For ceilings and even for walls, furring channel can be used to both save money as well as to make a potentially very difficult job much easier. This channel may also be called hat channel because of the shape that the channel forms when viewed in cross section.
It does resemble a man’s top hat, with equal flanges on either side forming the brim and then the top and sides forming the rest of the shape. When mounted the flanges or sides are mounted to the surface and the top of the hat is used to attach the ceiling or wall boards.
Leveling Made Simple
The benefit of furring channel is that it can allow you to create a perfectly level surface over the existing surface. Adjustable clips or brackets can be used to level furring, then simply secure it in place and add the new ceiling or walls. The result will be a perfectly level wall or ceiling without all the complication of trying to correct the existing irregularities.
The clips actually pop onto the sides of the furring, held in place bythe flange. They have an adjustable slot for a screw that is then secured into the ceiling joint with a screw. Adjustments can be made on each bracket to make the channel run completely level across the room. The ceiling will be lowered by the length of the bracket and the height of the hat channel, but this can be kept to a minimum.
Cutting Hat Channel
Hat channel is a very easy material to work with, but there is some variation with the thickness of the furring channel. The lighter options can be cut with tin snips, while any power saw with a suitable blade can easily cut the heavier types of channel.
Fastening the ceiling board or the wall board to the hat channel is done just as if it was being attached directly without the use of hat channel. A power drill makes short work of attaching the ceiling board or wall board and the result is a level, even surface ready for painting and final finishing.
Or course, hat channel may also be used to create insulation in the ceiling or walls of a room. This is a simple and effective way to make a sound barrier, something that anyone can do with just a few tools and even with limited carpentry skills.
