The inquiry
A cleanout confirms the bottom—not the entire cell.
Florida Masonry received a question about a reported Central Florida residential practice of installing inspection openings at filled-cell locations without consolidating the grout.
The questionDoes the code allow inspection openings to be used without grout consolidation, and how should an inspector determine whether every cell is completely filled?
The expert answer
Inspection openings are used to verify that the base of the concrete masonry unit cell is clear and that masonry grout reaches the bottom. They do not replace the required placement procedures.
The requirements for consolidation and reconsolidation are not waived anywhere in the structural masonry code, TMS 402/602. Don Beers concurred that these requirements apply to both commercial and residential construction built in accordance with the Florida Building Code.
Cleanout requirements and limitations
The code requires a minimum 3-inch by 3-inch cleanout for walls over 5 feet 4 inches in height. That cleanout requirement is separate from the requirement to consolidate grout after placement.
Residential grout placement is often not observed during the work, so an inspector may use the cleanout to determine that grout reached the bottom of the cell. Unfortunately, a filled condition at the bottom does not establish that the cell is filled continuously to the top without voids.
Methods for evaluating filled cells
Several methods and records can help determine whether grouted cells are complete:
- Carefully sound all grouted areas of the wall to identify indications of voids.
- Use thermal imaging when an adequate temperature differential and access to the wall are available.
- Review grout delivery tickets for recorded slump and batching-to-placement times.
- Confirm that grout was fluid, with an 8-inch to 11-inch slump, and placed within 90 minutes of batching.
Jerry Painter identified sounding as one method of determining solidity, but expressed greater confidence in thermal photography when the required temperature differential and wall access can be achieved. Don Beers likewise described careful sounding as a standard method while identifying thermal imaging as the more accurate and preferable option.
Use delivery records as supporting evidence
Reviewing delivery tickets for grout slump and timing may reveal an obvious potential problem. The grout should have been fluid—8 inches to 11 inches of slump—and placed within 90 minutes of batching. These records can help inform the method used to determine whether the cells were completely filled.
Education and code-official outreach
At the time of the original response, Florida Masonry offered its Structural Masonry Workshop four times each year and had delivered two sessions in Broward County during the preceding year for building officials, plans analysts, and other professionals. The inquiry highlighted the value of continued outreach to code officials in Central Florida.
Key takeaways
Inspection openings verify that the base of the CMU cell is clear and that grout reaches the bottom.
Cleanouts do not eliminate the TMS 402/602 requirements for consolidation and reconsolidation.
A filled cell at the cleanout does not prove that the entire cell is free of voids.
Sounding is a standard evaluation method; thermal imaging is more accurate and preferable when conditions permit.
Delivery tickets can reveal slump or placement-time conditions that may indicate a potential grout problem.
Florida Masonry Note
Cleanouts, observation, sounding, thermal imaging, and delivery documentation serve different purposes. None should be treated as a substitute for properly consolidating and reconsolidating masonry grout as required by the applicable construction documents, code, and referenced standards.