6 Answers to Frequent Comments... #1- The screws I'm using in this video are #9 x 3” PowerPro interior screws. #2-I'm using screws for framing interior partitions. I am not advocating the use of screws for structural framing. Nails have more shear strength, and I used nails when framing this house addition. This video is about nothing more than a simple how-to technique for easily and accurately toenailing studs. #3-As mentioned early in this video, this same technique works for toenailing with nails. #4- The interior walls in this video can not be nailed together on the deck, then tipped up into position against a drywalled ceiling and still fit tightly. Thus, they are being built in place. #5-Yes, screws are more expensive than nails. No doubt about it. #6-Yes, screws are more time consuming to use than a nail gun, and professional framers do not use screws. But professional remodelers (which was my profession for nearly 25 years) do use them. They are a satisfying and valid option for framing walls in place. Thanks for watching this video. 👍❤
It’s sad for me to realize that there aren’t any carpenters anymore that know how to use a hammer. There really isn’t anything that is more efficient and cost effective than a combination of hand drives and a good framing gun. To me, screws are for the inexperienced, Expensive and time consuming. For toe nailing, put the toe of your boot against the stud and nail, or in your case, screw the opposite side
@@volkan_boston I think so. There was a concern at one time that pressure treated chemicals may corrode steel fasteners, unless galvanized, but I've been told that is no longer an issue.
Good tip. You can also lay a 2x4 cut 14 1/2" against your previous stud so that it is 16'' on centre and repeat the process using no screws over and over. Or whatever your desired spacing happens to be. Just make sure you write on it so you don't grab the wrong piece of 2x4 lol.
I framed houses more than forty years ago and we just jammed our boot against the base of the stud and drove the nails in from the other side. Very natural and very fast. No way they would let us take the time to be so accurate in those days. I would devise a quick-release clamp to go on the plate if I were using screws today but my construction days are long over. Nice video, you explained and illustrated well. I enjoyed it.
Yeah I do the same thing, though there are sometimes tight circumstances where neither is possible like when you are about 19" away from an end stud and you need a spare installed at 16". No room for my fat foot or all the screws and nails put in and taken out. This is where you nail a 3" piece of scrap to the bottom right next to the line and that is your brace. Sometimes it doesn't survive 2 nails plus the pressure, but that's okay because it's just a temporary brace. I mean, all this is studwork, not cabinetry. I've never even thought about being off the width of a line as a problem.
😂 Kind of true. It's an addition on my house that I started 3 years ago. The outside is done. The inside is still getting done. Building with no debt, while working full time. Should be all done next year. Or the year after. 👍
@@ryankojabashian9599 I know what u mean but obviously uve got a framing gun diys probably won’t have one so its gonna help them do it right if somewhat slowly but that said it is a great way of getting twists out of the studs when fitting I don’t know what the quality of studding is like in the states but in the uk it’s shocking trying to get straight true timber is almost impossible nowadays with all this quick grown gear that’s on the market nowadays
I discovered this very technique on my own (out of necessity) but more recently after reading old carpentry books I discovered that you can do the same thing with a flat head nail - just lie 2 flat head nails with the head on the line (tips away from the new stud) and give each a tap with the hammer so the head penetrates the timber - then you can push the new stud up against the nail heads and toe nail from the other side. It's easy to lift the nails out with you fingers. Works with nailer or hammer.
This is perfect! I’m new to DIY and just have a very small area to frame out. This has made me much less anxious about the toenail process. And I already have all the tools and screws I need.
Instead of screwing 2 screws to hold the studs in place before putting toe screws in, I pre cut a 14 1/2” and a 13 3/4” 2x4 block and use them as reusable spacers. The first space I use 13 3/4” then the rest 14 1/2” block. I put the block in place put the stud against it, toe screw, remove then place in on the other side and repeat. I feel it’s faster this way and I don’t need to level all my studs just the first one.
@@mdgrech because normally drywall edge is on stud center, but is butted on the edge against a wall or corner when you start. It insures that when you start the drywall from the corner or butt against another wall you will be on center in subsequent studs.
I think tips like this are for guys like me who enjoy learning and trying different projects. Now I know I can tackle a small framing job with the tools I own. Thank you
Thank you, very informative. I have to add a few studs in a shower area and this will let me get them squared up nicely. Good video, showing all the important steps. I also can't help but wonder why "professional framers" are watching your video and then commenting negatively? It seems to be geared for lowly DIY'ers like me. Well done.
I am a homeowner with a day job who does not do anything construction related for a living. That being said I am working on framing out my basement and Bought this ru-vid.comUgkxHQsUrwNr5GQrnx9V4xDdUr56qxwuiBHt gun. I have done a few walls already, have probably shot a couple hundred nails through this thing and have yet to have a misfire. It works awesome, good depth on every nail if you have your compressor set right. My literal only complaint is that it is a bit heavy and my arm can get a little tired especially whrn I am nailing at odd angles. That being said I am super happy with it and would buy it again. Hoping the old girl allows me to get my whole basement finished out!
I recently retired from doing this work my entire working life. I love watching you knowledgeable and competent carpenters and wood workers. One view and I subscribed.
As demonstrated, I discovered screws are much easier to remove when something isn't right. Which happens frequently when you never finished a basement before, you keep watching youtube and coming up with new ideas, and the project spans so much time you forget what you were doing to start with.
Wow I like your tricks. I used those 2-1/2 composite deck screws I had leftover to build an interior non-bearing wall. This was my first time using screws. Boy it was very strong passed inspection.
Wife buys a lot of nuts & grated cheeses in plastic containers at big box stores. I use them to put different size screws in, label size on it. Grab the size you need & head to job sight. I buy screws from stores selling them in bulk to cut cost & never over-buy the expensive ones already boxed up.
Want to use screws for framing? Make sure your local code allows them and you must use SDWS rated screws. Woods structures, though, are inherently flexible through temperature and humidity extremes, wind loads, ground shaking etc. Using a stiff brittle fastener like a screw works against woods natural flexibility. You’re asking for trouble years down the road when it will be impossible to fix because it is covered up. Nails are proven in all these conditions.
I admire the guy’s courage to post it. Idiots on here that think you would ever use this method in every application show the extent of their abilities. I’ve used this method a handful of times on remodel projects when the stud length varies drastically and you have to install your bottom and top plates first and then literally measure each individual stud to frame out your wall….also very handy if you’re building a pony wall in place and are dealing with short studs that don’t “wedge” in place on the top plate. It’s a simple concept that seems to have really stumped a lot of these RU-vid “experts”. Haha.
Piloting holes before driving in a screw is preferred when using kiln dried wood or when studs are dry (old stock that has fully dried). Most wood studs purchased from a supplier are still damp and is less likely to split when screws or nails are driven into them at ends. Using two wood shims for a stud that is too short is better since cardboard may compress over time and become loose again.
@@ryanb6658 You are correct about taking a month if a pilot hole is needed to toe nail a stud to a mud sill. Screws should never be used for framing since most of the stress are shearing and a screw will snap. Screws are used for resisting pulling forces (deck surfaces) while nails resist sideways movement (shearing) and if there is a risk of pulling forces, nails are toe nailed in two opposite sides to help resist pulling forces.
Thank you so very much for your valuable information! I am going to be framing in a chicken run with 2x4s this was so helpful! I was wondering how I was going to effectively attach my 2x4s using the toe mail method!
For framing I recommend nails. Nails have a stronger shear strength. For smaller projects or things being moved, like a shelving unit made from 2x4. I would use screws. Personally I would use the kregg system, but not hiding them is fine top. Screws have better holding power, so if something is moving or might get moved, I prefer a screw. For stationary objects I prefer a nail for its shear strength and rapid installation. There are times when this is not the case. I prefer to screw down a subfloor, mostly because I'm a flooring installer and find nail heads to often be slightly popping up, getting in the way of my pristine installation. The other times I use screws is if I just need a few anchors. It's faster for me to throw in some screws than setup air systems.
I just happen to be about to start building a stud wall, in 20 minutes time when I finish this coffee in fact. You have just made my life easier. Thank you!
Well sir I enjoy your precise placement and don't fault you for it. As a carpenter for close to 50years I've come to see great benefits of screwing my studs in remodeling. Anytime a customer makes a change it's easier to make happen. Although I don't get quite a precise as you in screw placement. I find that I can make minor adjustments to the line by over tighten or backing off slightly. Your clearly a good carpenter!
I appreciate your perspective and comment here Marvin. I was a carpenter and remodeler for 25 years before moving on to other things. Screws for interior stud walls in remodeling situations are a sensible option. I'm sure you can remember when we didn't have these kinds of screws. The framing in this video is an addition on my own home. I made two changes to the layout and the changes were easier to make because the screws reverse out with no problem. Thank you. 👍 P.S. For those professionals who watch this video and think that I am advocating the use of screws for all framing applications, I am not doing that. Structural framing should be done with nails because they have more tensile strength. I framed this addition on my home with nails. This is a video specifically about toenailing (or "toe-screwing"). And, as I mention in the beginning, this technique works with nails as well as it does with screws.
@@herrickkimball Tensile strength refers to the resistance of an object to deformation and fracture under stretching load along its length, such as a rope under tension. In carpentry, the resistance of nails to pull-out is much less than the internal strength of a steel nail along its length. Screws have much greater pull-out resistance and almost always the wood will fail before the screw is stretched, unless perpendicular force is also being applied. By the time that modulus of elasticity or point of fracture become relevant, the structure has already failed. If the studs in your wall are racked 20 degrees off plumb, you don't have a wall.
Recently was building 2x4 construction shelves in my basement, i was using a small brad air nailer to attach my boards so i could check for level and tap them to bend the brads to make small adjustments. worked pretty good!
Great video. Great tip for toe nailing. Makes to much sense, solves the problem of the stud shifting over a little. As far as nails go, I do not remember the last one I drove in with a hammer.
Awesome video. Wondered about utilizing screws for toe screwing fo years. Now will be utilizing the info in my DIY projects not for stud work, but repairing my green house. Kudos for vid. New subscriber because of this vid. Looking forward to ur next one.
Have to say this, Before nail guns and screwing everything with a bat-op. I used to frame with a crew. The second week on the job I started doing this wih nails so the rafters woud set almost perfectly on the layout mark, that was 1970. And it still works today. lol
I got started in the building trades in 1976. By 1980 I was working full time. Nail guns were nowhere around my area of the country then. And it was the mid 1980s when drywall screws came on the market. I also used this toenail technique with nails long before screws. Many times I used it to toenail floor joists to a ledger. If there were joist hangers back then, I didn’t know it. I appreciate your comment. 👍🏻
@@herrickkimball Look's like us the old guys have learned a few things over the years. I thought it was pretty cool, when guys who had been on the job years before me just took notice to this technique. They tried it a couple of times but, always went back to their old ways,lol.
Thank you very much for your info I really appreciate that much You have no idea how many two by fours they’re open on me and I learn a lot just by watching your video thank you very much and God bless you
I toenailed all the studs in my wall during our renovation because it allowed me to adjust the studs to make them all flush across the surface. This way, the sheetrock is a lot flater and straight. It just makes it look better. This is just a tip to make your project look like a pro did it and not a DIYer. 😊 I'd also recommend getting a laser level as it will make this process a lot easier.
I've been working pro for decades and the one thing consistent in construction is that one guy rarely leaves something the next guy doesn't have to fix or adjust for, and that includes framers. I've also deconstructed a lot of walls and I've found that a pretty consistent characteristic over time, though I will grant that the materials were significantly better going back in time. I've harvested old used fir studs and true 2x4 roughs for future projects because they were far better materials than the pine
This is way better than a nail gun. A nail gun it can kick the stud slightly out or off center. I've seen it happen many times. This trick keeps the stud centered, square, and plum. This makes it so you can get the fastener back out too. With a nail gun the nail that's not possible. If a remodel is done you have to cut the stud or underneath it.
or use your hammer.. all you folks know what a hammer is right. It was the most common tool used to build a house out of wood I must say you diy's give me a lot of entertainment though have never laughed so much
Framing a house with screws will fail inspection as far as I know. Check your local building code. I suspect it has do with expansion, settling as well seasonal environmental factors. Screws brake were as nails twist and bend. If you've ever dismantled a wooden structure fastened with screws you will find a high percentage of them to be broken, were as broken nails are rarely encountered.
here's a bonus tip click on settings go to playback speed click on 1.75 and Your 😁... i really appreciate You taking the time out to make this video Thank you
With narrower studs alternating which side (room) they butt against you'll separate each outer wall which should reduce noise transmission between the two rooms, even if you don't fill the gap with wool.
A spacer block with a framing-nailer is much faster, and doesn't wear through driver-bits. That combo also works well with joist hangers and hurricane straps.
About the split out when putting in a screw. If you burn in the screw, it won’t split. Set the screw in place, put the drill in reverse and on high run it backwards with pressure until the screw actually burns a spot on the wood, then flip the drill back to forward and drill in the screw. Most of the time it will not split.
Put a trigger clamp across the bottom of the stud. It stops the end splitting and helps the edges to stay aligned. As for studs cut short just use a plywood shim. It goes s better job and the hassle will make you cut the timber more carefully.
