44
I did a lot of research when finishing our basement. I eventually went with a wall model recommended by building sciences corporation that, from outside in, is:
existing exterior wall (concrete, concrete block, etc)
foam board insulation (XPS or EPS, I went with EPS)
stud wall
sheet rock (I went with a paperless product called Densarmor
This is a system ...
30
Absolutely no problem.
The screws (actually called "lag bolts") bite into the wood immediately around them, and the wood fibers around that hold the bolt in place.
Yes the holes you made already weaken the fibers immediately around them but the amount is insignificant. And, for a flat screen TV like you're describing, the weight you'll be putting on ...
28
As long as they are normal screws and you unscrew them they won't compromise the studs or their integrity. If you rip the screws out (with a hammer for example) that could compromise the studs.
If you plan on reusing the exact same holes there are things you can do to help future screws grip just as well by adding toothpicks to the holes, but otherwise you ...
22
Another thought you may not have considered - theres a door there that opens toward the shelf.
Please fit a permanent floor-mounted doorstop so it can never ever swing open and hit the shelf. The impact could drop your aquarium and thats no fun for the fish or for whoever has to clean up all the water afterward.
22
I think your husband just wants the shoe bins to remain where they are and doesn't want to buy new ones.. LOL. Removing the screws will not damage the studs even if they were load bearing. Patch the holes with a vinyl spackle, sand lightly and you're good to go.
21
Those brackets are barely adequate for your purpose. They may flex and even collapse under that load. At best you'll probably have a sloping shelf.
You need heavy brackets with diagonal bracing, along the lines of closet shelf brackets. I usually use what are commonly known as max brackets, however. They're made with eighth-inch steel and are designed to ...
19
Mount a board on the wall and then mount the screen on the board.
Get an 8 foot cedar or pressure treated 2x6, you can then use timber screws to mount it to the wall insuring you hit the studs. You will need to pre-drill both the 2x6 and the cement siding, the hole in the siding should be as big as the screw and the hole in the board should be just smaller ...
18
There are at least three different types of stud finders; unless you understand what they're doing to try to locate studs, their results may baffle you.
Magnetic - these are a pitiful joke, but they were the only thing available when I was a kid. They don't sense the stud itself (unless you're in an office building that uses steel studs!), but rather the ...
14
Yes, in most US residential construction they are 16" center to center. Most of your standard tape measures have every 16th inch noted in red or some other way. Some internal walls may also be spaced 24" on center.
However, there may be exceptions where a door window or odd length wall is used so be sure to verify with a stud finder or a knock on the wall ...
14
My take is in the middle between isherwood's and Machavity's.
The brackets you reference may be rated for the load, but my experience with them is that they can flex and sag under a load, so the shelf might tilt. A braced bracket, like isherwood suggests is appropriate for this. You could even use something a little more decorative as long as it's rated ...
13
Power lines can be run either through a hole drilled through the stud (i.e. horizontally) or stapled along the edge of the stud (i.e. vertically).
Horizontal runs are generally used to connect multiple sockets in the same room. For normal outlets at about 1' above floor level, the wiring will usually be a few inches above the outlets, but you could have ...
13
Trying to mount an articulating arm that is designed to mount to a single stud will not stand up mounted to that type of wall construction. Even with long lag bolts there is just too much chance that mount will move around and cut into the drywall, become loose and make a mess of things.
What you should be doing is to mount a panel of good quality 3/4" ...
12
I'm basically paraphrasing Mike Holmes on this one:
Steel studs are generally intended for commercial use, not residential. My understanding is that they don't have the load carrying capacity of wood, and they're also subject to corrosion.
Technically you CAN use them, but he wouldn't. If you're concerned about moisture, I'd think about using PT 2x4's ...
12
I took off the baseboard. With a hammer I broke off some plaster and found the studs. I found the height I wanted and drilled my holes, mounted the bracket then put the baseboard back on. It took about 45 minutes total.
12
Metal studs are great for framing walls. They are super light, easy to work with, straight. But you've discovered one drawback...they don't have nearly the strength of a wooden 2x4 for mounting things to it.
Metal studs do come in different gauges though. The heavier, the better. But it sounds like yours are fairly lightweight.
Some options:
take down ...
12
It is not safe to simply cut a hole in the studs, and while the safe probably would transfer the load, you do not know that the safe was designed to transfer vertical loads, or how it will react. The consequences of a mistake here could be severe long term.
Therefore the proper course of action is to reframe the wall. Generally you would do this by adding ...
12
The common solution is to attach a piece of plywood larger than the panel to the studs, and then attach the panel to the plywood. This also provides a good place for attaching cables, so you can get a nice organized installation.
Additionally, this technique provides the benefit of being able to insulate behind the panel.
12
It's going to be more secure to use the studs, but depending on the weight of what you're hanging, it may not be necessary. If you're hanging more than 40+ pounds, I'd go ahead and use the studs.
Instead of using wood screws or lag bolts as you would use in wood studs, use toggle bolts similar to the Toggler brand that you mentioned. Starting from the ...
12
There is a ton of information and history out there.
Studs are strong pieces that are the internal structure of your walls. They are covered by some type of material (the "skin") that is what you see when you look at a wall. If you imagine your wall without any type of skin material, there are probably two studs at the left and right edges and definitely ...
11
In Australia there are two standard widths for studs. 60cm (23.6") and 45cm (17.7").
Builders will stick to that whenever they can, but if they need to move them or add new studs for, say, structural reasons, they will. I would never ever make assumptions regarding the locations of studs.
What I would do is use the knowledge of your local stud standards ...
11
Right stud: What's the best way to screw the stud into the frame at the top and bottom so that it's sturdy enough to support the new wall I am going to hang on it?
What you're doing here is called "sistering". I personally would use 2 screws each at the top and bottom. More is unnecessary - after all look at the other studs - nothing holds them in the ...
11
Yes, in general electrical outlets are installed directly next to a stud.
However, apartments may have some different things going on:
There may be metal studs. These are much harder to find by knocking.
Outside walls especially, may be a sheet of drywall on thin strapping with concrete behind, or even the drywall right on the concrete. These walls can ...
10
If you have a wall, you have structure.
If your wall is masonry then the TV mount can likely be mounted directly to the masonry (or mounts are available which can).
If your wall is drywall then you must have structure behind it... perhaps your studfinder is malfunctioning or you're using it improperly?
Studs can usually be found beside original electrical ...
10
Now that I see your photo I'd do this differently. I'd install a vertical cleat just behind the faceframe on each side of the cabinet, maybe 1" back (the thickness of the plate plus 1/4"). I'd then span a sheet of 3/4" plywood across them, creating a solid face on which to install your mount.
You should have either a cabinet wall or framing to screw into. ...
9
Case 1: Bridge Air Gap By Fastening to Building Structure With Overhung-load Bearing Fasteners
The air gap problem is quite common: The sheetrock on many walls I have encountered doesn't contact the studs everywhere. So, when you tighten down a TV mount to the wall, the drywall deflects toward the studs. You can easily cause cracking of the drywall, ...
9
Consider a box instead of a shelf. This is quite natural for an aquarium/vivarium: Various maintenance (food, cleaning, testing) materials have a natural place there. Possibly a few books on fishes. Or some of your machinery can be neatly worked into this (timers, specifically).
The simple idea is that the "vertical" bits are rectangles and resist ...
9
Assuming that the screws don't feel loose when you remove them due to inadequate length or pilot holes that are too large, you can reuse the holes. I've done just that a thousand times with everything from knickknack shelves to solid wood doors. The point of concern usually isn't the holes, but the screws. If they were barely adequate before, they'll be ...
9
Should I try to cut out so both the existing and the new drywall will
touch half of the metal stud on each side? And put in screws on both
sides?
Yes that is an effective way to do it.
Another way is to add a board, 1"x4" boards work great, as structure to screw to.
Clean up your hole so the cuts are straight and at 90 degrees to each other so you ...
8
Just found this useful document (direct link to PDF) on the web. It explains in a much clear manner than I can, plus it contains some good, easy to read diagrams.
Notching & Boring Guide for Floor Joists & Stud Walls in Conventional Light-Frame Construction by Western Wood Products Association
8
Maybe there was a drywall patch and this is a back brace?
From your description, it appears that trimming this piece will do no harm (and a lot of good).
The easiest method is to use a multitool.
There are numerous good brands, and they come with a variety of blades and other attachments.
These versatile tools make cutting, sanding grinding in tight ...
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