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Metal and wood framing mixed together

| Posted in General Discussion on May 11, 2000 12:20pm

*
I was just reading this months Fine Homebuilding Houses issue, the article on page 130 to be specific, about steel floor framing. The article mentions the problem with metal wall framing being them thermal bridge. Has anyone had experience with mixed framing. I mean, frame the exterior walls of wood, the interior walls with metal, the floors with metal, and the roof with metal or wood?

Everyone knows that wood shrinks across the grain and I heard some builders incorporate 3/4″ gap in the exterior sheathing to allow for whole floor shrinkage, BUT……I would think you could technically mix framing materials (wood exterior walls and metal interior walls) because once you attach sheetrock taped and spackeled it doesn’t shrink with the wood framing. If lumber shrank that much wouldn’t the interiors of all houses have cracks all over the sheetrock seams? So mixed framing should work, right? Tell me I’m wrong.

Edward Koenig
Carmelhill Drafting Studio
Islip, NY

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  1. Guest_ | May 09, 2000 12:49pm | #1

    *
    We tried using metal studs in non load-bearing interior wall panels for a while. I believe they were called the "carpenter's steel stud" or something like that.

    They tend to suddenly get real popular when lumber prices are rising. But when lumber prices are soft, (like now) nobody is interested.

    We quit using them in wall panels, as they didn't hold up in shipping. I think we have several thousand of the things still sitting around.

    1. Guest_ | May 09, 2000 07:07pm | #2

      *Edward, I wrote that piece, and one thing that I believe I should have emphasized was just your point; wood shrinks most across the grain. Therefore, most of the vertical shrinkage that a house undergoes is because of the joists drying out. Sure, the plates contribute as well, but assuming 4 1/2 in. of plate thickness and 9 1/2 in. of joist depth per floor, I think it's pretty clear that the joists are the major culprit. I expect that steel joists would cut down on drywall cracks considerably over solid-sawn lumber, an issue that I'm kicking myself for now.Andy

  2. n.m._cathcart | May 11, 2000 12:20am | #3

    *
    In CA were nothing gets old, you will frame out int. nonload bearing partitions ie (walls) with metal studs because most lumber here has high moisture content {coming from no. Cal} and the big market is tenant improvement. Which will be framed, mudded, taped, painted, and occupied in less than a month or two; with no access ahead of time.
    Lumber would not acclimatize quickly enough so if you care about the
    quality of the finished product, steel studs (carpenters studs) are the only way to go. As to their structural weakness {not holding up well} that is a design and construction problem not due to their inherent weakness they are best framed in place. The floor track shot down, the top plate floated with X bracing and studs individually placed. The walls do not raise well. Once the technique is learned it is very quick I recently remodeled parts of my 1927 balloon framed two story plastered house and I used "hat channel", "resilient furring" as a furring for the drywall and studs for framing. The materials as speced by iastme are designed to fix thermal expansion issues, especially the screwing schedule on the resilient furring. I think it has some of the best solutions available, though I miss my framer even if it was just thumbnail polish in my hands.

  3. Edward_Koenig | May 11, 2000 12:20am | #4

    *
    I was just reading this months Fine Homebuilding Houses issue, the article on page 130 to be specific, about steel floor framing. The article mentions the problem with metal wall framing being them thermal bridge. Has anyone had experience with mixed framing. I mean, frame the exterior walls of wood, the interior walls with metal, the floors with metal, and the roof with metal or wood?

    Everyone knows that wood shrinks across the grain and I heard some builders incorporate 3/4" gap in the exterior sheathing to allow for whole floor shrinkage, BUT......I would think you could technically mix framing materials (wood exterior walls and metal interior walls) because once you attach sheetrock taped and spackeled it doesn't shrink with the wood framing. If lumber shrank that much wouldn't the interiors of all houses have cracks all over the sheetrock seams? So mixed framing should work, right? Tell me I'm wrong.

    Edward Koenig
    Carmelhill Drafting Studio
    Islip, NY

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