My old way of pulling cable through a drop ceiling almost cost me a $2000 fine.

For years I'd just push the cable across the tiles without checking above them, but last month in a Phoenix office building I disturbed a fire barrier that wasn't visible from below. The fire marshal saw it during a routine inspection and wrote up the general contractor, who then billed my company. I switched to using a cheap inspection camera on a pole to look first before I push anything through a ceiling tile now. What's your go-to method for checking above a drop ceiling before you run a line?

2 comments

2 Comments

derek65610d ago

Used to think lifting a tile was a waste of time until I snagged a sprinkler line. That was a bad day. Now I keep a cheap borescope in the truck for a quick look. It's saved me from hitting fire caulk and conduit more times than I can count.

walker.cole10d ago

That's a smart move with the inspection camera... I got burned once too, but with a nest of conduit up there. Now I just lift a tile a few feet down the line first to get a clear look. It takes an extra minute but saves a massive headache later.