From commercial pilot to general contractor: (12) My drywall ‘back-up plan’
Canadian ContractorJohn Bleasby outlines how he and his lead carpenter did an extensive walk-through of the framed house prior to drywalling, to plan out wood back up plates behind the gypsum
It’s one of those things that you get to do once: plan and install all the wood back up plates on walls before the drywall goes on. How many times has a home owner been forced to use plastic inserts (or nothing at all) to secure screws needed to support shelves after searching in vain for a stud? It’s a regular occurrence in off-the-shelf, cookie-cutter developments such as the townhouse my wife and I are renting during construction. In a custom house, however, advance planning for ‘what goes where’ can solve that problem.
Seen this before? It’s the inevitable result of no stud or backup plate.
Case in point: The other day, my chief carpenter and I did an extensive walk-through the skeletal stud walls in every single room and closet of my new house, identifying every little thing that might need a backing plate. Compulsory handrails on the stairway and handicap assists in the bathroom were just the start. What about wall brackets for flat screen TV’s; backing plates for toilet paper holders; towel racks; vanities; heavy mirrors; closet shelving; wall cleats for built in desks and laundry room cabinets? It required a combination of owner vision on my part and my carpenter’s willingness to listen and do the detail work as needed.
Our room-to-room list of backing plates included things such as 2×6 back plates, plywood sidewalls, and double studs. But we did even more than plan backups; we took measurements of where the studs started from each corner (or in the case of the ICF walls, where the internal webs were located). I now have a ‘map’ of each room, so after the dry wall goes up, gets mudded and painted, I can quickly measure out from any corner and find a secure stud mounting. To make it even more helpful and accurate, I went through each of these rooms and closets taking pictures of each stud wall with a measuring tape …a photographic record of where each and every stud is located.
My chief carpenter Steve holds the tape from the corner while I take the picture. Photos like this in combination with a map of stud and backup plate locations will allow me to have secure mountings.
For example, my map and accompanying notes say ”Left hand inside corner of 2-piece guest bathroom: First stud 8.5” from corner, all others 16” after that.” And the note is backed up with a photo. It’s so easy to do now and will save time not to mention heartache later.
Not every hanging object needs to identified and etched in stone. While in some cases I know exactly what mirror, vanity or shelf goes where, other times I could only say “I don’t know; leave me some options”. Either way, the investment in my Back-Up Plan will be worth it.
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There is an alternative. If you board your walls using MagO magnesium oxide board you can benefit by reducing many of these fussy requirements. This is due to the inherent stiffness and strength of MagO board.
If you use 12mm board and wish to hang something you do not need to find backing or use plugs, one #8 screw into 12mm MagO will support 200 lbs in shear and most of that in tension.
MagO board joints do not need to be over a stud
MagO corners do not require corner bead
In addition every wall in effect has a one hour fire separation. (UL W-490)
the board is impervious to water, you can hose it down, if necessary power wash it
MagO is actively anti microbial, mold cannot grow on it due to the magnesium chloride (salt) content
Easier and faster to paint, possible to paint the same day as boarding and get a level 5 finish
Easier and safer to work with, there are no VOCs, carcinogens or toxins of any sort. Magnesium oxide and magnesium chloride are both used as health supplements.
Not too expensive, with the labor savings that accrue from not having to be so fussy with prep and faster finishing times makes the installed MagO close to the cost of installed regular gypsum and perhaps cheaper than specialty flavors.
Cut with carbide saws or score and snap. Using saws just makes for a cleaner better job with less or no requirement for tape and mud joints.
Use a nail gun or any self counterboring screw, fast to attach.
Use thinner lighter panels, 10mm is fine for most walls and 6 or 8mm for ceilings.
Mount boxes for switches and plugs to the board and not to the stud. (although technically feasible this may contravene code requirements)
And when you are done the scrap can go to any landfill or when crushed used as a soil amender as plants need magnesium to photosynthesise.
This is an evolution in construction, a brand new type of cement fiber board that has been around for 2000 years in one form or another.
I feel like I’ve been living under a rock.
I was a drywall border for two years in my youth and now I’m an electrical contractor working in commercial maintenance.
For the last two years I’ve been researching different materials and designs for my dream house and this is the first time I’ve seen this MagO product.
Wow am I impressed!
As a former border I can tell you it is so much nicer it is when EVERY corner has something to fasten to.
John, I’d like to thank you for including us on your journey.
Danny
We ran into this problem when an old friend needed to adapt his house due to the lingering effects of a bout of polio he had 60 years ago.
We developed now manufacture the Promenaid modular handrail system – entirely in Canada. The design allows brackets to be placed anywhere on the railing to line up with studs and connect to the railing via a simple twist/lock and each bracket supports at least 500lbs.
Installation can be horizontal, sloped and around any corner. Brackets attached to a sloped railing may be pivoted to a vertical orientation.
Railing sections are connected with articulating elbow joints, allowing the handrail to form a continuous smooth transition between different slopes or around any corner.
Meets residential, commercial and institutional and all disability specs.
Hope this can help you.
Rob