The correct type of Hat Channel

Hey everybody! I'm building a new studio outside of Atlanta, GA. I have a thread going on the build but this is just a quick question to all. I'm to the point where it's time to start adding hat channel for the ceilings and before I buy, I want to make sure I'm getting the right stuff. I remember seeing a thread about this in the past but can't find it. The Home Depot close to me has the typical metal furring "hat" channel, not the "resilent" channel (that sucks). It is solid metal all the way through. I remember seeing a thread about that type not being the ideal type, and that the ideal type had some holes/gaps in the channel itself. Sort of a "perferated" channel? Is that correct? If someone could link me to that thread or post some images of the "ideal" channel for the job that'd be a big help! For what it's worth I've got RSIC clips I'll be using to hang one layer of 5/8" OSB Green Glued to one layer of 5/8" drywall. Can I get some info?!?! Thanks everyone! Jason

A couple of issues there, Jason: First, if you are using proper RSIC clips then all you need is ordinary hat channel. Nothing special about it. The RSIC clips do the decoupling, so the hat channel does not need to do anything except support the drywall. Plain old any type of hat channel is good. In fact, if you are using RSIC clips then you should NOT use any type of resilient channel: only hat channel. On the other hand, if you do NOT use RSIC clips, then you CANNOT use hat channel. If there are no clips, then you MUST use resilient channel. The best is still the original RC-1, if you can find it, but if not then other types do work as well, provided that they really are proper resilient channel. If that's the way you are going, then find out what brand and model of RC you can get, and post those details here, so we can check it for you. The final issue is a biggie. You said:

I'll be using to hang one layer of 5/8" OSB Green Glued to one layer of 5/8" drywall.

That would be a major mistake! You cannot glue layers of drywall and OSB together, nor layers of anything! Each layer of your wall must be correctly nailed or screwed in place. In your case, since you are using hat channel, it has to be screwed in place, and the screws for the second layer need to be 5/8" longer than the screws for the first layer. Even if you could use glue to attach your second layer of drywall, you would never use Green Glue for that, because green glue is not glue! It is not adhesive (despite the name), and is not meant to stick things together. It is a visco-elastic polymer that never hardens, and its only purpose in life is to act as a CLD (constrained layer damping) material in between two layers of drywall, which greatly increases isolation of the wall in certain frequency ranges, since it damps certain types of waves moving in and along the drywall. But is is not glue, and cannot be used as adhesive in the manner you said: "one layer of 5/8" OSB Green Glued to one layer of 5/8" drywall". Also, if you do want to use both OSB and drywall, then the OSB goes on FIRST, directly on top of the hat channel, then the drywall comes in second, on top of the OSB. Not the other way around. - Stuart -

Thanks for answering my question. Good ole hat channel, got it. Maybe the topic I was referring to was about resilient channel, not hat channel. And yes, I know green glue isn't really glue. Both layers will be properly screwed. Thanks, Jason