Siding nails shot into the backside of a panel

[Stefan McGuire]

It looks like when the siding was replaced they shot some siding nails through the backside of the panel. It seems like if the nails would've hit anything energized there would be an obvious problem... Any suggestions on how you would react to this or what you might say to the buyer(s)???

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[Mark P]

I would write something like this..

"It looks like when the siding was replaced they shot some siding nails through the backside of the electrical panel. The nails need to be removed - which will entail removing some of the siding. I recommend an electrician pull the panel to see if there is any hidden damage / nails behind the breakers and make a determination on if the panel needs to be replaced or can stay in service."

You might also contact the manufacturer of the panel to get their take on it.

It also looks like you have some single strnd AL wire that needs to be reported.....

[Marc]

Several long siding nails have punctured the enclosure which contains the main electrical panel board. Those nails go all the way from the outside of the house to the inside where many exposed energized surfaces are present. Water and moisture could eventually seep inside, something the manufacturer never intended. It could cause corrosion as well as present a puncture hazard and a serious electrocution hazard to persons working on the panel since blood conducts electricity very well.

An electrician should remove the errant nails after which you should seal the holes in the sheathing, restore the integrity of the WRB and fix the siding.

Marc

[gtblum]

restore the integrity of the WRB

Seriously?

What about the hundreds of other punctures created during the siding installation?

[John Kogel]

I see only stranded Al, could be wrong.

The nails can be zipped off on the inside and then sealed with electrician's putty.

But for my client, I would ask for the panel box to be pulled out and replaced. They can reuse the busbars and breakers, so it's $100 in materials.

[Jim Baird]

The points of those nails don't look like air powered ones.

[Chad Fabry]

I did that on a house once. Except I shot like thirty nails into their medicine cabinet and their prescription drugs.

[Ben H]

I did that on a house once. Except I shot like thirty nails into their medicine cabinet and their prescription drugs.

[:-bonc01]

[Marc]

restore the integrity of the WRB

Seriously?

What about the hundreds of other punctures created during the siding installation?

Seriously. The other siding nails stay put, fill the hole. The ones pulled out leave a hole plus the holes in the WRB line up with the holes in the enclosure.

Marc

[Jim Katen]

It looks like when the siding was replaced they shot some siding nails through the backside of the panel. It seems like if the nails would've hit anything energized there would be an obvious problem... Any suggestions on how you would react to this or what you might say to the buyer(s)???

Slap the siding contractor upside the head, nip off the nails so that they're flush with the back of the panel, and call it a day.

[gtblum]

restore the integrity of the WRB

Seriously?

What about the hundreds of other punctures created during the siding installation?

Seriously. The other siding nails stay put, fill the hole. The ones pulled out leave a hole plus the holes in the WRB line up with the holes in the enclosure.

Marc

Don't take it personally.

I find it comical that so much time is spent on the installation, taping and sealing of something about to be perforated by thousands of staples and nails. Same goes for Ice and water. How did we ever get by without it?

[inspector57]

It looks like when the siding was replaced they shot some siding nails through the backside of the panel. It seems like if the nails would've hit anything energized there would be an obvious problem... Any suggestions on how you would react to this or what you might say to the buyer(s)???

Slap the siding contractor upside the head, nip off the nails so that they're flush with the back of the panel, and call it a day.

Agreed

[Garet]

I'd find the siding guy, give him a buck and ask him to buy me a lottery ticket.

[Kyle Kubs]

I'd like to know who is using framing spikes to hang siding... and what else inside other areas of exterior walls has large nails sticking in it. [water/drain pipes, electrical cables]

[Speedy Petey]

The nails can be zipped off on the inside and then sealed with electrician's putty.

But for my client, I would ask for the panel box to be pulled out and replaced. They can reuse the busbars and breakers, so it's $100 in materials.

For real??? You'd call for replacing the panel??

Unless something inside the panel was broken I'd laugh at a this suggestion if I were in the position.

I don't think you can disagree since you already admitted that zipping off the nails is a perfectly acceptable solution, but for your client you'd try and get a new panel out of it for them.

Oh, and it's not just "$100 in materials.". It's a whole new panel. WHERE in the world would you (conveniently) get an empty panel enclosure???

[tim5055]

what else inside other areas of exterior walls has large nails sticking in it. [water/drain pipes, electrical cables]

Funny you should say this. One of my previous houses had a stain that kept reappearing on a wall in the bathroom. I finally decided to bite the bullet and cut out the drywall to find out what was going on. A plumbing drain ran up the wall and the dry wall installers obviously found the "stud". It had drywall screws in it from floor to ceiling, following the PVC pipe.