# The Hows and Whys of Furring Strips. Part-1



## DangerMouse

Willie T said:


> One of the least understood, and therefore most often incorrectly installed items is the firing strip.


One of the least understood, and often misspelled words is firring. FIRING is what we did with our ceramic sculptures, crappy vases for grandma and ashtrays in high school. 

-=chuckle=-

DM


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## Willie T

DangerMouse said:


> One of the least understood, and often misspelled words is furring. FIRING is what we did with our ceramic sculptures, crappy vases for grandma and ashtrays in high school.
> 
> -=chuckle=-
> 
> DM


OK....  Corrected to reflect the current usage of the term. Yes, my spelling of firring was wrong, and I should be fired for that.

But a history lesson. "Firring" is a U.K. term for wood strips which are usually 50mm wide, tapered and fixed above wood roof joists to provide drainage falls below roof boarding. Originally, in the U.S., a piece of fir wood was used whenever padding out an area was necessary, and the term got itself adopted. Not too sure when or where that bastardization of furring came into common use. But you sure won't get too far nailing a hunk of fur on the wall. :no:

But, today, the kids all say furring, so that's what it is. :wink:


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## Willie T

DangerMouse said:


> _Last edited by DangerMouse; Today at 03:32 PM. Reason: i misspelled furring...sheesh _


Doncha just hate it when that happens? :thumbsup: Way to cop. That's righteous. A lesser man might not have stepped up.


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## DangerMouse

that's what i had to begin with.... firring.... then i googled it and it asked did you mean FURRING... evidentally either is acceptable, though since it's normally fir, well duh.... re-edited to correct... again... or back to correct..... or something...

DM


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## Willie T

DangerMouse said:


> that's what i had to begin with.... firring.... then i googled it and it asked did you mean FURRING... evidentally either is acceptable, though since it's normally fir, well duh.... re-edited to correct... again... or back to correct..... or something...
> 
> DM


I admit I've been hearing it with a "u" for years. But this old guy just can't get used to it. I'm trying. :yes:

But there is just no excuse for me trying to burn up all those strips in a kiln. Just careless.


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## jordy3738

Nice post...I've been installing cabinetry for some time. When I first started, it took me a while to make the connection that the long screw that wouldn't sink all the way was hitting a block wall behind the strip.

Now when I have a kitchen to install that's one of the first things I look for, block or stud wall.


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## Termite

Good post WillieT. Another thing with furring strips that a lot of people forget is that they need to be fireblocked at the top if the space they create communicates with the floor system or attic above. A horizontal strip of the same thickness does the trick.


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## Willie T

thekctermite said:


> Good post WillieT. Another thing with furring strips that a lot of people forget is that they need to be fireblocked at the top if the space they create communicates with the floor system or attic above. A horizontal strip of the same thickness does the trick.


Added to the text above. Thanks. :thumbsup:


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## DIYtestdummy

I've always seen it spelled "firring" until I got on the forum. Home Depot calls them 2x2's...

:laughing:


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## 604Dave

....plastic furring strips, they are 3/8" and corrugated so they can run horizontal. I put up vertical cedar channel siding on my new house....which meant I needed to run something horizontal yet still let the air flow and if there is any moisture behind the siding it can still flow down and out. Just remember to always put big screen on the bottom and top.


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## Dorado

Just want to mention that they make steel furring channel, and "high hat" steel furring channel. The high hat is hard to get. I wanted to keep my walls fireproof even though the interior walls aren't required to be fireproof in my "fireproof" building. I'm building a soffit and I'll have to add a couple of drywall strips on the channel to get the spacing from the wall that I need. The larger drywall that will make the wall of the soffit will be screwed through the strips, into the channel so the strips only need a little compression strength. I was wondering how wide I'd have to make the drywall strips if I wanted to use them alone as furring. They should make a standard for that. Also, high hat channel is sometimes used for roofs and roofing supply places need to know. I guess there's almost no demand for it, but it's still a roofing product.


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## jburchill

Resurrections of an old thread, but what insulation do you use in between the furrings?


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