Painted wires????

[viper]

Sorry if this doesn't belong here but I couldn't find where to post the question.
My new house is being built and the electrician stripped and curled all the wires to hook to outlets etc. in the boxes during rough-in. Now the drywallers have hung and sprayed primer on the walls without covering the boxes. All the wires are covered with paint. Electrician hasn't seen this yet. Will he have to sand the paint off the end of the wires or clip and re-strip them??? If so I assume I would have to pay for his labor, since he had already done it once. If that's the case I need to charge the drywall people for that. Or can the bare wires still be hooked up with paint on them? Thanks for your time.

 

[George Stolz]

Re: Painted wires????

No worries. Paint is normal.

 

[hurk27]

Re: Painted wires????

While at most running the wire through a set of strippers again will clean them off, paint is required to be removed.

110.12(C) Integrity of Electrical Equipment and Connections. Internal parts of electrical equipment, including busbars, wiring terminals, insulators, and other surfaces, shall not be damaged or contaminated by foreign materials such as paint, plaster, cleaners, abrasives, or corrosive residues. There shall be no damaged parts that may adversely affect safe operation or mechanical strength of the equipment such as parts that are broken; bent; cut; or deteriorated by corrosion, chemical action, or overheating.

A very little used requirment but a requirment just the same

 

[sheldon_ace]

Re: Painted wires????

Don't worry, the paint will usually just wipe off with your fingers. House interior paint doesn't stick very well to the insulation of wire, or the stripped copper either.

 

[jimwalker]

Re: Painted wires????

Personally i never strip them till time of trim.Prefer nice shiny copper.Really don't think he will make big deal out of redoing.Drywall men usually do lot more damage than this.You might want to hold back a little untill your sure they did not cut any wires or barry anything.Am assuming your acting as the GC with a owner builder permit.All part of the job you took on.

 

[bphgravity]

Re: Painted wires????

I was on a job about a week ago and noticed all the wood from the ground up to about 2 feet was coated with a bluish-green substance. I had never seen this before. The problem was that this treatment was applied after the installation of all the nm cable and boxes in the wall. The nm was coated and the boxes were filled with this stuff.

I became quite concerned but was ensured by one of the building inspectors that the substance is not corrosive or damageing to the cable and/or conductors. I was able to contact the applicating contrator to get a MSDS and specification sheet on the substance, but have yet to receive it.

Anyone ever work with this? And should there be any concern to exposure and contact with nm cables?

 

[jwelectric]

Re: Painted wires????

bphgravity

now I wouldn?t want you to think that I am a smart a$$ or anything like that but I can?t help to wonder, could it be a bluish-green substance?

Yep I bet that is what it is.

 

[George Stolz]

Re: Painted wires????

Wayne, I think it's interesting "conductors" didn't make it on the list. They're only important enough for "other surfaces" status?

How does it damage or contaminate? Painting busses, that's a fire hazard. Painting wire terminals and insulators, would be a hazard, the paint could conduct, either fresh or with age as particles of dust or whatever else are captured by it.

Bryan, no idea at all.

 

[LawnGuyLandSparky]

Re: Painted wires????

Greendust? Hydroseeding?

 

[petersonra]

Re: Painted wires????

I suspect the blueish green treatment is a copper based compund for treating the wood to keep out termites.

Its a pretty common thing and totally safe and almost inert, IIRC.

 

[jim k]

Re: Painted wires????

I was on a job about a week ago and noticed all the wood from the ground up to about 2 feet was coated with a bluish-green substance. I had never seen this before. The problem was that this treatment was applied after the installation of all the nm cable and boxes in the wall. The nm was coated and the boxes were filled with this stuff.

If it were copper napthanate, it would stink to high heaven. There'd still be a smell after the drywall went up.

It is common to pretreat the walls with a borate such as Timbor or Boracare. These have no color but sometimes the applicator adds a colorant to show where the chemical was applied.

If it was a borate, it's indeed pretty benign stuff to both wiring and humans.

- Jim K

 

[petersonra]

Re: Painted wires????

its probably a borate compound. where I have seen it used it did not smell. I suspect they tint it so the inspector can see they got full coverage. sort of like the cleaner/primer on pvc plumbing pipe.

 

[LarryFine]

Re: Painted wires????

Viper, if you're not the GC, I'd simply hand the electrician the painter's name and phone number.