[debi55]

building a wall in basement need some tips on attaching studs to concrete floor

 

[Ron6519]

You can screw in the pressure treated bottom plate with tapcon screws or you can shoot them in the a gun.
Ron

 

[Maintenance 6]

Attach the bottom wall plate to the concrete floor with either Tapcon masonry screws or wedge anchors. Then nail the studs to the plate. The bottom plate must be made of pressure treated lumber or be isolated from the concrete so that it cannot absorb any moisture.

 

[Willie T]

The Tapcon route will likely be the most readily available for a DIY homeowner. You can buy the whole set, screws, drill bit, and driver tip at H/D, Lowes, or just about any hardware store. Easy to use.

Sometimes all the necessary items come in one sealed plastic package.

 

[Daniel Holzman]

Tapcons are fine, but I don't like all the drilling etc. For my money, a 22 or 38 Ramset works great, you can rent one at the U-Rent store. With proper selection of the nail, you can shoot right through the bottom plate into the concrete, and you get a good connection. Make sure you have hearing protection when you use the gun, it can be extremely loud.

 

[spinner1962]

Thanks for the HELP. Wife has to buy dinner.

 

[stadry]

some time ago someone posted a tip which we've since used,,, drill a hole thru the btm plate onto the conc floor,,, using a masonary bit & hammer drill, finish the hole into the floor,,, drive 2 16p nails into the hole thru the sole plate - fast, cheap, & holds terrific,,, we also like ramsets - they're faster :thumbsup:

 

[de-nagorg]

some time ago someone posted a tip which we've since used,,, drill a hole thru the btm plate onto the conc floor,,, using a masonary bit & hammer drill, finish the hole into the floor,,, drive 2 16p nails into the hole thru the sole plate - fast, cheap, & holds terrific,,, we also like ramsets - they're faster :thumbsup:

Seems to me this depends on the size of the hole drilled, A 1/4 inch hole maybe, anything larger than a 1/2 inch hole. no way.



ED

 

[jobblyman]

I used the Ramset hammer shot .22 tool for my basement. Home Depot sells the tool for about $25 and they sell the nails and bullets. The floor is 50 year old 4" concrete and it worked great. Just be sure to wear eye and especially hearing protection!

 

[Canarywood1]

Ramset gets my vote.

 

[bob22]

Ramset hammer shot .22 tool from Home Depot; quick, works, and fun!
I can't imagine drilling a zillion holes, hitting aggregate, snapping Tapcons, etc...and worse, the time element. Much faster to fire than drill.

 

[ccleme11]

How far apart do the fasteners need to be when using the Ramset?

 

[de-nagorg]

For myself . No farther than 2 feet apart.

Depends on how sturdy you want it, If you are going to have a few rambunctious juveniles in there bouncing off the walls probably closer, but if it's grandma's sewing room, that is fine.

The ramset should come with an operators manual, look there.

Get yourself GOOD hearing protection, I have a lot of hearing loss from just such tools as a ramset, plus others.


ED

 

[Californiadecks]

How far apart do the fasteners need to be when using the Ramset?

I like to go every other Bay, and one on any end, such as near a door way or corner.

 

[carpdad]

I don't know if this applies to you, but power nails I bought from homedepot rusted and failed quickly on a block foundation wall. This wall has effloresent on the bottom fourths, but the failure was on top half. Not tapcons.

 

[ront02769]

Some of the questions about hw many fasteners or how far apart can be answered by considering what you are trying to do. For example, if you are putting up an exterior wall, you are keeping the bottom of same from sliding off of the side of th vuilding but ALSO you are dealing with potential uplift of the wall structure. So for me a couple of. Big nails each stud bay. Back to a partition in a basement, you are only keeping the bottom from moving one way or the other, a 2 1/2" concrete nail every other stud bay would be fine. Non-believer? Put a fastener in every four feet, install the wall, and try to move the bottom. No way. So in general try to picture the points of stress in your installation and fasten appropriately....assuming that there is no code specifying fastener type and location as they're is for deck ledgers. Ron

 

[Thurman]

Are you planning on securing the bottom plate before or after nailing the studs to it? I have found that securing the bottom plate to concrete before nailing the studs to it results in a problem. IF you are planning on using 16d nails to secure the studs to the bottom plate after the bottom plate has been secured, then the nails may/probably will hit the concrete just as they exit the bottom of the bottom plate. I've seen times when this prevents the nail heads from bottoming out. You may have to back down a nail size to either 10d or 8d. In some areas building codes dictate which size nails and how many per stud to use. If you have the room I would build the wall on the floor, attaching the studs to the bottom plate before raising the wall. Then secure the bottom plate to the concrete.