Attaching drywall to concrete block

I am helping to convert an old building (painted concrete block) into a church. The plan is to install furing strips on the inside of the exterior walls and then attach the drywall to that. My questions are, what is the best way to attach the furing strips (powder actuated or cut nails and how long), and should we use glue and screws to attach the drywall or just glue? Anything else we should be doing? Thanks

 

Welcome to the forums! I would glue the furring strips to the wall on 16" centers and drive a cut nail flush at the top and middle. Don't infiltrate the wall low , as you may make an avenue for water to come in. Then glue and screw sparsely the sheetrock to the wall. Consider your electrical and how it will be run. Being a church, I am certain there are variations to requirements for such, but you need to consider it nonetheless. With furring strips, you will be limiting yourself for basemolding attachment, so consider that as well. Furring strips of 2x4's flat will allow more for screwing sheetrock and for your receptacles and switches.

 

The block is a water reservoir that you need to de-couple from the drywall:Powered by Google Docs

BSD-012: Moisture Control for New Residential Buildings — Building Science Information

Gary

 

Thanks for the info, but one queston. In reviewing BSD-012 it shows rigid foam directly against the concrete block (see figure 3 & 4), then the studs, then the drywall. How are you supposed to attach the rigid foam to the block and what is the proper attachment method to attach the stud to the foam?

Thanks again for your help and suggestions.

 

This is an above ground building that is not a residence. I see no need to do anything more than what Chandler suggested. This method of attaching drywall to concrete block is common.

 

I know it is tempting to fasten directly to the concrete block but I would just build a 2X2 stud wall fastened to the ceiling and floor. Build it on the floor using 1X2s as stud plates. Make it 1-5/8" shorter then ceiling height so it can be raised up. Fasten a 2X2 to the ceiling to take up the extra space. I'd make the 1X2s and 2X2s from 1X4s and 2X4s to save money. What BigBox sells here as 1X2 is only good for fire wood and costs as much as a 1X4. They don't sell construction grade 2X2s.

 

Several have suggested that we need to install 1/2" unfaced foam insulation (blue board) between the block and the drywall. Is this really necessary - I mean it only has a R rating of 3.4 or so?

 

The first 20 figures are for above ground, the last five are not. “The best foams to use have a perm rating of greater than 1 perm for the thickness used. This means limiting extruded polystyrene insulation to less than 1-inch thickness for walls (more than 1 inch thick and they do not breathe sufficiently) and making sure that the rigid insulation is not faced with polypropylene skins or foil facings. Additionally, since foams need to be protected from fire, and this is often done with gypsum board only latex paint should be used on interior gypsum finishes (since it breathes).
Capillary control also applies to slab-on-grade construction and crawlspaces. Monolithic slabs need plastic ground covers that extend under the perimeter grade beam and upwards to grade. Additionally, the exposed portion of slabs should be painted with latex paint to reduce water absorption and a capillary break should be installed under perimeter wall framing.”
Reason for the foam: ”Cladding systems which can absorb significant amounts of moisture when exposed to rain, such as brick, masonry, wood, and stucco, should only be incorporated in wall assemblies which are designed and built to deal with the inward migration of moisture. Solar radiation warms exterior wall surfaces, and this warming creates temperature gradients from the exterior to the interior. Along with the air conditioning of interior surfaces, this can cause problems if not taken into account [6 Without the foam, the insulation would be saturated or the interior air would condense the moisture in it on the inside of the block during the seasons. The thickness of the foam controls the important permeability rating when unfaced, less important is the R-value.
Check with your local B.D. for Codes compliance.

Gary