Apprentice answer

Why is it a problem if a fire damper sleeve is squeezed by a tight wall opening

3rd YearDampers, Fire/Smoke & Life SafetyCheck first

A fire damper sleeve cannot be forced into a pinched opening. The sleeve/frame must sit without binding so the damper can operate and the rated assembly can be finished correctly.

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Plain-English answer

If a core hole is oval, jagged, or tight, forcing the fire damper sleeve can distort the sleeve and bind the damper frame or blade track.

Stop before forcing it in. Mark the tight spots, verify the required opening/annular space against the damper installation instructions and rated assembly detail, then have the opening corrected before the sleeve is set and firestopped.

Ask Foreman

The firewall core at [location] is out of round and pinching the fire damper sleeve. I checked for sleeve bind. Do you want the opening corrected before we set the damper?

Verify before acting

Use this as training guidance. Foreman direction, approved drawings, project specs, manufacturer instructions, employer safety policy, and AHJ/code requirements always control the final answer.

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