Furring Strip Fastener Spacing on Concrete (South Florida)

Submitted by CubanInSouthFl t3_119um5w in DIY

Hello all,

Building an addition in south Florida. About to start installing 1 x 3 furring strips using 3/16 tap cons into concrete.

My biggest question is what should I reference for the spacing of the tapcons into the concrete? Are the tapcons 24” oc too far apart?\ This is permitted with plans and everything, but the plans do not specify fastener size nor spacing.

Side note: what’s the appropriate fastener for 1 x 3 furring strips that will be fastened to the bottom of the trusses that will be used to hang the ceiling drywall on?

Many thanks in advance to all.

24

Comments

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JohnnyT55world t1_j9o4bnu wrote

24 or 18 works for me. I have seen mostly 24.

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Whoooosh_1492 t1_j9om7hz wrote

Who approved the plans? Maybe you should ask them to see what they had in mind.

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DudebuD16 t1_j9otfnz wrote

For the furring strips for the drywall, any wood screw should do. Some people use drywall screws but as a drywaller, they're not meant fasten wood together like a wood screw, they're also brittle compared to a wood screw.

As for your spacing for the concrete furrs, are you using that to hang drywall as well?

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CubanInSouthFl OP t1_j9ovo0p wrote

Yes. 1 layer of 5/8 drywall

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DudebuD16 t1_j9p2bmm wrote

I'd honestly go 16" apart(I'm assuming this is for running the furring vertically? Minimum 8 feet?). 5/8 drywall isn't light and humidity can affect the wood and cause it to warp, leaving you with more problems.

The better it's fastened the better your finished product is gonna be. It seems like a lot but do it right now so you don't have to do it again later.

As for tapcon size, 3/16 is fine. For length id go with a 2 1/4" tapcon(also depends on your location as a 2" will do but for my region they don't have them). Also, get a flat head Philips or star drive, no hex heads as the hex heads will either stick out or youll have to drive them so deep that you can split the wood

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CubanInSouthFl OP t1_j9pfzof wrote

Thank you for your insight. Definitely star-drive and 2-1/4 long.

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bassboat1 t1_j9p82a3 wrote

1/2" drywall is approved for 24" on-center, perpendicular to the framing. 99.99% of the jobs I've been on were 16" on-center, and 16" is required for parallel sheets.

24" to 30" would be fine, if every fastener grabs. Assuming this is going over CMU, not solid cast-in-place concrete?

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CubanInSouthFl OP t1_j9pfs79 wrote

Thank you for your response.

Yes, CMU (and solid in some places). The plans call for 1/2, but I’d like to install 5/8 all around, including ceiling.

1