Hi I am trying to renovate a basement washroom and making a standing shower. One side of concrete wall I dont have any stud. Since I have space limitation I was thinking to install 2x2 stud and drill through the concrete wall. Will it be ok to do it or I have to go with 2x4. There would be no plumbing or electric on that wall. Only tile. Please advise. What does the building code says about it?
If its an exterior wall it should have an insulation value of r26. And that takes about 6" of space. 2x2's wont work.
Hi
You definitely need insulation
Thanks both Colin and Arash for reply. This is not an exterior wall. Stud will be drill with concrete wall in the basement, and for insulation I am planning to use Polystyrene Rigid Insulation foam and spray foam for the gap. I am going to tile the wall since this for standing shower. Do I still have to go for 2x4? I dont want to break the code policy though.
Once again this is for the basement.
If this it's an interior concrete wall and you're just strapping it to attach drywall you can certainly use 2 x 2's or even 1x material attached to the concrete. Although the Code does not talk about adhesives to fasten lumber it should be OK to use a PL premium product in this application without fear of breaking the Code. Another option is drilling as you've suggested or ramset fasteners.
Ian Derksen; Safety Codes Officer - Building
Hi Ian, Thanks a lot for your response. Yes it is a basement concrete wall and I will just tile the wall with a 2x2 stud and rigid foam insulation. No plumbing and electric will be there.
Since it is an interior wall, I see no reason why you couldn't tile the concrete wall. Maybe someone else can shed some light on my thinking.
Stick a piece of 1/2 inch KERDI board on the concrete wall with thin set mortar then you have a waterproof membrane on the wall and it will also be level and square to the other walls which will make tiling much easier.
Thanks for your comment. Just one more thing: the Code requires you to apply poly between non-pressure treated lumber if it's in contact with concrete below grade. I believe my suggestion of PL would be like an equivalency to the poly. In fact I'm doing the same thing in my own home right now (strapping an interior concrete wall to prep for wallboard & a shower). In my case I'm not installing rigid insulation.
Thanks Ian once gain. I am planning to use Tuck tape between lumber and concrete. Hope that will work.
Yes! You can do what you proposed as long as not an external wall
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