Just finished a job in a new condo building over on Elm Street

I was doing the final walk-through with the super and noticed something off with the fire caulk around the pipe penetrations. It looked fine at first, but when I pushed on it with my knife, the whole bead just crumbled away like dry putty. The super said the other crew used a cheap bulk product from a no-name brand to save maybe fifty bucks a pail. Now the whole floor's drywall has to come down in the utility closet so we can re-do it right. Has anyone else run into this with off-brand firestop materials lately?

2 comments

2 Comments

patel.daniel1mo ago

That cheap stuff is a nightmare. Had a guy try to save money on sealant at a friend's place last year. Whole thing looked solid until it got warm, then it just flaked off like old paint.

hugo_cooper1mo ago

Man, @patel.daniel, you hit the nail on the head. I helped my cousin with his driveway last spring using a budget brand and it looked great for about two months. Then the sun hit it and it peeled up in big strips, total waste of time and money.