I’m getting ready to hang backerboard and drywall in our new bathroom, and am wondering what size blocking to put in place. We will have tile for the bottom 48″ of the walls, and drywall above. I need a line of horizontal blocking all around the room to secure the ends of the drywall and CBU, plus another line 6″ below that to accomodate towel bars and any future accessories.
1. Is 2x blocking required, or would 1x be ok? All of the stud bays are 16″ or less.
2. Any tricks for installation? I don’t have a nailer, and don’t want to hand-nail as the vibrations will crack the old plaster on the other side of the wall, so I’m planning to screw everything in. One option is to just cut a bunch of individual pieces, pre-drill diagonal holes, and then screw them into place. The other idea I had was to cut 3/4″ deep notches in the studs and use a continuous horizontal 1x piece for blocking (or a 2x piece with 3/4″ cut notches on the backside). Anyone have any better ideas?
Thanks in advance,
Mike
Replies
Mike,
On properties renovated, I've always used 2X6 or 2X8 for blocking to give me some room for error and for added strength when attaching hardware that could be used to support a fall, etc. Personally, I would vote against anythin 1X for bathroom blocking. I would also like to see if there are any tricks to installing the blocking easier. The 2X6 and 2X8 I've used before have given me some offset room for screwing them after drilling pilot holes. I would definitely vote against any notching of framing studs.
Good luck,
Ken
I am with Ken, use 2 x 6 or 2 x 8 blocking and screws. I like Deckmate, # 8 x 3 inch, I buy they by the ton. I usually can get two screws in from the stud if the cordless will fit and then "toe nail" two more either in the face or top and bottom of the two by. Depends on what is in the way. Doesn't take that long. Nailing is faster but will cause problems with other side of the wall if it is not new construction. If you can set up a chop saw near by then cutting the blocking goes fast too. (an nothing will be on true 16 inch centers -- you have to measure each stud bay.)
By the way unless it is a problem spot, I don't predrill for the screws. Even the toe nailed ones will drive just fine at a angle. With a 2 inch drive bit it is no problem to "bury" them well below the surface if driving from the face of the blocking.
deblacksmith
Edited 12/3/2002 10:47:56 PM ET by deblacksmith
You could get a Kreg jig and make pocket holes for those screws . I have used mine a lot since I bought it.
I always use 2x8 also, if you know roughly where the towel bars etc are going to go, it gives you some wiggle room
Don't cut into the framing it would take to much time even if it wasn't a load bearing wall.
If I was in your situation without a nailgun, I would first get some decent wood screws, opposed to drywall screws. Start at one end of the room you can screw directly from inside the stud bay on one side of each bock then toe "nail"-screw from the top and bottom of the block on the side of the block you cannot get to inside a stud bay. Just work from one stud bay to the next so you always have an open bay on one side of the block Anyway, this is the way I would do it.
Not sure if this is a clear explanation of what I mean though.
How about screwing vertical 1x2 ledger strips to the studs, then screwing the blocking to the ledger strips. Or even directly to the studs, since the ledger strips would keep the blocking from moving back into the wall.
If you were a fanatic, you could even glue it all together.
2x2x16 and glue and screw it into the back of the stud bays. then 2x6 or 8 then screw and glue that into the 2x2 and from the side into the 2x4 stud.
An easy way to put in blocking like you want to do is cut the 2X blocking piece an inch short of the stud bay and nail or screw 1/2" ply scraps on the ends. Tap the assembly into position and nail or screw.
The ply scraps can be the width of your studs and longer than the width of your blocking so it gives you plenty of surface to glue, screw, whatever you want to do.
Jules Quaver for President 2004
Thanks everyone for all the good ideas. I think I'm going to combine ideas and make up 2x6 blocking pieces with a perpendicular strip of 1x2x9 on one end. Then I'll work from one end of the wall, screwing the 1x2 strip onto the far stud, and screwing through the near stud into the end of my 2x6. When I get to the last position I'll use the 1x2 strips on both ends of my blocking. Even though screws don't have as much pullout strength going into endgrain, the main thing I need to resist here is shearing forces, and for that they'll be fine.
Boy, this step of construction suddenly feels a lot easier. I can only imagine the fun I'd have with a Kreg jig!
Thanks again,
Mike
Sure sounds like a good excuse to buy that Kreg Jiggggggggggggg. Joe
toggle bolts will do fine for towel bars as long as you don't fold the towel up a zillion times then try to hang it up cramming the towel between the wall and the bar.
There's some other way to hang towels up??
Left hangin'....
Heck
:)what the heck was I thinking?
This is a bit of a tangent, but when I want to make sure that towel bars don't come off, I install what I refer to as "utility rail". Some of the old houses (75 yrs+) I work on have simple rails (1/2x4 to 1x5 in size) installed at about 4' elevation in bathrooms and kitchens. They run on all walls, and die into door and window casings, etc.
Anyway, some of my clients have kids that kept hanging on the bars, (or whatever kids do) and kept pulling out all sorts of anchors. Once I installed the 1x5s and screwed the towel bars into it, the problem stopped.
This is one way to address the problem if you're not planning on tearing into the wall and installing blocking.
Ragnar
Don't really have a specific answer to this question, but it made me think of something a builder once told me.
He said he kept cutoffs of LVLs and/or Glulams to use for blocking. They're really dense and hold screws well. Some companies sell 3.5" Glulams, and they work great for blocking in 2X4 walls where you need the blocking on both sides. (Since they wall AND the Glulam are 3.5" thick)
Just a thought.............The lessons most difficult to learn are those with the greatest rewards.