readydave8
re member
- Location
- Clarkesville, Georgia
- Occupation
- electrician
So can I use White Lightning caulk and Great Stuff foam or not?
firestop
- Thread starter readydave8
- Start date
- Status
jxofaltrds
Inspector Mike®
- Location
- Mike P. Columbus Ohio
- Occupation
- ESI, PI, RBO
jwelectric
Senior Member
- Location
- North Carolina
There are no fire rated walls in a single family dwelling except a wall that separates an attached garage wall.
Building codes not something for an electrician but instead this would fall on the person who obtained a building permit.
Someone got a building permit for this job to open the wall I do hope. Being that the draft stop is a building issue it would fall on the one who bought that building permit not the one who is doing the electrical work.
Yes I understand that you drilled the holes and should be the one to do the repair but that is not what is in question. What is in question is can the electrical inspector hold your electrical inspection for the draft stopping and the answer is no or at least here it would be no.
Jim W in Tampa
Senior Member
- Location
- Tampa Florida
The inspector does not care who patches the holes or who made them. He will simply tell you till the holes are patched he is not signing the job off. Now its back to you and who ever your getting your check from. Work it out and when fixed call inspector back. Give you a clue that the inspector will not fix them.
Jim W in Tampa
Senior Member
- Location
- Tampa Florida
Here they would not sign off. How else will he know they been fixed ? The job is not held up because of him. It is held up because job is not ready for drywall no matter who fixes the holes. Fix them or get GC to have them fixed.
jwelectric
Senior Member
- Location
- North Carolina
Jim,
I am not totally sure about Florida but if memory serves me this would be a building issue down there and could be contested should some electrical inspector say one word about a hole drilled and not draft stopped. :-?
Jim W in Tampa
Senior Member
- Location
- Tampa Florida
I had one go as far as placing stop work order on a 4 plex that needed draft register for AC. Luckily a friend so got him to first sign my work off so i get paid.
Another time job got stop work order cause pool started with no poermit.
They can play hard a--- when needed
- Location
- Simi Valley, CA
That's not correct. Remember there wasn't a hole there until you drilled it, why should the carpenter be responsilbe for what you do?
Smoke alarms are not in the electrical code, but they are your responsibilty, as are exit lights and fire stopping. I won't sign your electrical off if the firestopping isn't done at rough electrical (where it's required).
Just because it's not in the electrical code doesn't mean you're not responsible.
- Location
- Logan, Utah
I agree,
Now it is easy for me as I am a combination inspector and wear lots of hats.
I would just switch to my building inspectors hat from my electrical inspectors hat.
Chris
jxofaltrds
Inspector Mike®
- Location
- Mike P. Columbus Ohio
- Occupation
- ESI, PI, RBO
300.21 Electrical installations in hollow spaces, vertical shafts, and ventilation or air-handing ducts shall be made so that the possible spread of fire or combustion will not be substantially increased.
You say that the BI is responsible for this inspection correct? Does he inspect to see if the holes we drill through cold air returns are filled? Maybe, maybe not.
Isn't very important to fill these holes?
Back to the OP. Does the EI have the right to inspect this? I say yes.
jxofaltrds
Inspector Mike®
- Location
- Mike P. Columbus Ohio
- Occupation
- ESI, PI, RBO
As to not know codes other than your trade.
In a remodel I had only one place to set the panel. The HVAC contractor was going to mess up my clearance. Rather than getting into a peeing contest with him I made sure my panel was in and inspected before he finished this work.
Well he had to move his ductwork. The inspector made him responsible for knowing where his equipment was allowed to be installed.
Tough lesson. Yes. Next time try to work with other trades.
In a remodel I had only one place to set the panel. The HVAC contractor was going to mess up my clearance. Rather than getting into a peeing contest with him I made sure my panel was in and inspected before he finished this work.
Well he had to move his ductwork. The inspector made him responsible for knowing where his equipment was allowed to be installed.
Tough lesson. Yes. Next time try to work with other trades.
That is a good point that is being missed here by some. The second sentence of that paragraph deals with fire rated construction and there isn't any in a typical single family home, but I don't seen anything in the first sentence that limits its application to fire rated construction. The first sentence is basically saying the same thing as the building code references, so the requirement that fire blocking be maintained is in the NEC as well.
- Location
- Simi Valley, CA
I agree,
Now it is easy for me as I am a combination inspector and wear lots of hats.
I would just switch to my building inspectors hat from my electrical inspectors hat.
Chris
That works. We were doing a large multi family and the electrician told me I couldn't hold him up on the fire caulking as the building inspector would get it. I told him the building inspector had enough to look at and told him, what I said, the framer didn't drill that hole, you did.
Jim W in Tampa
Senior Member
- Location
- Tampa Florida
Thats when you should give him the 3 hour inspection.
jxofaltrds
Inspector Mike®
- Location
- Mike P. Columbus Ohio
- Occupation
- ESI, PI, RBO
Nope............
- Location
- Simi Valley, CA
And have him give me the listing on the product he used and make sure that he installed it correctly in all of the different applications where he used it.:grin:
Jim W in Tampa
Senior Member
- Location
- Tampa Florida
Yep push him a bit and maybe he show a little respect. Any good inspector could find some nit picking things.
Barclaymyers
Member
who does the firestopping/fireblocking then ?
who does the firestopping/fireblocking then ?
As the owner of a firestop specialist contracting company, I hope you all would hire me to do it :grin:
Seriously though, in every jurisdictional I know of codes do not designate who does what work, only how the work shall be done.
Locals laws might might limit who is allowed to do certain work by requiring individuals to be licensed for a particular trade (electrician, gas fitter etc), but those laws do not limit you to only acting as an electrician, you can also perform the firestoppnig/fireblocking (an unlicensed trade) if required.
And how would you be required? Your contract will tell you. If your the only trade on a job then it's hard to tell the inspector (or your client) you're not going to seal the entry (caulkers job) install the backboard (carpenters) or do the cut and patching (drywaller and painters work).
The inspector does not care who does the work only that the work is done.
So do as my 3 year old says and "suck it up buttercup", get out the can of goop or the mess in a tube and fill those holes. Fireblocking typically only needs to meet he ASTM E136 standard for non-combustibility and there are many products specifically design for the application.
It also gives you guys another optional line item to charge for on your quotes! $$$
Or better yet, look up someone like me you does it for a living. www.fcia.org is a great fireplace to find local contractors
who does the firestopping/fireblocking then ?
As the owner of a firestop specialist contracting company, I hope you all would hire me to do it :grin:
Seriously though, in every jurisdictional I know of codes do not designate who does what work, only how the work shall be done.
Locals laws might might limit who is allowed to do certain work by requiring individuals to be licensed for a particular trade (electrician, gas fitter etc), but those laws do not limit you to only acting as an electrician, you can also perform the firestoppnig/fireblocking (an unlicensed trade) if required.
And how would you be required? Your contract will tell you. If your the only trade on a job then it's hard to tell the inspector (or your client) you're not going to seal the entry (caulkers job) install the backboard (carpenters) or do the cut and patching (drywaller and painters work).
The inspector does not care who does the work only that the work is done.
So do as my 3 year old says and "suck it up buttercup", get out the can of goop or the mess in a tube and fill those holes. Fireblocking typically only needs to meet he ASTM E136 standard for non-combustibility and there are many products specifically design for the application.
It also gives you guys another optional line item to charge for on your quotes! $$$
Or better yet, look up someone like me you does it for a living. www.fcia.org is a great fireplace to find local contractors
readydave8
re member
- Location
- Clarkesville, Georgia
- Occupation
- electrician
- Status