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moose186

Copper supply lines running vertical along furring strips OK?

moose186
15 years ago

We are in the middle of a kitchen remodel, and after tearing out some drywall, see that after the sink supply lines come up from the floor to the sink, they appear to continue vertically up to the floor above. The problem is, this wall they reside on is cinder blocks with 2x2 furring strips. It isn't an outside wall, just a firewall between our townhome and another one.

This seems pretty precarious...when we hang the new cabinets and range hood, we have to be extremely careful not to puncture one of the copper lines. Is this legal to do? Are there any products that would allow us to protect those lines before installing the cabinetry?

Thanks in advance!

Comments (4)

  • pjb999
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hmm I was reluctant to be the first poster and bump you down the list in case somebody had better info....I take your point regarding the vulnerability of the pipes. I had something of a similar situation in a bathroom I'm reworking in my basement, a small wall with all the plumbing plus I wanted to add a laundry tub, rework the washing machine drain into one of those recessed boxes with the drain standpipe and the cutoff valves with the all-in-one lever...

    So I made a drawing of the wall with the layout of all the pipes and wires and some marks on the doorframe to indicate where the safe anchoring points are. and you could do the same, marks top and bottom of the wall before the drywall goes up that would indicate where **not** to screw/nail. You might want to go over this with whoever is going to fix the cabinets etc and also take a measurement from a corner or a window and keep that paperwork on file (I suppose you will be able to tell from looking under the sink) for future work or for people who purchase the house.

    Code- wise there may well be a violation as there is usually a minimum setback (how far back into the stud you drill the holes for pipes and wiring) and it sounds like yours are pretty much right there at the surface....no doubt someone will correct me if I'm wrong but I think the setback for wires/pipes is 2" (not gonna work for drains of course) so I don't know what happens with a wall that is accessible from both sides, as you can't have 2" both ways...centre them or make the wall thicker I suppose.

    Is it an option to make the furring strips thicker? If you could make them 2x4 and put up with a little bit of reduction of room size, it might make all the difference. If there is any neighbour noise at all or heat loss/gain you could then also insulate the wall if you chose....by increasing the setback you eliminate the risk of hitting the pipes and are probably then compliant, if you are going to get an inspection done.

    Are the pipes side by side (as in one closer to the cinderblock than the other) or next to each other (at equal distances to the cinderblock)?

    Another thought is to make some sort of 'nailing shield' over it (and I would if you are going to leave it as it is) - normally nail shields/nail guards are short (see the link below) because they are designed to protect pipes and wires running at right angles rather than parallel, as in your case.

    Another thought would be to make your own nail shield using a suitable piece of steel, like a metal framing stud : http://www.dietrichmetalframing.com/products/ or a piece of steel or aluminium angle if one pipe is behind the other, but in either case you will have to be very careful not to allow the metal to touch the pipes, because you might get corrosion by electrolytic action, you could separate them with a strip of that plastic foam they put under floor plates on concrete floors, or similar.

    Hope I've given you a few ideas.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Nail Guard

  • homebound
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    look up nail (or "nailing") plates

  • kevin1727
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    There are lot of concrete block houses in Florida, and this is how I have seen the piping run. My bath has all the piping on the inside surface of the block wall with no nail shields except where it is horizontal and crosses through a furring strip.
    I'm going to follow pjb's advice and map out the locations to make sure screws don't go where they might hit the pipes.

  • lazypup
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    The use of a furring strip as you describe is the code approved method of running a pipe or electrical cable on a masonry wall.

    Just think of it as one of those little problems that tests the skill of your cabinet installer.