Framing around the ductwork in my basement had me completely and totally stumped. The key to wall framing for your basement is visualization. If you can visualize what the finished wall needs to look like then you are half way there.
It's a skill that takes some time to develop but then is very easy to repeat. Even though I had already framed a few rooms for my basement I need some help from friends to wrap my brain around how to handle framing around the ductwork.
Be sure to check out my "super tip" at the end of the post for a solution to a noisy pipe problem that must be solved before you close up your ductwork framing with drywall.
Wood framing around duct work for a finished basement. Duct work framing is often called a soffit or soffit run. Which is French for - a type of ceiling that can be a pain in the ass.
What is "Ductwork" and Why do I need to Frame It
Okay, so here's the deal. The ductwork I'm referring to is the main line (a metal box) that carries the cold and hot air from your basement HVAC area to the rest of your house.
In my house I have 2 main ductwork "lines". One goes straight up from the HVAC unit and delivers air to one side of the house. The second travels across the basement to the other side of the house and then up through the ceiling to the upper floors.
It's this second ductwork line that crosses your basement ceiling that you'll need to frame. Once it's framed you can cover it with drywall. In essence it become's an extension of your ceiling.
Why is Ductwork Framing Difficult ?
Framing around ductwork is difficult to get straight. It's a long and short expanse of wall that is front and center visually. The biggest mistake people make is that they just throw a wall up there and it ends up looking really wavy and uneven. Sloppy.
You need lumber pieces that are as straight as possible. But that's only half the battle.
Even with perfectly straight lumber you need to take extra caution in framing the wall straight so that it looks professional once it's finished. With a regular wall you can get away with a few mistakes. When framing around ductwork I would be more cautious and deliberate.
Steps for Framing Around Ductwork
These are the steps that I used. I'm sure there are several different ways. I can claim honestly that the professional drywall company I used said my ductwork framing was one of the best jobs they'd ever seen. That was good to hear since it took me about 2 weekends to get right!
Step 1 : Build "ladders" on the ground.
- The look like mini-ladders (see pic). Build them using 2x2 lumber instead of just 2 x 4. You may have to make your own or have Home Depot cut some for you as the big box stores don't always carry 2x2.
Soffits are not just for framing around duct work.
Step 2: Secure the ladders to the ceiling
- Use screws not nails. I promise you, you will be moving and adjusting these ladders to get them as straight as possible. Nails are difficult to remove.
- Make sure the tops of the ladders align. Don't worry about them not being lined up "in" or "out" that will fix itself when you hook them to the cross beams.
Step 3: Install the horizontal support "railing"
- The cross beams will attach to the inside of your ladder on one side and this cross railing (as I call it) on the other.
- If there's no wall on the other side, like a hallway scenario or an exposed beam, then you just build a second ladder instead of a railing.
- Again, I recommend screws, you'll have much more control. An impact driver helps tremendously here, you know I love those.
Soffit with air duct extension and framing support for an air register
Step 4: Install the cross beams
- Make sure the bowed part of the beam points up into the ceiling cavity and not down. The cup of the bow can be covered by drywall. If it's bowing downward your ceiling will look wavy.
- Be sure to add an extra beam or two around the location of any duct extensions so you have some wood to anchor the screws of your air grill.
4 Keys to a Great Ductwork Framing Job
- Spend some time visualizing the final framing before you start. If you were to install the drywall, mentally walk through where it would attach to the wall and the ceiling.
- Use the straightest wood pieces possible.
- Make sure your ceiling beams are as level as possible and that their intersections with the "ladder" section of the walls is as close to 90 degrees square as you can get. A smidge off is ok, you don't need perfection, but the closer the better.
- CLAMPS! Use clamps to pull the ladder sections into alignment as you are installing the cross-beams. The clamps will hold pieces perfectly while you secure them with screws. Oh man, I do love me a good set of clamps.
Jason's SUPER TIP !
Wrap the pipe at these points with some felt contact paper and the noise will go away.
Do your PVC pipes make an annoyingly loud noisewhen they rub against the underside of the ceiling joists as they expand and contract? Mine did and it drove me nuts!
Before you close up the ductwork with framing and drywall, loosen the "J" clamps that secure the pipes to the ceiling joists.
Wrap the pipe with felt contact paper wherever it touches the joists. The noise will be gone! Oh, you're welcome.
Finishing your basement on your own is a big project with a lot of challenging hurdles. Framing around ductwork is one of the first true tests of a good framing job.
Be patient. Take your time. Enjoy the process and challenge that framing presents. I hope this article from an amateur viewpoint helped you out. Let me know if you get stuck by sharing a comment below.
Cheers - Jason
Jason,
Did you use 16" spacing on the 2X4's in your ladder? Great website by the way.
Phil - Thanks, hope it's been helpful. I did, just to stay consistent. But if it was off I didn't worry about it to much. The vertical only got drywall nails at the top and bottom anyway. The bottom part the 2x4s were laid flat so it was pretty easy for the drywall guys to hit. -jason
Jason,
Where did you get the register extension? I am running into same issue with register already in place but need to create soffit around it. Went to a couple of large home stores and they did not have it. What is the name of this and where can it be purchased.
Thanks
Kevin -
Great question, I'll have to write a post about this. I also could not find register extensions.
I ended up buying a piece of sheet metal and made my own. You'll also need metal snips and a sheet metal straight line "bender" tool. I'll have to look-up the exact name of the tool when I get home. Once I had the sheet metal, snips and bender tool it wasn't hard to make. Just cut and fold a rectangle then screw that to the existing HVAC line. I also sealed it with some duct tape (actually used it for duct work!).
Good luck! I'll try to get that one on the schedule.
- Jason
That tool is called a break and you can sometimes rent them .
I think what you are looking for is a "starting collar." here is one a home depot for a 4X10 vent. I think they may have other sizes available.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Master-Flow-3-1-4-in-x-10-in-Rectangular-Stack-Duct-Starting-Collar-SCF3-25X10/100139382?N=c5hh#.UbIO09LVDTo
Additionally, everything I have read, as well as my own experience with duct tape says to not use it in this situation. They make a metal tape that is designed for sealing duct joints (it was also used to tape the joints on foil backed insulation blankets that are attached to the concrete walls in my basement. There is also a duct sealing paste that I just recently used that does an even better job of sealing.
Again, some home depot links (only because its close to my house), but these are available other places and in other brands too:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Master-Flow-Water-Based-Mastic-Half-Gallon-Tub-WBA50/100396973#.UbIUI9LVDTo
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Master-Flow-Water-Based-Duct-Sealant-10-5-oz-Tube-WBA10-5/100396972#.UbIUKNLVDTo
and I *think* this is similar to what was used on my ducts and insulation blankets. The important thing is that it is foil tape and not what is regularly called "duct tape":
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Nashua-Tape-322-1-57-64-in-x-50-yds-Aluminum-Foil-Tape-3220020500/100030120#.UbIUmtLVDTo
Great site! love the pics... quick question, is there a minimum spacing/clearance requirement between the HVAC ducts and the bulkhead encasing material (sheetrock)? Dan
Thanks Dan - As far as I know there are no minimums. You may want to ping your local building department but I haven't heard of a minimum. Anyone else? Feel free to chime in.
- Jason
Is your book available in a hard copy? Really do not want to carry laptop around while doing construction. Thank you.
Sorry Rylan - It's only available as an e-book right now. It's not something you'd really carry around with you while working. Yes, it has some step by step, but it's more about planning, design decisions, permits, things to watch out for, how to save money etc. The videos are step-by-step and are free with the book (as of Mar. 2013) but obviously you would need a laptop to watch those. I'm shooting to get to hardback by the end of the year. If anyone knows of a publisher that wants to pick me up or an inexpensive high quality publish it your-self option - let me know. -Jason
Has anyone attached 2 X 4 directly to steel beam with ramset? I am finishing my basement and was thinking it might be easier just to nail right to steel beam and not have to build a ladder.
No problem. Use red shots, and 2 1/2" powershot pins.
done that also ... goes into the poles easier than the beams. I also use some construction adhesive (liq nails) vs just the ramshot alone
how much per linear ft. should it cost to frame and sheetrock hvac pipes in ceiling
Do it yourself. Refer to the ladder frame it's easy to build on the floor and easier to attach to ceiling
what should it cost per linear ft. to build , enclose and sheetrock over my ducts
What if you are going along side of a floor joist and not against it? Do you use blocking to build it out?
Yes, if your floor joists (the ceiling above you in the basement) is parallel to what you want to frame then you just need to add some blocking so you have something to nail into. Hope that helps. - Jason
Great website Jason! Question for you, pertaining to ceiling... I have seen some basement ceilings (open joists, ductwork, everything exposed) that are painted straight black or white (I'd lean towards white for the lightening effect). Any thoughts on finishing the ceiling this way, and type of paint/application? I'm assuming a friend with a sprayer would be best? =) I'm not sure how long I'll be in this current house, and would like to leave my options open for putting new/different lighting in in the future, thus avoiding drywall for now.
Thanks,
C
What up Chris - Honestly, a small part of me wishes I had left my basement ceiling open and just painted it. I think it looks cool. You can always drywall it later if you change your mind. You can still put in the normal can lights, wiring, everything, there's really no difference. I have two pictures on my Pinterest board - one with black ceiling and one with white. I prefer white, but the black looks pretty cool too. Check it out.
You would definately have to spray paint it. So that would add to the cost. I think a normal paint would work fine. - Jason
Hi Jason,
I need to put a wall with a door crossing under duct work. Do you have any suggestions/concerns?
Thanks.
Dave
Yo Dave -
Well, it will be a fairly short basement wall I'm guessing. But, there's no reason you can't frame a wall under the ductwork. And yes, that wall could have a door. You just need to frame around the ductwork, which you would have done anyway to attach drywall. So yes, as far as I know you're good to go there. - Jason
You might have to cut the bottom of the door and jamb to fit it depending on your height. Keep in mind 80 inches is standard
Hey - great advice. Thanks for sharing this! You mentioned using screws instead of nails. What size/type of screws do you recommend?
Hi Jason,
Is there a required/recommended amount of space to leave between the ductwork and the soffit?
Thanks,
April
Hi April - There may be, that's something that would be location specific. My area did not have a prescribed distance. I framed up around the soffit about as close as I could and passed inspection with no problem. - Jason
Hi Jason, great site you have here. As I've been looking around the internet trying to figure out what I can/should do myself vs. when to hire a contractor; I did have a question that I have yet to see asked anywhere else-
If I want to install additional intake/outtake ducts from my furnace (to service the different rooms in my finished basement), should I get this done first? Or should I frame the rooms beforehand to get a better idea of positioning?
thanks in advance!
Hi Chris - You can do the framing first. For me, it was easier to visualize the new register locations once my basement framing was complete. Great question! - Jason
Appreciate the ease of instruction and the tips. I am finishing the basement with a bedroom, furnace room, cold room and open concept media/games room. I used Roxul sound bats to insulate the bedroom (it is right under the kitchen) and the furnace room (it also has the central vac). I am considering the same for the ceiling in the media/games room but my issue is the darn ductwork and support beams. I think when they built the house they never had any intention of finishing the basement because I have two support beams and three duct runs which will complicate finishing the ceiling. What are your thoughts on insulating for sound around the duct wok? Possible? Worthwhile? What would you recommend?
Hey Mike - My thought would be that it's not worthwhile. Most of the sounds travels from floor (the floor above your basement, the kitchen) to the floor joist then to the drywalled ceiling of your basements. I added insulation for sound proofing in some of my ceiling bays - and it works okay, but not fantastic. The space around the ductwork is so small I just don't think it would have a big impact.
The real bummer is that when you first put up the insulation your basement is going to be crazy quite. That's because without the drywall ceiling and walls the sound from above just drops off the bottom of the joist into thin air where it can't travel. It's only when the drywall is added that it comes back.
For the media room - you might consider - padded drywall channels for installation - they can dampen a lot of the sound. - Jason
OMG man! Thank you sooooo much how much room around the duct do you need
I want to maximize ceiling height, can I use 1x4s instead of 2x4s? Should I adjust spacing between the studs/furring strips if I use a thinner piece of wood?
Yes, 1x4s will work fine. Spacing should still be fine. It's not support a full sheet of drywall (this is duct framing right?) so there shouldn't be any sag. - Jason (ps. I just turneded my 2x4s sideways - same result)
Hello Jason. I'd like to build a bulkhead over a long run (25') of ductwork that is 6' across. I'm concerned that the 2x2 cross pieces will sag, especially with the weight of the drywall. I'm hesitant to screw into the duct for anchoring. What is the professional method of doing it ? Many thanks.
Hi David - Well definitely don't screw into the duct work. Yes, a six foot span is too far. You'll need some horizontal bracing. You basically build a ladder support vertically on each side of the duct, then attach horizontal 2x4 or 2x2 to that "ladder", spacing them 16" on center. The drywall guys can then attach the drywall to those supports.
Hope that helps. - Jason
Can I go 24" off center? Will this support the drywall for my ceiling?
Yes, but I'd recommend 5/8's then and not 1/2 inch drywall. - Jason
Why do you specify that the support beams should connect below the horizontal support rail instead of on top?
Hi Don - That was for my situation. They could also be on top. As long as they are level. Good question. Good luck! - Jason
A previous owner framed and drywalled around duct lines and center beam. The drywall/paint shows moister. The existing framing is too tight to wrap duct with insulation. Would adding some vents to make it a " conditioned space " be acceptable.
Thank you.
Hi Ray - Hmmm.... I'd be worried/curious about why there's so much moisture. I suppose a register could help a little but I'm skeptical. I guess I'd tear it down, monitor for a few weeks and see which parts are causing the issue - then go from there. Sorry I don't have a more definitive answer. Send me a picture or two once you've remove the drywall. - Jason
Howdy! How are the cross supports connected to the ladders? Toe nail, Jedi power, or something else? I don't see any nails or screws in the photos. :)
Hey Bry - Well I tried Jedi power but apparently the force is weak with me. I used screws. I could have used a nail gun but I wanted to be able to easily remove the screw in case the ladder wasn't perfectly aligned. That's why you can see the fastener, the screws are set into the wood a bit. Highly recommend the screws for the ladders, nail gun for the regular framing. - Jason
Quick question - how long can the cross beams be? Trying to make this as easy as possible.
Good question, tough to answer. The key is that you don't want the beam to sag once the drywall is installed. My guess is around 6 feet or so??? At twelve foot cross with no support definitely sags, even an 8 foot beam has a little bend. - Jason
I have a return duct that is against the one side of my wooden center beam the whole length in the basement and I can't fit anything in between to insulate. What do I do? On the other side of the wooden beam is all the electrical wires going from one side of the basement to the other. My second Question is, I feel air in certain parts of the ductwork leaking out, do I use the metal tape to patch them before putting the board up? I would think so using common sense, but I had to ask. I also noticed your pictures don't have any insulation around the ductwork, Is that ok not to insulate before you close up the soffit with drywall?
Hey Donald - Yes, it's okay. You don't have to insulate around duct work and I personally didn't do that either. As for the leaks, yes duct tape, that's exactly why it was first invented- to help seal the ducts! Have fun with the basement! Cheers - Jason
What do you suggest for framing ductwork that is right over a doorway? There's only like 1 inch of clearance between the top of the door and the duct. Is our only option to cut the door down? Because if we do that then it will be too short for the door frame. We're totally lost on what to do. The previous homeowners just painted the ducts but we would really like to finish them off.
Yup, you just gotta trim the trim and/or cut down the door a bit. I had the same issue, it actually turned out looking just fine - no one even notices. - Jason
Hi, we had a sewer vent stack removed in our basement. This left a protrusion extending about four inches out into the room on the floor. How can we frame around this without creating a trip hazard?
Hey Kyle - Well, this may sound obvious but can you trim it down to floor level? If there's concrete - you can buy a sweat little angle grinder and knock it right down (just take my advice and wear a dust mask - and open the windows) - Jason
Jason, I saw the information about framing around the ductwork, which was great by the way, but do you have any information on adding to the ductwork so there are vents for the finished basement, i.e., I want to make sure I have proper ventilation fora/c and heat once i'm finished the basement.
Hey Jason! I have zero experience framing and although I'm learning a lot, I'm worried about doing this part on my own. I'm tempted to just hire this part out, but it seems like this is essential to getting the basement to look well done. Do you have any tips for finding a good framer?
Hi while doing a framing in basement just under the duct
Is it advisable to use nails to go through the frame wood into the duct or no???
That's a big ole "NO" Savreet. Legit question - I would have wondering the same thing. You do not want to puncture the duct work in any way - except to attach a new register or something related to duct extension. - Jason
We began framing and closing in the duct work in the basement now we are seeing condensation is it because we havent framed it all in or because we need more insulation?? Need to figure out if we continue or start over
Hi Jason, I have a ductwork run of about 30' in length; can the ladders be made in sections to make hanging them a bit easier?
Hey Dennis - Yes! There's a lot of flexibility in how you build the framing - in the end it's all getting covered in drywall. Just keep it straight and level and it will look good ! - Jason
Thank you for recommending using screws to build the soffits. I almost used the framing nail gun but I remembered you saying something like "Use screws because you are bound to make a mistake or two building soffits" Wow, were you right. I did a simple math error and had to take down two hours worth of work. If it had been nailed it would have been a disaster.
You got it! It's the tiniest tips that can save hours and hours of work, lots of money and personal injury (due to extreme frustration!) - Jason
Wisdom is the product of knowledge, and knowledge comes from making and correcting errors.
My contribution to the wisdom on this issue is this: When you put your ladders up around your ductwork, examine the joists first to make sure that they are not uneven, otherwise all your careful measurements of the steps of the ladders will be for not, and you will discover the joy of unscrewing and rescrewing. If you have ducts that have silver-backed lips that tack onto your joists, those will impact the level of your ladders. If you have joists that overlap, with one set slightly lower . . .
In any case, find a way to do a dry run on the level of your ladders before you screw them all in, and you'll be happy. Put your drywall up first without leveling, and . . . don't make me confess, I've already suffered enough.
Thanks for the website!
Is it OK to keep a soffit 3in. away from ducting. I have a drain line preventing me from getting closer.
Yes, no problem. You can make a soffit as wide as you'd like. - Jason
Thank you for your great article. I will plan on demo for my future man cave for the purpose of extensive soundproofing which will include whisper clips, 7/8's hat channel, 2 layers of 5/8's X sheetrock with a thick layer of green glue in between. My walls will be heavy! I have 16 years of drywall experience and have always seen HVAC framing 2 x 2. But I'm thinking I will need to do 2 x 4 for the excess weight. The sheetrock casing as of now measures 21" H and 17" underneath. Can I just build the framing as If I was framing a traditional wall, especially since the whisper clips do not have the capacity to attach to the wider 2 x 4 in the side position.
I hope this makes sense.
Hi Chris - From what I understand there are no special framing requirements to prepare for using "whisper clips", green glue, or an extra layer of drywall. It sounds like you have a great sound-proofing plan! - Jason
Great site! One quick question... For the horizontal support "railing", it appears that you are using a 2x4. Do you think a 2x2 would also be sufficient? I'm wanting to get the bottom of the bulkhead as close to the ductwork as possible, and by using a 2x2, it would rise up the bottom of the bulkhead up a few inches. Any strength/support issues with this?
I am finishing my basement and I have heat ducts running in between some joists. I am insulating the ceiling between the basement and first floor. Do I need to insulate around the ducts?
No, you do not have to insulate around the ducts.
What size of screws are required to fix the 2'' x 4'' X12' ladder to the floor joist ?
Hi Vincent - I used 3" screws. - Jason
What is the clearance between the duckt and the sheetrock /dropped ceiling
Jason - thank you for the article and comment about PVC and potential noise. You mentioned contact felt paper. It seems like there is a link to Amazon (contact chalk board coverying). Is this the material your recommend wrapping the PVC pipe to avoid any noise? I want to make sure I get the right product. Many thanks!
Hi Chris - I just updated the link, it looks like Amazon change the product. Here is the type of contact paper I used. http://amzn.to/2prilKw. - Jason
hi, i was wondering, do you need to insulate or add anything around the ductwork? in my basement, the ductwork often collects condensation when it is hot outside and i am worried about mold.
I did not insulate my duct work. If you have a lot of condensation you should consider a dehumidifier. - Jason
i did one room this way and Jason is right about how all those small pieces and cuts can go out of square really fast. plus it seems like progress slows down on such a trivial thing.
like why hasnt the industry utilized the gap within the floor joists somehow instead of ducts ran as an afterthought. See this is just me being young and ignorant. wish u were around when i wondered why in the world did they run the water pipes under the floor joists and not through it. so being a jerk i moved it on top of the concrete foundation and when winter came around then it all made sense. had to end up buying a recirculating instant hot water pump which keeps those copper pipes from freezing. but going back to the ducting i ended up just buying floor joists. the ducting was 8" and the joists were 10" so i actually thought it was made for that. i think but not sure that ths way is more quiet. it saved a lot of time and maybe $. Jason if i were to do it all over again is there an easier way that contractors use? to be honest buying 6 qty 20 foot lengths of floor joist was a pain as i had to go to a special hardware store, borrow a trailer. and they were heavy and akward. i think i broke a nail somewhere haha i meant window gettting these home.
I wish my ducting was only 8" tall! Mine is 16" tall and 77" at its widest. I had to build ladders and instead of running 2x4 cross pieces, I ran steel hat channel. Made for nice, straight and solid studding for attaching drywall.
I’m new here. Really nice work and explanation. I myself have taken to abandoning the framing and just painting the ductwork with a flat dark(charcoal or forest green) paint. Your eyes will never focus on it and room appears larger. There definitely is a reason for closing off if you cannot finish the ceiling enough overtop, but a nice alternative.
Jason, I love your site and useful information. I’m currently working on framing around my HVAC supply and return trunk lines and about half way through I’m wondering about any fire blocking needed? I fully understand the need for fire blocking and I can visualize it around the exterior walls but that had me thinking about this soffit running through the middle of my basement. Do I need to block above the soffit ladders between the joists or for that matter any where else in order to keep a fire from spreading through the soffit to the joist bays above? I’m probably over thinking things but just wanted to get your opinion as I haven’t seen this discussed any where and cannot find anything on Google.
I have a clearance issue with low duct work. Therefore, I am considering using furring strips for the underside of the duct for supporting dry wall. Is this acceptable or are there better ideas?
Hey Ted - Yes, you can use furring strips to lower your ceiling a bit so that the drywall can run under the duct work. - Jason
I have ductwork running the length of my basement, right in the middle of the room. I want to sheetrock around the ducts. My question is how to sheetrock around the ducts with minimal effect to head?
Just wanted to give some advice to others finishing their basements and framing in ductwork for sheetrock. Instead of using 2x4s for your cross pieces, look into steel hat channel. Its a little more expensive, but I ran 78" spans from my horizontal support to my ladders with zero sag. The hat channel provides the support you need for the drywall and will support 100+ lbs per sq foot if hung 16" OC depending on the gauge of the channel.
Hi, thanks for the tips. i too have a ceiling height issue with a duct running across under the floor joists. To save head room can my framing push up against the insulation some without any heat/fire issues?
Hey Steve - I'm assuming your talking about the insulation surrounding your duct work. In any event, the framing can push up against the insulation.
-Jason
How do I box in my ductwork when some of it is up against a wall sometime after the house was built the original owner put in a bedroom and a closet in the basement and ran the wall against one side of the ductwork do you drill into the wall tile or use some strong adhesive?
Hey Barry - I'm having a little difficulty picturing your situation, but I'd never glue or screw drywall directly to the ductwork. Run a stud on either side and use them to secure the wall.
-Jason
Yes I'm sorry I didn't make myself clear how do I run my cross beams under the ductwork a bedroom wall was built after the ductwork was installed. I can send a picture if need thank you Jason
If I am hanging 5/8 “ drywall on the bottom and we use 2x2’s for the bottom and it is going to be 24” wide, is that ok or should I use 2x4’s on the bottom for extra support?
Hey Cole - I'd go 2x4s. I'm assuming they're on edge so you're not losing any ceiling height and would have more surface area to toe nail.
- Jason
Hey Cole - I'd go with the 2x4s. Assuming they're installed on edge, you won't loose any ceiling height and have a greater surface to toe nail them in.
Cheers, Jason
I am a 60 year old woman and was able to frame out my new drain pipes with the advice here. Thanks!
Respect!
-Jason
Hi. Just ran into a new homeowner whose house was flipped and looks pristine except for a couple of soffits in the garage which frame around AC ductwork. The problem is some black mold which is present on the soffit but is probably growing from within the soffit due to AC plenum condensation. What is the best solution approach - open up the soffit, insulate around the pipes, and/or put a couple of vents along the bottom of the soffits (in addition to probably replacing the existing soffit sheetrock?
Hey Glenn - I agree with everything your assessment. I would also insulate the soffit itself. Anything you can do to mitigate the drastic temperature swing between the conditioned and non-conditioned space will help.
- Jason
Question: would the frame around the duct support a pull-up bar? this model is typically mounted over a door. https://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-jammer-pull-up-bar
Thanks man! Followed your walk through for the entire basement for building bulkheads and turned out great. If there’s a way I could share pics I would but Its definitely a good solid way to build them. Cheers
I need to hang RC-1 and 2 layers of 5/8" drywall or 1 layer of quiet board (4x regular drywall density) from my soffits that will be 2'x12'. Is 2x2 framing strong enough? I planned on 2x4 verticals but i'm wondering about the horizontal beams going to the wall. (I am planning to use screws for placement, but then will nail everything to combat shear from gravityand potential earthquakes).
I have some electric lines snugly against some ductwork. is that a concern I need to address before installing ceiling drywall?
Framing with 1x4 on flat. Can the be touching the main heat run or have to ha e a maximum distance between wood and heat run??
Hey Jason, as part of a basement finish, I'm planning to build a bedroom with a short 45 degree wall where the doorway will be. The problem is that one of the 45 corners is directly below the main HVAC trunk. No place to go all the way up to the joists to secure the corner. Is it legit to build the soffit first, then attach the top of the wall corner to the soffit? Thank you, your site is excellent.
-Tim
What kind of screws do you use? 2” or 2 1/2”. And what is the best screw to use? No9?
Our lower level has a finished ceiling with heat ducts installed with vents. But... None of the ducts have openings where the registers are. I think they messed up.
Finishing around ductwork
OK. I want to know, can I use suspended ceiling tils, right up against my ductwork, safely? What about drywall/
Can you give me suggestions on framing around ductwork?
Can you give me suggestions on framing around ductwork?
Lana and Mary - Thanks for the questions, albeit a bit open-ended. Generally speaking, build a bulkhead that can uniformly capture all the utilities at once with taking up a little ceiling clearance as possible. What I'm trying to say is don't chase the shape of the utilities as they fluctuate because your drywall guy/gal will hate you forever and it'll lead to more framing complexity. Free free to take a picture and email me directly.
Cheers - Jason
Very informative article.
I have a basement wall running parallel with joists that has a set of 3 duct pipes that must remain 4 to 14 inches from wall (like a set) and I want to frame the wall. My thought is to frame a short wall (below level of duct pipes about 59") and then a soffit from joist down to above top of short wall and then in to the top of the same short wall, the soffit would be basically an "L" shape - is this ok?