furred wall best practice

[t1.shep]

I'm looking for some advice on furred walls...
Is there a consensus on if you should create a furred wall as one wall type, or should you create two separate walls and align and join?
What are the pitfalls of the two options?
I've been creating a CMU w/metal stud and gyp. bd. wall as a single wall type, but I'm running into issues with how it joins. (I'm also using it in a stacked wall type as well.)
I think that if I were to separate the two walls into individual wall types I could better control where the furred wall terminates.
Will this cause bigger issues and take more time in the long run? As I will need to align, lock and join constantly? How will doors and windows and embedded curtain walls respond to the two wall type technique?
Would I be better off using one combined wall type and editing the cut profile where issues arise?

What are your thoughts and advice? What has worked for you in the past?

[ajayholland]

I use separate walls. Interior furring often stops at the ceiling, while the enclosure has a different height constraint.

~AJH

[kpaxton]

Let's see if I can add to the discussion. Also - make sure you do a SEARCH in the threads - I'm sure this question has been asked numerous times before... Salt Lake? Whereabouts? That's my old stomping grounds!!


I'm looking for some advice on furred walls... What are your thoughts and advice? What has worked for you in the past?

Is there a consensus on if you should create a furred wall as one wall type, or should you create two separate walls and align and join?
I believe this is still a personal & professional preference. I see users create one for the 'structural' wall, and another type that has the metal furring strips and gyp. bd. If you make the furring walls using the Finish(4) and Finish(5) layers in the wall type, you shouldn't have issues when things want to 'clean up'.

What are the pitfalls of the two options?
See Below.

I've been creating a CMU w/metal stud and gyp. bd. wall as a single wall type, but I'm running into issues with how it joins. (I'm also using it in a stacked wall type as well.)
I'm wondering if a picture of what you're running into might explain your issue a little more clearly. Stacked walls are notorious for having issues with joining cleanly, especially on different levels. I see that a lot of users don't use this, opting to build the wall 'in the field' so to speak.

I think that if I were to separate the two walls into individual wall types I could better control where the furred wall terminates.
Better control, yes. More time involved, yes. You could unlock the finish layers of the main wall type to be able to manually adjust the heights at the bottom and top of the walls (offsets).

Will this cause bigger issues and take more time in the long run? As I will need to align, lock and join constantly?
Yes, you will incurr a time penalty, but who knows... you might become good at the process. Again, this is a personal preference. The other issue that may arise is when you (may) do a takeoff schedule; each wall is independant and not a part of the entire 'assembly' and will have to be looked at separately. Usually this isn't an issue, but can be for some.

How will doors and windows and embedded curtain walls respond to the two wall type technique?
You will need to Join Geometry on the two walls in order for the window or door to 'see' the second wall. Once you do, it "acts" as one wall to these pieces of geometry and should cut nicely.

Would I be better off using one combined wall type and editing the cut profile where issues arise?
Remember, editing the profile affects the whole wall, not just certain layers of the wall. I'd have to see more in order to respond more fully.

Hope this helps!
Kyle

[josh.made4worship]

To me, separate walls is more work than it's worth. Depending on your situation, obviously. I guess if you are trying to get precise SF takeoffs for material, separate walls would be better, but typically, I have had pretty good sucess using stacked walls, creatively. They can be problematic with cleaning up, especially after attaching the tops to roofs and stuff, but all in all, the process seems much better than trying to draw and constrain different peices of the same wall assembly.

That said, there are times and situations where it IS the best alternative and must be done...it really is user preference.

[sbrown]

If you have a consistent furring then combine it with the exterior wall. If it varies from room to room in plan and height, then its easier to use a sep. furring wall.

[jcoe]

we used separate wall types for the purpose of scheduling and tagging. a lot of what we do is renovation work and having the furring as separate walls works nicely for our needs.

[cdatechguy]

Having only 12-16 wall types is a lot better than having 100+, which is what happened with us when we put all the walls were together. When structural walls were separate and we used furring walls things went a lot faster and our wall type sheets decreased dramatically!

[t1.shep]

These are all great responses, thanks.
It seems like most seem to take it on a project by project, or even wall by wall basis. Some walls make sense to have as one wall type, other times it works better to have two wall types joined together.