On Sep 22, 12:52*pm, Bryan Scholtes wrote:
I would suggest you either go all wood or all steel. *The main
benefits of steel framing; straighter members, bug & rot free (but
they can rust) & more price stablity than timber. But with prices down
on timber I really don't the advantage since timber framing is quite a
bit easier for most of us. *Stud too long, skilsaw or chop saw.
Nailed framing is faster & easier than screwed together framing.

I suppose I am trying to avoid the hassle of building a wall on the
floor, then hoisting it up, and installing a header and/or shimming.

Is there less labor in that than I am assuming?

It seems nice to be able to throw up some metal top & bottom and cut
studs to fit. Am I "smoking the weed"?

If you are, it isn't the good stuff because you're still making sense.

My standard operating procedure for basement partitioning is to use a
PT bottom plate with metal track on top of it and a metal top track at
the ceiling joists. I install the top track first, plumb down to
locate the bottom plate, shoot in (or Tapcon) the PT plate to the
slab, then attach the metal track on top. Cut the wood studs about
1/4" short of a tight fit between the tracks, then slip the studs into
place.

Cutting the studs 1/4" short and having metal track for a top plate
will prevent the partition from inadvertently becoming a bearing wall
(probably not that big an issue, but that's what another post was
referring to).

Alternatively, if you want to go with all wood, use a double bottom
2x4 plate, frame the wall a little bit short, then when you lift the
wall into place use cedar shims between the bottom plates (under the
studs) to lift the framed wall into contact with the ceiling joists.

R