After waterproofing my basement a few years ago, I was advised not to drive nails into the floor within about a foot of the wall due to a new concrete cover over a drainage system. Now that I'm ready to rebuild the finished walls, I'm wondering if it's acceptable to just use construction adhesive to attach the bottom plates instead of going with mechanical anchors or ramset? These walls aren't meant to be load-bearing or structural, so I'm hoping adhesive will work fine.
3 Answers
I’ve seen people use L-shaped metal brackets attached with Tapcons to the wall, then screw them into the bottom plates. This helps avoid any issues with puncturing the drainage. It can be a good solution if you're trying to stay clear of the area they warned you about.
Yes, exactly! That’s what I’ve seen done as well. As long as your wall framing doesn’t budge when pushed, that should satisfy the inspector. Just make sure you’re mindful of where the drainage system is.
Using construction adhesive alone is often not up to code, but it's a common choice for non-load bearing walls. Just make sure you add a pressure-treated plate with a sill gasket and some solid glue. It's also wise to include a few Tapcons outside of the drainage area to keep everything secure. Just keep those fasteners 12 to 16 inches away from the wall and check what's acceptable for your local codes.