Metal Studs for Dummy Builders

blocking in steel-stud wall

A recurring theme here at the Freelance Files is all the fresh-faced young journalism grads who have been absolutely convinced that they can reword any content about any topic for any website and Get. It. All. Right. Yeah, sure: if you believe them, we have this pretty bridge in New York City that we've been itching to sell... If you weren't already convinced that at least some of those self-appointed expert freelancers are full of hooey, all you need to do is take a look at the Hunker.com post "How to Fasten Wood to Metal Studs," courtesy of one Alexander Callos.

We were all a little unclear on the entire concept of fastening wood to metal studs, but, then, everyone agreed that it's a near-certainty that Callos was even less knowledgeable than anyone here. Apparently, he went to a Builder's Guide for using steel studs and attempted to reword some of the information that he found there. Unfortunately, Alexander didn't think it through...

We wondered what the OQ meant by "wood": baseboard and other molding? Paneling? Shelves? Cabinets? According to Callos' reference, the answer depends on the application. Cabinets and other heavy items must be attached to wooden blocking stretched between studs. Trim such as baseboard and crown molding must be glued to the wallboard and tacked in place with finish nails while the glue sets; a technique that also stands for wooden paneling. FWIW, drywall is to be set using bugle-head screws (standard drywall screws) and reinforced with construction adhesive. That's not what Callos says, though. Alexander's "instructions," frankly, are worthless. He appears to have cobbled together suggestions for mounting shelves to wooden studs, and done a remarkably crappy job at that. Check out these steps, for instance:

2. "Measure the piece of wood and line it up next to the metal stud to verify that it will fit properly. Insert the proper Phillips head drill bit into the drill. Tighten the bit in place and verify that the drill is working properly by turning it in both directions."
3. "Set a 2 1/2-inch self-tapping screw into the drill bit and line it up on the wall where it will be installed. Press down firmly on the drill and turn it on to begin pushing the screw in place. Drill through the wall and into the stud until the head of the screw is flush with the wall. "
4. "Pull the drill back and line up the second screw. Install it in the same manner and continue until all the screws have been installed into the metal studs."

Surely this idiot is kidding... no? He's serious? Yes, serious about collecting that stipend eHow.com had promised him, not so serious about accuracy – or even truth. We have no idea where this crap came from, but it appears that Callos performed a mashup of hanging drywall on steel studs with something about shelves. His lack of qualifications to write this post is evident from the get-go, given this introduction:

"Steel studs are used for many applications, particularly as the framework for basements in areas with high flooding... Fastening wood to metal studs is no different than fastening wood to any other type of metal."

Bull like that sure makes us wonder how frequently our Dumbass of the Day fastens "wood to any... metal"!

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