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Using Steel Studs

Tools and techniques for building basement and partition walls with metal studs.

By Bruce Clark

From The Family Handyman

Images from this article

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About Steel Studs

As the supply of quality lumber diminishes, steel studs will replace their wood cousins more and more in home construction. You’ll like steel framing for the many advantages it has over wood: Steel studs are perfectly straight. They don’t shrink or split. They’re light and easy to store, plus they resist fire, insects and rot. And you’ll really like the fact that steel studs are about 30 percent cheaper than wood.

At first, you’ll find framing with steel to be slower than with wood, because you’ll be working with unfamiliar materials, techniques and tools. But once you get the hang of working with steel, it’s very user friendly. If you make a mistake, you can simply unscrew the steel parts and quickly get back on track. To get you started, we’ll show you how to build a small, non-weight-bearing wall.

Tooling Up
You probably already own most of the tools needed for framing with steel. These include a tape measure, a straight-cut aviation metal snips, a plumb bob or 4-ft. level and a drill (preferably cordless with variable speeds and multiple clutch settings) with a 2-in. extension bit holder. Spend $30 more for these additional “must-have” tools: a C-clamp locking pliers (Photo 3) for temporarily clamping studs to tracks, and a sheet-metal locking pliers (also called a “duckbill pliers,” inset, Photo 4) for forming tight bends in steel track.

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