Framing A Radiant Heat Basement With No Nails

rusty1986

Hey guys,

Sorry to do this on my first post, but I need some help here. I tried a search but couldn't find anything.

I'm framing a basement for my girlfriends dad as a side job. The problem is that it has radiant heat flooring and the guy is hell bent that I don't use any nails, even 2" hand driven concrete nails. So I'm figuring that I'll just PL the bottom plate to the floor, which means that I can't put Poly between the wood and the concrete. So I'm going to use PT lumber for the bottom plates.

This is the only way I can think of solving this problem.

Is there any other trick to fasten the bottom plate to the concrete floor without nailing?

Thanks guys!

genecarp

rusty welcome, is carpentry your primary buisness? if it is, you must just be getting started. anyway, yes pl the plates to the slab, fit the studs tight, this will be fine. the plastic that you mentioned under the plate is not reqiured on this planet for basement wall framing....

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rusty1986

Thanks genecarp.

It's general practice up here to put polyethylene runs under any framing touching concrete. This way, any moisture that comes through the concrete, won't rot out the plates.

And you're right, I'm still fairly new, I'm only 21. I've been framing for two years for a custom home builder, and I'd like to eventually work for myself. This is just me getting my feet wet.

Assuming the basement has dried out, and my lumber is delivered, I should be able to start today.

Thanks for the help!

TimNJ

Dried out?? Maybe this basement shouldn't be finished.

genecarp

rusty, use acq for the plates, that addresses the moisture/plate issue. df and plastic is not a good idea.

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rusty1986

Hahahaha, it's new construction. Still no brick (bricklayer is 3 weeks late), and the window bucks in the ICF's were 3" too small (same bricklayer who is 3 weeks late), so they had to order new windows for the basement. And it's been pouring rain here the last two days, so the basement has a good amount of water in it.

rusty1986

Already done. Picked them up last night.

Thanks again genecarp.

TempestV

PL will work fine, but if you end up at some point where you absoultly have to nail, you can find the pipes in the concrete by using an IR thermometer. Turn the heat in the floor on, then run the thermometer over the floor and mark the hottest spots, which will be centers of the pipes. You will probably find that there is at least 6" of safe nailing between each of the pipes.

BirmanBuilders

glue the plates down and wedge them in.

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rusty1986

Done and done!