# Steel framed house



## byron9393 (Nov 19, 2010)

I have a guy down the street that built his house using the metal studs and steel framing. Not a piece of wood in the place. He wants me to do his trim work. 
My ? is. How do you attach the trim when there is nothing but sheetrock to nail to. Seems like one of the adhesives would take to long plus be messy and trying to shoot a T nail would just turn as soon as it hit the metal, even at a slight angle.


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## mdntrdr (Dec 22, 2009)

Look into trim screws. :smile:


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## woodmeistro (Jul 9, 2010)

You can glue and cross nail the trim and trim screws. You may have to use sef tapping trim screws if the exterior studs are heavy


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## jack warner (Oct 15, 2010)

use trim screws and pre drill the metal studs. zip screws will go through without pre drilling. another option is to use these in the sheetrock.
http://www.summitcontractorsupply.com/anchors/ez.htm
they will work with finish head screws.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

When planning the installation, sites with metal studs are treated like with wood studs, in that a trim screw is used. Most will seat in metal. Piloting a hole makes installation easier. As for crown, a backer board may make installation easier. For long trim, scarf joints should be planned at a stud location, and joints should be planned in discrete areas to be less conspicuous.












 









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## toollovingschultz (Jan 10, 2011)

*metal framing*

senco makes a 15 gauge angled nail 1 3/4 that is case hardened and will shoot into metal studs. I just used it in a similiar application and it worked well.


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## mdntrdr (Dec 22, 2009)

toollovingschultz said:


> senco makes a 15 gauge angled nail 1 3/4 that is case hardened and will shoot into metal studs. I just used it in a similiar application and it worked well.


 
But will it hold? :smile:


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## toollovingschultz (Jan 10, 2011)

*case hardened nails*

If the studs are heavy enough to be structural the rings on the shank of the nails will hold. you have to nail closer to the hard edge of the stud. If you are worried add some glue. I worked 15 years of commercial interiors and even the finish screws occasionaly strip.


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## mdntrdr (Dec 22, 2009)

You didn't mention they are ringers, nailing close to the hard edge, may not be that easily done.

Can you get them CC.?


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## toollovingschultz (Jan 10, 2011)

*case hardened nails*

the rings are slight ribs on the nail shank I purchased them from king fasteners but I'm sure they can be purchased on line. The box I bought wasn't real expensive. cheaper and easier to get than the drill point screws. There are some other manufacturers than senco but they require specialty nail guns.


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## jack warner (Oct 15, 2010)

i wouldnt use nails of any kind. screws are forever. a nail will come loose.


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## byron9393 (Nov 19, 2010)

I have had some exper. w/metal studd homes. Nails of any kind that I know of dont work to good. The trim screws sound good. How much extra time would you allow for the use of the screws. If it would take a day to do the job w/nail gun how long would it take w/the screws ? Just curious. Seems like it would take half agin as long if you had to pre drill all holes. This job is basicly a freeby anyway and he is not in any kind of hurry but I realy dont want to be over there the whole summer.
Thanks for all the replies folks. Really helpful.:yes:


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## toollovingschultz (Jan 10, 2011)

*case hardened nails*

Byron I had to remove a door and put a larger one in and had to drive the nails out side ways with a bar they held pretty good. It would have been a lot easier to pull them out of wood. I also have used screws and they can also strip as they have to pull a larger body through the trim. Either way a little glue added seals the deal .I had my doubts about the nails until my local supplier gave me a couple of clips to try before I bought a whole box. He also gave me the name of other local trim carpenters to check with. On some things screws may be better but they leave a much larger hole to fill. The screws also are a lot slower than your trim gun. The house studs are 16 gauge and the nails will pull through the trim before they pull out of the studs.


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## <*(((>< (Feb 24, 2010)

No personal experience with fastening trim to metal studs. But was just thinking about this and it seems to me that heavier gauge nails designed for metal studs would be fine. If one thinks about it as the nail penetrates the metal stud it is going to push the metal through with the nail point. The metal that gets pushed through with the point will prevent the nail from coming back out. Think chinese finger trap. Just my thoughts, and it wouldn't hurt if you have the equipment to give it a try on a piece of scrap and see what you are getting yourself into. 

If it were me and the nails ended up not working I would charge at the very least double to use trim screws. Talk about tedious, if there are a lot of cuts and pieces.


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## BWSmith (Aug 24, 2010)

Liquid nails,trim screws,coloured caulk....and a,welcome to commercial world attitude.Its all about speed.BW

I'd be curious about the noise levels as temps rise during the day.Metal studs N such always make a lot of racket(creaking) as the structure goes through thermal cycle.Twice daily.


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## robert421960 (Dec 9, 2010)

I did comercial construction in fla for 15 yrs all metal studs
I never did metal in a home but same difference
we always used wood blocking between studs when attaching cabinets or baseboard or whatever to the walls 
if we were doing remodel oor sheetrock was up they would always use the finish screws like others here have said
I would worry about the nails curling over instead of going thru studs


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## toollovingschultz (Jan 10, 2011)

*case hardened nails*

Robert I had my doubts about the nails until the supplier brought some out for me to try the only studs they didn't like were the 12 gauge They went right in the 16 gauge . they were only $35 a box so were a lot cheaper than screws.


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## robert421960 (Dec 9, 2010)

toollovingschultz said:


> Robert I had my doubts about the nails until the supplier brought some out for me to try the only studs they didn't like were the 12 gauge They went right in the 16 gauge . they were only $35 a box so were a lot cheaper than screws.


 that would be incredibly faster and better if they worked
good to hear that


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## jack warner (Oct 15, 2010)

robert421960 said:


> that would be incredibly faster and better if they worked
> good to hear that


cheap and faster, does not = better.


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## Fishbucket (Aug 18, 2010)

jack warner said:


> i wouldnt use nails of any kind. screws are forever. a nail will come loose.


Not necessarly, 
Ok, maybe this is a one time strange phenomenom. 

In all the years around commercial buildings I've never seen such a thing. This is a 12 story building. about 10 yrs old. Every floor from the 3 up had this happen. 

The Sheet rock screws.. now get this... are UN-screwing them selves out of the studs. They actually push the mud out of the hole and fall to the floor. It's the damnest thing I've ever seen. Sometimes they just hang there and all you have to do is touch them and they drop. or you have to chip the mud out of the screws to unscrew them. Glad we're getting rid of this site in Feb.. Hate to see whats above the ceiling thats ready to drop. 































Sorry about Hijacking your post.. :boat:


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## byron9393 (Nov 19, 2010)

I would think that the screws comeing out like that would be due to quite a bit of vibration. Even one that maybe you could not feel in a normal day. Might try just sitting down and listening w/your sences after the day is done and everyone has left.


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## jraksdhs (Oct 19, 2008)

*what id do....*

On a small job I would cut out a 3 inch section from the base of the wall all around the perimeter of the room and install a plywood filler the same thickness as the sheetrock using metal stud screws or zip screws. Then you can attach your base and nail just about anywhere. It would be alot of work on a large job but i still think Id do it.

jraks


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