Fire caulking 1hr rated wall

Status
Not open for further replies.

Sparksfly89

New User
Location
Connecticut
Occupation
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.
 

Johnhall30

Senior Member
Location
New Orleans, LA
Occupation
Engineer
The 1-hr fire caulking should be between the pipe and the sheetrock. Typically the electrical inspector wont be looking for the firewall locations
 

gadfly56

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
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.
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
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.
 

gadfly56

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
As I see it, every drywall layer that is part of the rating must be caulked.
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.
 

gadfly56

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
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.
It just occurred to me, how are you caulking without the sheet rock in place??!?
 

north star22

New User
Location
the Maldive Islands
Occupation
Bar Fly
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.

>>

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.

<<
 

gadfly56

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
>>

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.

<<
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.
 

roger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Fl
Occupation
Retired Electrician
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.
Agreed unless the particular compound is fire rated, plain Jane mud won't cut it.

Roger
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top