Nail Plates on Studs and responsibility

Curious from the plumbers opinion.....if a carpenter hits a pipe nailed into a stud where there no plate on the stud......who is responsiable ? I know $h1t happens in the field.....just curious what your take is on this.

I say it depends, but if it was permitted construction, there's a whole bunch of people you could blame. As for the carpenter, he is probably the least to blame, (again) depending ... on where he's nailing and how long his nails are.

1-1/4" from face of stud to pipe requires nail plates, per code here.

dubldare said:

1-1/4" from face of stud to pipe requires nail plates, per code here.

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Same is true for electrical wiring per code here in Boulder, CO.

It's cheap insurance.


What blew me away was/is the fact that I ran a 100 amp cable from a main panel to a new sub panel. That cable (aluminum) is about 2 inches in diameter. The inspector told me that I did not have to run it through conduit even though that cable is running down the inside of some drywall.

I decided to ignore the lack of code and put that cable inside conduit; sort of a really long nail plate protecting anyone from driving a picture nail into a fairly big target.

It was a few dollars for the conduit and about an extra ninety minutes of work (the stuff is a bear to stuff through conduit); but I sleep better at night.

cable

2"? What size conduit would you need.? But the installer is responsible for protecting his work, as long as the carpenter or drywaller does not miss the stud.

hj said:

2"? What size conduit would you need.? But the installer is responsible for protecting his work, as long as the carpenter or drywaller does not miss the stud.

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Sorry. Make that one inch in diameter.

Hey ToolsRme

I'm hijacking my own thread but Me TOO....I always use AC/MC cable for electrical runs. ROMEX® became legal out here in NYC just recently....but the only time I use ROMEX® is for LV short runs like undercabinet lights.

chefwong said:

Hey ToolsRme

I'm hijacking my own thread but Me TOO....I always use AC/MC cable for electrical runs. ROMEX® became legal out here in NYC just recently....but the only time I use ROMEX® is for LV short runs like undercabinet lights.

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Good Lord!

I cuss when I have to pull 12-3 wire! I can't imagine pulling AC/MC cable for, say, an entire kitchen.

One of the bad things about illegal immigration is that in the suburban Chicago area, most of the sheetrockers are illegals who don't speak English. This is on the big union dominated tract housing jobs. These guys don't know what nailplates or stud guards are for. If they go to drive in a screw and it meets resistance, they just lean into it. Carpenters use nail guns, they drive thru stud guards and don't know it. I always leave the water on, when done roughing. This way, when they hit a water pipe, they can't shrug it off and blame the plumber.

leaks

Nail guns will go through a copper line and seal themselves for a few weeks until the nail rusts away a bit.

I had an electrician friend of mine ran into a nail in a pipe that was about 7 years old that started leaking right after he did some work in the general area. The home owner thought he did it until he opened the wall and found it.

in my experience, the plumber is the one that needs to fix a sheetrock screw or nail accident, so ultimately he is responsible. the gc usually has to eat the extra time/material. always always always use nailplates. if your a 'rocker, and you hit a pipe, just save the plumber the trouble of having a slow leak in his final manometer test and TELL HIM! he might call you some names but he should be thankful

mn_nobody said:

in my experience, the plumber is the one that needs to fix a sheetrock screw or nail accident, so ultimately he is responsible. the gc usually has to eat the extra time/material. always always always use nailplates. if your a 'rocker, and you hit a pipe, just save the plumber the trouble of having a slow leak in his final manometer test and TELL HIM! he might call you some names but he should be thankful

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When I was doing new construction back when I worked for another plumber we would cringe when we set the vaccum test on the DWV system and find a leak caused by a drywaller/trim guy/cabinet installer. Why in the hell my boss wouldn't buy strike guards I have no idea. If the drywaller hit it.......we'd have to eat the cost....GC wouldn't pay for nothing.....nor would the GC allow a backcharge to the contractor who did the deed.

My boss could of put himself in the right if he would use strike guards and avoid the situation all together. I've spent hours searching for leaks.....building up the pressure really high to get the hole to squeal so we could cut the drywall to find it. And believe me.......never in a good spot. Sometimes the trim guy would hit it behind the toilet. You are now spending 2-3 hours depending on the difficulty level to fix something that a .87 cent plate would of stopped, most likely given the gauge thickness of the plate and width to cover nails/screws that angle into the wood.