way up to the ceiling.

But, doesn't the wall need to be attached to the ceiling at every stud, versus only on the two outside studs going all the way up to the ceiling?

 

[hand drive]

Ok, thank you. In summary, the lowered portion of my wall (under the ductwork) will be nailed to the first and last studs that go all the way up to the ceiling.

But, doesn't the wall need to be attached to the ceiling at every stud, versus only on the two outside studs going all the way up to the ceiling?

ideally yes, but obviously that cannot happen so a compromise is needed. that is simply the most straight forward approach to running a wall around obstacles while keeping wall structurally sound. make sure the two outer full length studs are nailed really good to the wall plates and double them up if it will help. I would figure out the height of the lowered pl;ate, get it in the wall and grab it and twist,yank,pull on it to see just how strong it is. if it feels solid you are good to go and it will strengthen much more after you put the studs under it to fill the wall in.

edit, you can also make the lowered plate a double and that will be stronger yet.

 

[bergsj]

ideally yes, but obviously that cannot happen so a compromise is needed. that is simply the most straight forward approach to running a wall around obstacles while keeping wall structurally sound. make sure the two outer full length studs are nailed really good to the wall plates and double them up if it will help. I would figure out the height of the lowered pl;ate, get it in the wall and grab it and twist,yank,pull on it to see just how strong it is. if it feels solid you are good to go and it will strengthen much more after you put the studs under it to fill the wall in.

edit, you can also make the lowered plate a double and that will be stronger yet.

Excellent. Thank you!! :thumbup: