DIYbanter - View Single Post - Drywall Over Steel Basement Reinforcement Studs

Reno

wrote in :

On Fri, 30 Jul 2010 21:34:57 -0700 (PDT), Rob Kiz
wrote:

On Jul 30, 10:44*pm, "Ed Pawlowski" wrote:
"Rob Kiz" wrote

I just had my basement walls reinforced with steel beams installed
every 36 inches on average. I had to tear the drywall down for the
finished portion of the basement and am now trying to figure out
the best way to redo the drywall.

I see two options: One would involve a combination of glueing the
drywall directly to the metal studs and glueing several 2x4's
horizontally between each pair of studs to screw the drywall to.

Please clarify something. *Are the steel beams and metal studs the
same thing or different?

If different, there are screws made for hanging drywall on metal
studs. They are not made for steel beams that are 1/4" or thicker.
*Use glue and put a metal or wood stud between them to shorten the
span.

I am referring to engineered steel beams installed to reinforce a
basement wall that is bulging, and not simply metal studs. Sorry for
not being clear on this.

Some people just can not comprehend what they read.....

Why not just leave the beams exposed and put the sheetrock in between.
You would have a new look. Paint them if you dont like the color.
Why does everyone want boring flat walls anyhow. Another option would
be to just hang some sort of drapes across the walls. That way, if
water pours in from the cracked bulging walls, you dont have to rip
out sheetrock, just hang the drapes on a washline and let them dry.

'jw' makes a lot of sense for two reasons. First, reinforcing doesn't
develope full strength unless and until it is fully loaded which may not
occur right away. Also the loads may vary with time. Reinforcing
'stretches' slightly under load due to elastic action. Drywall is a
rigid material and will not perform well at all if fastened onto
reinforcing that expands and shrinks again over time. You may be battling
cracks that re-occur constantly. Small cracks, if the reinforcing is
strong enough, but annoying. If you must use drywall then don't fasten it
to the reinforcing. Install a stud wall that is not fastened to the
reinforcing and fasten drywall normally to that. Remember to use a
flexible connection to the ceiling - don't nail it solidly to the
underside of joists.

Second, moisture proofing a basement is almost impossible no matter how
much money you spend. Water may not pour in if you have done a good job
of water-proofing but there is likely to be some dampness. Drywall is the
worst material to use if there is any degree of dampness at all. Either
use something else or use 'jw's' suggestion of working between the
reinforcing. Try to design a system where future moisture damage is
easiest to repair. A sectional approach is a good idea. Perhaps use a
decorative strip every few studs that hides a break in the drywall. That
way a future repair would only have to remove and replace a few sections.

If the water-proofing is a good job it may perform well if you add a
dehumidifier to the basement. That may be enough to deal with a small
amount of dampness. Get one with an automatic drain, either a pump type
or a gravity overflow. That should make it close to install and forget.