# Are these metal spacers required?



## Finire (Feb 21, 2018)

I don't hang drywall professionally. Just finish. This is my brother's house and I've never seen metal spacers behind drywall.

This is an inside wall. Insulation is dirty from the air draft coming down the wall from the attic above.

Can these metal spacers be removed? 

Then spray insulation foam around the inside part of the studs to prevent the cold draft from coming down the wall and then install vapor barrier in front of the pink insulation before installing drywall?


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## Wimpy65 (Dec 17, 2013)

The resilient channel was probably used as a part of a sound-deadening assembly. So, sure you can remove them. But, you may want to use some other assembly to continue to deaden the sound. I like 2 layers of drywall with Green Glue in between the layers. You can get Green Glue on Amazon.

With sound control, you will get all kinds of options as to what assembly to use and the sky is the limit as to how much those options cost.


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## jackleg (Jan 22, 2008)

why not leave them? good choice...


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## MrWillys (Mar 10, 2014)

Finire said:


> I don't hang drywall professionally. Just finish. This is my brother's house and I've never seen metal spacers behind drywall.
> 
> This is an inside wall. Insulation is dirty from the air draft coming down the wall from the attic above.
> 
> ...


First, remove and reinstall all RC1 channel installed incorrectly. Only the piece shown centered is correct. By design, the channel is to pull away from the wall to reduce noise transfer.
If draft issue are a concern it could be addressed with a 1/2" backer rod placed at the plate line and sound concerns would be maintained. However, if standards are of little concern the remove it and attach directly to wood studs would be fine as well but reduced sound transmission will have been reduced.


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## Finire (Feb 21, 2018)

There used to be a wall for the closet between those channels and hence two separate walls. The closet was moved to the side wall. The channels don't look like they are installed incorrectly. They are just upsidedown. Not backwards. Anyhow. They will be removed since I want the drywall as straight as possible and sound is a non issue in this townhouse.

I'm thinking of having him glue vapor barrier down with PL acousti seal or green glue or pure silicone but it may seem like a waste of money since sound is a non issue. This is a childs bedroom. I use to live in the townhouse as a child and the neighbour would complain of noise from us being children. Clearly the channels don't do anything.

Is the draft coming down the wall from the attic required? Seems strange that they left all these gaps between the interior walls.


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