fire caulk color (red vs. grey)

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RustyShackleford

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What is the difference between grey and red fire-stop caulk ? (Ok, no smart-aleck comments ...) It's not unusual to color code products like this. As best I can tell, both are considered acceptable for sealing sill and top plate electrical/plumbing/etc penetrations.
 
RustyShackleford said:
What is the difference between grey and red fire-stop caulk ? (Ok, no smart-aleck comments ...) It's not unusual to color code products like this. As best I can tell, both are considered acceptable for sealing sill and top plate electrical/plumbing/etc penetrations.
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I think that the only difference in the red is that it is advertised as making it easier for the inspector to verify that fire caulk rather than standard caulk has been used. Fire caulk is also available in other colors as well as gray.
 
RustyShackleford said:
Ok then. I'm not sure I understand exactly what those terms mean. Are both acceptable for caulking penetrations ?
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The two terms have at times been used interchangeably. This article seems to be highly regarded as an explanation.

If the foam has an fire resistance rating in hours, it is a firestop material, regardless of its color. If the term "fire caulk" is used to describe it, it is almost certainly firestopping material, but read the label!

There are firestop-rated materials available in gray, red and many other colors, but red seems to be reserved for firestopping caulk only.
Caulks that merely stop drafts and/or water leaks are usually not acceptable, and cost a lot less.

Non-rated "fireblock" materials, including caulk, are intended to fill in gaps in "fire blocks" such as horizontal blocks in walls, etc. They will be non-combustible, but not evaluated on how they react to extended high temperatures. (They might not light but instead crumble, which would not be acceptable for firestopping.

Some firestopping caluks are "intumescent" which means that when exposed to flame they actually expand to fill more space but do not burn or conduct heat well.

An intumescent is a substance that swells as a result of heat exposure, thus increasing in volume, and decreasing in density. Intumescents are typically used in passive fire protection and, in the U.S., require listing and approval use and compliance in their installed configurations in order to comply with the law.
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If you're talking about caulk it usually comes in red or yellow, that I've seen.

If you're talking about pads, red are fire and gray are for sound.

Now therer are some fire pads that are sound rated too, for when you need both.
 
Sure ... and I've seen blue and yellow.

For most of us, even regular caulk or spray foam is adequate for plugging openings. A 'fire stop' is just a closed opening. A draft stop, nothing more. This is what you do where wires enter the attic. Won't hurt to seal crawl space penetrations as well; keep the critters out.

A "fire stop" is what you use when you're penetrating a RATED fire wall or ceiling. Since the patch is supposed to maintain the rating of the assembly, these are a little bit fancier. Even then you usually don't HAVE to use a fancy product; you can patch masonry with mortar and drywall with joint compound.

The fancy stuff has two advantages:
First, the packaging. It's easier to use and store.
Second, the coloring is there to make inspection easier.

I notice a variety of products are now available: water clean-up, large gaps, sunlight rated, vermin resistant. It's all just the market responding to what someone thought they saw as a need.
 
renosteinke said:
For most of us, even regular caulk or spray foam is adequate for plugging openings. A 'fire stop' is just a closed opening. A draft stop, nothing more. This is what you do where wires enter the attic. Won't hurt to seal crawl space penetrations as well; keep the critters out.
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AHJ here says you must use the special caulk.
 
cowboyjwc said:
Now if we could just get contractors to install it per it's instructions, we'd be in great shape. :p
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Education in advance is key. Commercial Firestopping is a system, not red stuff smeared around a penetration. Most guys on smaller jobs don't understand it. AHJ's need to ensure a listed system is speced during plans review or reject (IMO).

Not only will that save the contractor from redoing, keep the inspector from reinspecting in keeps those of us doing in correctly on the same plane as everyone else. It is frustrating when I spend good money to buy the proper materials and/or have it subbed out, and the other guy smashes holes and smears red goop around the penetration.... And the GC, arch, customer and inspector doesn't notice or care. (of course healthcare, educational, critical operations this normally caught)

You know what I mean?
 
nhfire77 said:
Education in advance is key. Commercial Firestopping is a system, not red stuff smeared around a penetration. Most guys on smaller jobs don't understand it. AHJ's need to ensure a listed system is speced during plans review or reject (IMO).

Not only will that save the contractor from redoing, keep the inspector from reinspecting in keeps those of us doing in correctly on the same plane as everyone else. It is frustrating when I spend good money to buy the proper materials and/or have it subbed out, and the other guy smashes holes and smears red goop around the penetration.... And the GC, arch, customer and inspector doesn't notice or care. (of course healthcare, educational, critical operations this normally caught)

You know what I mean?
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It's kinda follow the money deal too, I had some penetrations thru a parking deck, and the customer required it to be professionally done. No problem, they were paying for it anyway, their "preferred" contractor came out, did the exact thing I would have with the exact same material. Yeah, I have seen some really bad caulking jobs done before, so I don't blame them.
 
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