i just moved in to a loft that is a remodeled historic building. my question is, if they framed the untis using metal studs, can i still screw into them and they have the same load capacities as wood studs, i.e. hanging cabinets, shelves, etc...
They do not carry as much load - you are screwing into a thin piece of sheet metal (depending on gauge they used). Ideally you would want to cut into the wall and add blocking...
Usually wood blocking should be installed to support cabinets/ heavy shelves etc. This would have to be done before the sheetrock is installed unfortunately.
i believe the load capacity is not determined that simply. further investigation on your part should give you a better idea. cut a hole in the drywall next to a stud and figure out how thick the sheetrock is, and try to get a feel for the gage of the studs. if you have 5/8" gwb, i would say that you are ok for all but the heaviest loads. there are anchors available at your local hardware store that hold up to about 400 pounds in 5/8" drywall. see [ulr=http://www.toggler.com/toggle.html]this page[/url] for more info. we used these to hang cabinets in our office, and i can attest to the advertised capacity. while i haven't tested them extensively, they provide an extremely solid hanging point for cabinets, shelves, etc.
awesome!!! thanks for the advise 3if's....ive meanwhile designed a flexible partition wall system for the loft consisting of 4' x 8' and 4' x 4' boltable units with castors on them.. if anyone has more info and/or ideas for a flexible partition wall system for lofts i would really appreciate the help...
metal studs vs. wood studs
i just moved in to a loft that is a remodeled historic building. my question is, if they framed the untis using metal studs, can i still screw into them and they have the same load capacities as wood studs, i.e. hanging cabinets, shelves, etc...
i don't think so, not for heavy stuff.
They do not carry as much load - you are screwing into a thin piece of sheet metal (depending on gauge they used). Ideally you would want to cut into the wall and add blocking...
Usually wood blocking should be installed to support cabinets/ heavy shelves etc. This would have to be done before the sheetrock is installed unfortunately.
Sorry R.A. Rudolph hit send before I did!.
i believe the load capacity is not determined that simply. further investigation on your part should give you a better idea. cut a hole in the drywall next to a stud and figure out how thick the sheetrock is, and try to get a feel for the gage of the studs. if you have 5/8" gwb, i would say that you are ok for all but the heaviest loads. there are anchors available at your local hardware store that hold up to about 400 pounds in 5/8" drywall. see [ulr=http://www.toggler.com/toggle.html]this page[/url] for more info. we used these to hang cabinets in our office, and i can attest to the advertised capacity. while i haven't tested them extensively, they provide an extremely solid hanging point for cabinets, shelves, etc.
awesome!!! thanks for the advise 3if's....ive meanwhile designed a flexible partition wall system for the loft consisting of 4' x 8' and 4' x 4' boltable units with castors on them.. if anyone has more info and/or ideas for a flexible partition wall system for lofts i would really appreciate the help...
aw crap, i screwed up the link in my last post... anyway, you're welcome, post up pictures when its finished.
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