Fire caulking 1hr rated wall

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Sparksfly89

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Connecticut
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E2 electrician
I have a fire Marshall telling me I have to fire caulk both sides of penetrations through a one hour rated wall. Is this accurate? My electrical inspector has already passed the rough and the sheet rockers have already started.
 
The 1-hr fire caulking should be between the pipe and the sheetrock. Typically the electrical inspector wont be looking for the firewall locations
 
He is possibly correct, depending what's on either side of the wall. Someone, whether you, the architect, or the engineer, should have submitted a cut sheet with a UL-approved fire-stopping system. Something like this. If I had a five dollars for every one of these I've looked at for my current project, I could retire today.
 
Are those walls required to be one hour rated by the building code or is that the way they were constructed? If the one hour rated is required then I agree you need to do what's necessary to maintain that rating.
 
LarryFine said:
As I see it, every drywall layer that is part of the rating must be caulked.
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If you have a blind space that can't be reached on one side, there are UL systems to achieve the 1-hour rating without caulking both sides.
 
Sparksfly89 said:
I have a fire Marshall telling me I have to fire caulk both sides of penetrations through a one hour rated wall. Is this accurate? My electrical inspector has already passed the rough and the sheet rockers have already started.
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It just occurred to me, how are you caulking without the sheet rock in place??!?
 
Sparksfly89 said:
I have a fire Marshall telling me I have to fire caulk both sides of penetrations through a one hour rated wall. Is this accurate? My electrical inspector has already passed the rough and the sheet rockers have already started.
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>>

All "thru penetrations" in rated assemblies must be sealed to main their
fire rating...….Unless fire caulk has been specified in the contract, gyp.
board mud can be used...…..The intent is to "seal off" air from one side
to the other of the rated assembly, thereby removing the possibility
of a fire event spreading.

<<
 
north star22 said:
>>

All "thru penetrations" in rated assemblies must be sealed to main their
fire rating...….Unless fire caulk has been specified in the contract, gyp.
board mud can be used...…..The intent is to "seal off" air from one side
to the other of the rated assembly, thereby removing the possibility
of a fire event spreading.

<<
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Mmmmmm, I don't think so. I have never seen a UL-listed assembly that uses mud to seal the penetration. Pipes and conduits can move or be jostled, and the mud would crack on the first go. Fire caulk remains flexible and keeps the seal in place.
 
gadfly56 said:
Mmmmmm, I don't think so. I have never seen a UL-listed assembly that uses mud to seal the penetration. Pipes and conduits can move or be jostled, and the mud would crack on the first go. Fire caulk remains flexible and keeps the seal in place.
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Agreed unless the particular compound is fire rated, plain Jane mud won't cut it.

Roger
 
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