Seattle, Washington
The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) has updated their Standards to support the unique invention from TuffNek and RuffGuard that combines two code-required functions: nail protection and stud isolation. Prior to this update, plumbers were required to install two separate products to meet code, a nail plate on the outside face of any stud with a pipe passing through it and a separate stud isolator around the pipe as it passed through that stud.
"We saw an opportunity to make life simpler for plumbers and reduce total time and cost necessary to meet code when running pipe through stud walls," said Shannon Loew, inventor of TuffNek. TuffNek replaces the need for a separate nail plate by combining a cylindrical metal collar into a uniquely designed plastic stud isolator. Plumbers now only need to install the TuffNek and meet both code requirements.
To meet code, TuffNek had to pass IAPMO's stringent standards which inform the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC). Until TuffNek approached IAPMO, there was no single standard that would allow for nail protection to happen at the pipe itself, it was always assumed to happen on the stud surface in the form of a secondary product, the nail plate. TuffNek worked with IAPMO to update their standards (IGC193) to allow for a combined single product to perform both code-required functions, and then proved the products capabilities to satisfy those standards in their prototype lab under product testing.
As a result, TuffNek and RuffGuard will now comply with the 2027 UPC code update, Table 1701.2 and be UPC Certifiable upon manufacture.
Nail plates perform an essential code function by ensuring that water pipes are not damaged during construction or later when an occupier hangs a picture or otherwise puts a fastener into a stud. Accidentally damaging water pipes can cause leaks which lead to water damage, including mold, rot, and sometimes flooding. Often that damage isn't known for long periods of time, exacerbating the problem.
"We are thrilled about this update as it shows the creative ways the plumbing industry continues to safely innovate and evolve, all toward being more efficient," Loew added.
TuffNek uses early 40% less steel than a standard nail plate. It also takes 50% less time for plumbers to distribute and install as it reduces their steps from two to one and requires that they haul around one less box of products to every stud in a project. That reduction also means less shipping freight weight and volume from the source at manufacturing all the way to distributors and to project sites as it eliminates an entire SKU but making the nail plate obsolete. At scale, the freight savings in weight and volume is significant, now that the separate nail plate isn't necessary.
TuffNek and its sibling RuffGuard are available in standard and acoustic dampening models. Both brands are each separately available for license to manufacture and distribute in the U.S. and internationally within wholesale and retail channels. The designs are patented and names trademarked. Contact hello@tuffnek.com to learn more.
