How to Adhere Furring Strips to Cement Walls

Secure furring strips to a concrete wall using masonry screws.

Part of a basement finishing project is hanging drywall over the concrete walls. Furring strips are 1-inch-thick wood strips that you place over concrete walls so you have somewhere to secure drywall or insulation. The furring strips' placement is an important part of this project since drywall comes in 8-foot-long sheets and the edges must land over the center of a furring strip so you can secure the drywall in place.

Things You'll Need

• Level
• 1/8-inch masonry bit
• Hammer drill
• Vacuum cleaner
• Masonry screws
• Drill
• Phillips driving bit
• Tape measure

Instructions

1. Place one furring strip in a corner of the room. Hold a level against the furring strip's edge and adjust it as necessary.

2. Drill a 1/8-inch pilot hole through the furring strip and into the concrete wall, using a masonry bit and hammer drill. Make the pilot hole 1/2 inch deeper than the length of the screw you will be using to secure the furring strip in place. Place one pilot hole every 16 to 18 inches.

3. Remove the furring strip from the wall. Use a vacuum cleaner's hose attachment to suck as much of the concrete dust as possible out of each hole.

4. Line up the furring strip's pilot holes with the concrete wall's pilot holes. Secure the furring strip in place using masonry screws.

5. Measure 16 inches along the wall, starting from the corner of the room where you installed a furring strip, and place a mark on the concrete wall. This mark indicates where the next furring strip's left edge should be placed. Install furring strips every 16 inches, from center.

6. Line up the furring strip's left edge with the mark on the concrete wall. Hold a level against the furring strip and adjust it as necessary. Drill 1/8-inch pilot holes, suck out the concrete dust and secure the furring strip in place.

7. Work your way across the wall. When you reach the wall's opposite corner, install a furring strip in the corner, even if the last two furring strips are closer together than 16 inches from center.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear protective eyeglasses and earplugs when adhering furring strips to your concrete wall.

References

• YouTube; Attaching Furring Strips to Concrete Basement Walls; Home Addition Plus; Dec. 27, 2008
• Ideal Wall: Installation Instructions for Concrete Wall Applications