My basement is 42' x 38'. I wish to divide it using studs and drywall. The basement has a steel I-beam supported by 3.5" steel posts. One of my walls will be underneath the I-beam and will 'encapsulate' the support posts. The bottom plate will be attached to the concrete floor. Normally the top plate would attach to the joists using nails. This is not easily doable against the I-beam. Would construction adhesive be an acceptable solution? If so, any particular type/brand?
Peter.
Drill and bolt.
pb
Why not put one of the walls beside the beam (my brother did that, although the side with the beam is in the utility room, unfinished) ?. Otherwise, I'd bolt it to the beam.
Frame the wall with a top plate under the beam, and wrap one or both sides of beam with 1x stock tying the plate under the beam, and the plate over the beam, together. You do have a 2x plate on top that the joists are nailed into, right? Remember, this wall isn't holding up anything but itself. It just needs to be stiff enough to not fall over when people lean on it, and to keep any doors square. You will either have 1x stock as the top edge of your finish wall, or you can offset the floor plate and studs to the pretty side so that you can bury the 1x behind the drywall. This isn't rocket science, but bolting to the beam is to be avoided, not to mention an expensive PITA even for people with the right tools. That stuff is thick, drilling takes forever, and good bits are expensive, not to metion the trip to the eyedoctor after you get the steel drill dust in your eyes drilling upside down. Top of existing steel columns is probably tack-welded to the I-beam, not bolted, for just the reasons I described.
aem sends...
I wonder if there is a construction adhesive that would do the job at reasonable cost ???
Tom Baker
Yes...do that. Build the wall in front of the beam.
You'll get more height. Plus...I'm guessing that the posts are actually jack posts. You won't be able to adjust them, if necessary, if you box them in.
Liquid Nails should do it. They have different kinds...so check with your local tech first if you go this route?
What are you gonna do with the wall when you get to a post?
Build it in front...or in back...of that beam.
Good luck.
Have a nice week...
Trent
Help keep down the world population...have your partner spayed or neutered.
As a matter of principle, I wouldn't do that. The I beam is probably so ludicrously oversized that it's not a real problem, but the bottom flanges are the part the do most of the load-bearing work. You shouldn't make a habit of weakening them by putting holes in them.
Make question-mark shaped clips out of strap-iron, that fit over the edge of the flanges and screw into the sides of the studwall, under the drywall, or (for a slightly looser fit) screw flat peices to the top of the studwall, and hammer the ends around the flanges once you get the wall stood up. or if you never expect to change your mind about this wall, make a 2"x nailer exactly the same width as the beam, glue it in place with non-creeping construction adhesive, and attach the studwall to that.
--Goedjn
Bolts. They are cheap, you'd pay less for a handfull of them than for any tube of even regular construction adhesive.
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