Warning: New guy on site almost got us flagged for using wrong fire caulk on a 2-hour rated wall

I walked by a fresh apprentice yesterday stuffing regular silicone into a fire damper penetration at the hospital job. Had to stop him before the inspector showed up, anyone else deal with the pressure of training someone on firestop ratings?

2 comments

2 Comments

victor_perry901mo agoMost Upvoted

Used to think fire caulk was just fire caulk and the ratings were all marketing fluff. Then I watched a 2 hour wall fail in less than 20 minutes during a demo test because someone used the wrong stuff. That moment changed my mind real quick and now I triple check every sealant on site.

the_rowan1mo ago

Preach. That visual of a wall crumbling in 20 minutes instead of 2 hours is burned into my brain too. Ratings can look like marketing garbage until you see the real world difference with your own eyes. Now I don't even trust the label without double checking the data sheet first. Better safe than sorry when lives are on the line.