Expert: Ted Barnhill (Principal, Design45 LLC) - 10/2/2009

Question
Hi
I need to frame a section of my garage to make a room for a furnace.
This is a 40 year old garage attached to house on a concrete slab. I have rudimentary skills but things  have done in the past all worked out well.

1) A neighbor warned me to leave a space between the top plate of the new partition and the finished ceiling to allow for movement. The climate is hot summers and down to -20-25 in winter as the min. Do I have to worry about this?

2) what would be the best way to attach the top plate then?

3) To attach the sole plate ( pressure treated wood) to the concrete would you recommend a Hilti gun? or other means?
3) what kind of nails for the sole plate?

4) Is it better to frame the walls on the ground and raise them or attach the sole plate first?

thanks

David  

Answer
David,

1. + 2. If you have roof trusses, they may move over the seasons.  This is especially true if the space is heated.  This creates issues with cracked finishes and/or separated trim at the joint between ceiling and interior partitions.  If you do have this issue, you should frame your walls without attaching to the ceiling.  For a furnace-sized room, presumably with two perpendicular walls, this should not be a problem.

3. A Hilti gun will work fine.

4. It is normally faster to frame on the ground, and stronger as you can end nail instead of toenail.

I hope your framing project goes smoothly.

Ted Barnhill