# basement framing question



## Indyc0lt (Sep 14, 2011)

single top plate will be sufficient.


----------



## spring3100 (May 6, 2011)

Non load bearing partition walls only require a single top plate.

If you have room,place bottom plates to floor standing off wall an inch or so,square plates to one another,then shoot in with ramset or the like, then build walls on ground(1/4 to 3/8ths inch shorter than measurement of wall minus bottom plate),and lift into place,shim,level and nail.

Disco,instant perimeter walls.


----------



## titanoman (Nov 27, 2011)

One plate is just wrong, IMO.
Hard to nail sheetrock, makes you find studs to nail crown, and a few reasons I'm not thinking of.
And two plates on the bottom is just wrong, IMO.
Just frame the wall on the ground with one green plate, stand it.
Try avoiding shims.


----------



## AtlanticWBConst. (May 12, 2006)

There are no loads requiring support above. Single top plate and single PT bottom plate is all that is needed. 

A single top plate allows you to easily nail-off (or fasten) to the overhead joists. A double top plate does not allow that.

If you plan on doing some specialized moldings in the location (it may be necessary to - later - add additional nailing stock where needed - according to your plans for moldings, trim, shelving, TV-mounts, grab bars, etc, etc). 

- New-Home Construction Basement: You should be able to measure and build your wall lengths, and stand them up into position to nail to overhead joists (mark off walls onto floor prior). This is usually possible, due to more consistent floor to ceiling heights (dependent on how the concrete floor was finished). 

- Older-Home: You may need to stick-frame the walls, due to irregular joist and floor heights (inconsistency).

Leave a space between the foundation wall and the new framed wall for air-flow.

And, IMHO - I started off in this business doing drywall - a very, very long time ago (as a Drywall Subcontractor) , and never had any problems screwing/nailing to single bottom or top plates. That is not to say that the average DIYer won't have difficulty.....


----------



## titanoman (Nov 27, 2011)

AtlanticWBConst. said:


> Single top plate and single PT bottom plate is all that is needed. There are no loads requiring support above.
> 
> Leave a space between the foundation wall and the new framed wall for air-flow.
> 
> ...


What possesses people to, "I've been doing this for blah blah blah so many years"?
I've posted over 1000 times, and have never said that I've been a Master carpenter for 30 years, specializing in stairs and roofs, the most challenging of all.
Maybe once because I was blowing up at somebody that thought I was out of some other carpenters league.

Because nobody cares about how long we've been doing something.
I'll never work with you in person, so I'll never know if you're full of bs or not, so they are empty words,IMO.
You are probably very good at what you do, and I can appreciate that.
But I'm very good at what I do also.

In this case, I know code doesn't demand 2 plates on top. I knew that long ago. It just makes for a cleaner, professional looking product.
What if it's a 30 foot long wall? Are you going to try to stand it with one plate? Is it going to keep itself straight when you nail it off?
What if the lid isn't there yet?
Stand the wall, and then hang 5/8" rock next to it, leaves you with 7/8" if you're lucky. So somebody that hasn't hung sheetrock for 27 years is going to be bouncing there hammer off the ceiling trying to catch that little bit of meat while trying to hold the sheet up with the other hand. They may not know to rest the rock against the wall and set nails or screws in line with the studs first.
And then the crown. Now they have to try to find the studs.

People call it rough framing.
Just because it covers doesn't mean it has to be rough.
I take pride in what I do, and people with an eye for quality say I'm a very clean framer.
I don't leave shiners. I make whoever missed pull it.
I don't build studs or rafters 2' o/c just because there is nobody to stop me.
In my world, there is a place called Carpenter Hell, where all the short-cutters go.

Do you hang 1/2" rock on a lid, 24 o/c, if code doesn't call for 5/8?
I didn't think so.
Because there is a sheetrocker's hell to. Because you want to have the reputation of being a quality drywaller. Even if nobody else knows the difference, you do.

I understand where you're coming from, but nobody can change me.
I won't bring myself down to the level of an "average" carpenter.
Because I'm one of the few, the proud.

Anyways, the op will probably put 2 plates on the bottom and one on the top because it's just a wall.
An upside-down wall.
That's funny.
Cheers!


----------



## AtlanticWBConst. (May 12, 2006)

titanoman said:


> What possesses people to, "I've been doing this for blah blah blah so many years"?
> I've posted over 1000 times, and have never said that I've been a Master carpenter for 30 years, specializing in stairs and roofs, the most challenging of all.
> Maybe once because I was blowing up at somebody that thought I was out of some other carpenters league.
> 
> ...


 
- Yeesh !!

Sensitive.....

FWIW - Steel-framing is also (1) top plate (track), never doubled.


----------



## AtlanticWBConst. (May 12, 2006)

titanoman said:


> ....but nobody can change me.
> 
> I won't bring myself down to the level of an "average" carpenter.
> 
> ...


:thumbsup:


----------



## titanoman (Nov 27, 2011)

AtlanticWBConst. said:


> - Yeesh !!
> 
> Sensitive.....
> 
> FWIW - Steel-framing is also (1) top plate (track), never doubled.


I don't care how steelworkers do something. I don't care if they put any top plate. Screw the studs to the ceiling. Cool.
That's a whole different animal.
It's not carpentry.

And I'm not sensitive! Stop it! Please don't call me that!
Waahhh...


----------



## AtlanticWBConst. (May 12, 2006)

titanoman said:


> I don't care how steelworkers do something. I don't care if they put any top plate. Screw the studs to the ceiling. Cool.
> That's a whole different animal.
> It's not carpentry.
> 
> ...


 
We shall agree that for those of us in the trades; We "all" have our own ways of doing things, and we each feel that "our way" is the best......and leave it at that.

:laughing:


----------



## titanoman (Nov 27, 2011)

AtlanticWBConst. said:


> We shall agree that for those of us in the trades; We "all" have our own ways of doing things, and we each feel that "our way" is the best......and leave it at that.
> 
> :laughing:


I couldn't agree more sir.


----------



## titanoman (Nov 27, 2011)

Duplicate


----------

