# 32" spans for 1/2 drywall



## steve in desert (Aug 8, 2014)

Hi there, I'm an electrical contractor in Tucson that is being sucked into a side job with a home owner friend doing drywall. I do have some experience but I'm no expert by far! I spent the better part of an afternoon going through the forum resources but if the answer was there, I must've missed it. :jester:He's wanting to fix up his mother's house that had 12 by 12 ceiling tile in the living room that were mounted on 1 by 4s on 12" centers, run perpendicular to the 4 by 6 rafters on 32" centers. Question is will this be adequate for 1/2 drywall? Or should we replace the 1 by4s with 2 by4s laid flat on 16" centers? And will it be OK weight-wise to blow in cellulose on top of the drywall? Thanks in advance for your thoughts and guidance, I am a fish out of water on this one! --Steve


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## MarkJames (Nov 25, 2012)

steve in desert said:


> Hi there, I'm an electrical contractor in Tucson that is being sucked into a side job with a home owner friend doing drywall. I do have some experience but I'm no expert by far! I spent the better part of an afternoon going through the forum resources but if the answer was there, I must've missed it. :jester:He's wanting to fix up his mother's house that had 12 by 12 ceiling tile in the living room that were mounted on 1 by 4s on 12" centers, run perpendicular to the 4 by 6 rafters on 32" centers. Question is will this be adequate for 1/2 drywall? Or should we replace the 1 by4s with 2 by4s laid flat on 16" centers? And will it be OK weight-wise to blow in cellulose on top of the drywall? Thanks in advance for your thoughts and guidance, I am a fish out of water on this one! --Steve


Assuming they are shimmed out and leveled for the previous ceiling, I'd leave them to avoid a bigger headache. But pre-drill and screw them into the joists first. If you're up for it, glue and screw some 1x to the backs of every other furring strip to add additional rigidity. Probably don't need it, though, but it's easy enough to do. Good luck.


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Check how the 1X4s are attached to the joists. I've seen a lot of these done with a single smooth shank nail. If that's what you have, I wouldn't trust the fasteners to hold with the drywall weight. I'd suggest screws, if they don't split the 1X4s, or you could go with ring shank nails.


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## ToolNut (Aug 9, 2012)

Check your local code a lot places require 5/8" on ceiling.


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

The strapping spanning 32" would worry me a little,


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## mako1 (Sep 1, 2013)

I would add a 1X4 at each center making the spacing 16"OC.And screw them all securely. Then use 5/8" drywall.Done this many times in my area with no problems.


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

what does the 1x4 attach to? Just the rest of the strapping?


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## Railman (Jan 19, 2008)

dom-mas said:


> what does the 1x4 attach to? Just the rest of the strapping?


 That's what I read. Basically he's saying add a stiff leg over the existing 1x4's parallel to the 4 x 6's. You could add a few 2x4/2x6 blocks over the stiff leg 1x4, & fasten to the 4x6's, but it sounds like he's had good luck without.


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## slowsol (Aug 27, 2005)

Refasten the 1x4's to the rafters. The 32" span for the 1x4's doesn't worry me at all.


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## mako1 (Sep 1, 2013)

You have the existing 1X4's at 32"oc.I was talking about about adding an additional 1X4 between these making the spacing 16"OC.It will also work out better for your laps and give the added support needed.


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

mako1 said:


> You have the existing 1X4's at 32"oc.I was talking about about adding an additional 1X4 between these making the spacing 16"OC.It will also work out better for your laps and give the added support needed.


The existing 1x4s are @ 12" centres, the rafters are on 32" centres so the strapping is spanning 32", granted there's lot of it but I don't think i'd be comfortable spanning more than 24" OC without some additional 2x material


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## jlsconstruction (Apr 26, 2011)

I'd frame a 2x6 ceiling under it on 24oc and use 5/8th rock


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## Sir Mixalot (Jan 6, 2008)

slowsol said:


> Refasten the 1x4's to the rafters. The 32" span for the 1x4's doesn't worry me at all.


Me either. :no:
I think the 12" OC makes up for the extra 8" of the 32" span. :thumbsup:

As previously said, how the furring strips are attached is the main thing. There should be either two ring shank nails or pre drilled and screwed wherever they are attached to the rafters.


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## Anti-wingnut (Mar 12, 2009)

How is this a professional question, and not a DIY? This is the OP's first and so far only post


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## Sir Mixalot (Jan 6, 2008)

Anti-wingnut said:


> How is this a professional question, and not a DIY? This is the OP's first and so far only post


He has his trade listed as commercial electrical. So I was giving him the benefit of the doubt.

But, it would be nice if the OP would post an intro in the Introduction section of the forum---> http://www.contractortalk.com/f44/

Or we might start to think otherwise... :whistling


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Some people see strapped ceilings all the time, some just about never see them. All depends on where you work and how old the houses are.


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## Anti-wingnut (Mar 12, 2009)

Sir Mixalot said:


> He has his trade listed as commercial electrical. So I was giving him the benefit of the doubt.
> 
> But, it would be nice if the OP would post an intro in the Introduction section of the forum---> http://www.contractortalk.com/f44/
> 
> Or we might start to think otherwise... :whistling


There is a big difference in a long time poster asking how to do something outside their trade and a brand new poster doing the same. It would be nice if they added to their bona fides first.

Similar to this post: http://www.contractortalk.com/f48/acceptable-work-151374/#post2069069

Posts such as the two illustrated should go to the DIY forum


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Anti-wingnut said:


> There is a big difference in a long time poster asking how to do something outside their trade and a brand new poster doing the same. It would be nice if they added to their bona fides first.


It seems a number of contractors sign up because they have a question, frequently about their own house, and it's outside their specialty. Once they've put their question out there, they start contributing. Or disappear.


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

Are ring nails more common than spiral/ardox in the US?


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

dom-mas said:


> Are ring nails more common than spiral/ardox in the US?


They are around here - mainly siding and subfloor applications.


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

Interesting, spiral/ardox are used mostly in hand framing here, 3 1/2 and 2 1/2. I've generally seen ring nails used for underlay, little else. I was taught when I was young that spiral is for things that you want to keep together, and common nails are used for things you want to take apart, forming. 

Gum nails are what you use if you aren't sure if the framing is going to change or not lol


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## steve in desert (Aug 8, 2014)

*many thanks*

Thanks guys, all who offered their opinions and thoughts. Sorry to just disappear like that but we had a nasty electrical storm( monsoon season) that knocked me offline for a few days until I got a new modem and router. Lots of replies, I'll have to digest. Sounds like I may be OK if I screw them off…yes, the strips were nailed on. Again, thank you all for a little help, god bless.
And mixalot, if you ever need any electrical advice from someone with 30 yrs experience, just ck the web, there are lots of us friendly helpful people willing to put our egos in the backseat just to lend a helping hand to a fellow tradesman. respectfully, Steve Raines


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## Anti-wingnut (Mar 12, 2009)

steve in desert said:


> Thanks guys, all who offered their opinions and thoughts. Sorry to just disappear like that but we had a nasty electrical storm( monsoon season) that knocked me offline for a few days until I got a new modem and router. Lots of replies, I'll have to digest. Sounds like I may be OK if I screw them off…yes, the strips were nailed on. Again, thank you all for a little help, god bless.
> And mixalot, if you ever need any electrical advice from someone with 30 yrs experience, just ck the web, there are lots of us friendly helpful people willing to put our egos in the backseat just to lend a helping hand to a fellow tradesman. respectfully, Steve Raines


And your more than welcome to post on this board, but since you haven't been here in ten days, I guess you just used us like we were a cheap floozey


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## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

Anti-wingnut said:


> And your more than welcome to post on this board, but since you haven't been here in ten days, I guess you just used us like we were a cheap floozey


Hey I used to know her


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