Replies

1. 
   BossHog | May 23, 2002 05:18pm | #1

   This is commonly called "furring strips". It's done extensively in some areas, and not in others.

   I personally don't see any reason for it. You could probably search on "furring" and find several old discussions about it.

   Conserve water. Shower with a friend.

1. 
   NormKerr | May 23, 2002 07:17pm | #2

   the strips can do two things for you:

   1) provide a wider 'target' for the drywall screws (more likely to hit something on the first try each time than aiming for the edge of a 1 1/2 wide joist).

   2) provide some stiffening for the floor membrane above.

   Some feel that 2) is useful and some feel that it is a better way to stiffen a floor than using blocking or bridging, but neither is important to you if you do not have living space above you, or if the span is small (like a bathroom ceiling).

   I don't think it will help to level a ceiling unless you carefuly shimmed each one because the furring strips would just telegraph the joist surface.

1. 
   BossHog | May 23, 2002 08:04pm | #3

   Norm -

   I've heard all the arguements before, but still think it's a waste of time. Sure, it gives you a wider "target" to hit with drywall screws. But the added material and labor are nowhere near worth that.

   And I don't buy the arguement that it stiffens up the floor above.

   But - I also realize you can argue this till you're blue in the face and not change any minds. The people who do it will most likely continue, and those who don't will see it as wasteful.

   Laugh alone and the world thinks you're an idiot.

1. 
   NormKerr | May 24, 2002 12:11am | #4

   grin

   :o)

2. 
   Piffin | May 24, 2002 12:29am | #5

   So far, you've heard from the guys who don"t do it.

   It's called strapping for when you do a search. We discuss this every six weeks or so.

   Originally it was for strightenning out things when you have rough cut lumber or even the old round on three sides framing.

   It also helps stop sound migration and can take the place of solid blocking to stabilize a frame job. Some electricians like it and others swear it creates a temptation to violate code. You can decrease 24" spans to 16" to avoid sagging drywall.

   Excellence is its own reward!
1. 
   Mooney | May 24, 2002 04:19am | #6

   Im also one that does it and I highly recomend it if you are not nailing to wood joists.  Usually when I do it , there is a ceiling already there. Then its a must.

   Tim Mooney

2. 
   AlanSenoj | May 24, 2002 04:21am | #7

   Well, Piffen pretty well nailed it, (so to speak), as he usually does.

   I often strap because finding the ceiling joist thru' lath and plaster can be hard, specially when that 5/8 X 12' sheet is resting on your head, and you're trying to start 2 1/2" screws.

   Strengthening the floor above?  Forget it, BS!

   In new const. as in a basement when solid wood joists are used I usually strap as 2 X 10's can vary  3/8" or more. Pretty easy to do with air tools. Bang up the strapping tight, stretch a line and shim down with shingles. The key to doing this efficiently, like many other carpentry jobs, is scaffolding at the right height. Working comfortably = speed.

   Good luck  Alan Jones

1. 
   JDRHI | May 31, 2002 06:10am | #10

   Your logic confused me:

   I often strap because finding the ceiling joist thru' lath and plaster can be hard,

   If finding the joists through plaster and lath are hard, what are you securing the furring strips to? I would also recomend you find your joists before getting the drywall up onto your head.

   IMHO unless you are attempting to level your surface there is no need for strapping. Just an opinion....J. D. Reynolds

   Home Improvements

   "DO IT RIGHT, DO IT ONCE"

1. 
   4Lorn1 | May 31, 2002 09:47pm | #11

   Repost from 19172.16.

   I'm not a carpenter but I have been told by an old carpenter that strapping, called runners round here, was applied to even out the ceiling surface.

   He described tacking the runners up and then shimming them out  to get a nice flat ceiling. This was in addition to installing strong back/s in the attic to force the ceiling joists into near allignment. The strapping was done for the whole house to keep the ceilings even but the shimming was more intense for large rooms with long sight lines. A taught string line was used for the measurement of variations in the tacked runners. Once tacked and shimmed the strapping was nailed, sometimes screwed, in tight and the plaster, later drywall, applied.

    

3. 
   Davo304 | May 24, 2002 08:25am | #8

   If you left your old ceiling (plaster/lath) in place, then it is a good idea to strap. If you tore out the old plaster/lath, then you have 2 options. You can strap, or you can run a few stringlines across the bottoms of your ceiling joists to first see how badly out of level they really are.  If just a few joists are out of level, you could attach shims and/or  plane off the high and low spots where needed; then go ahead and drywall.

   If you decide to strap, you still need to stretch the stringlines to figure out where to shim.  If your'e not gonna use stringlines, you are definately just wasting your time and money; because strapping that is simply nailed to joists, will indeed telegraph the same  position as the joists. And I 100% guarantee you that all of your joists WILL NOT be in the same plane... some will be "shy", some will be "long" some may be skewed on an angle, etc. etc.

   I personally prefer to strap, but I mentioned the other because sometimes headroom becomes a factor; especially in basements.

   BTW, the correct term may be called "strapping," but we always refer to it as "furring" in my neck of the woods. After all, you generally use furring strips from the lumber yard for this purpose.

   Davo

1. 
   Piffin | May 31, 2002 05:40am | #9

   But if I called my lumber yard to order furring strips, they'd say "Huh?"

   It's just a regional difference.Excellence is its own reward!