I am installing attic stairs in my finished garage. I noticed the ceiling is sheetrocked with 5/8" sheetrock usually associated with fire barrier. I am tempted to attach a piece of sheetrock to the ceiling side of the trapdoor panel of the stairs, but I think it may cause the door to become too heavy and interfere with the operation of the door. The sheetrock would be 22"x 53 1/2". Does anyone have some information they would like to share?
International Residential Code, a reasonable index of what is acceptable to code officials, says: Separate the garage from the house with at least 1/2 inch gypsum board. This holds for walls or ceilings. Since the area above your particular garage appears to be more nearly part of the garage than part of the house, an inspector might accept gypsum board on the wall of the attic that connects with the house. I won't predict what any given inspector willl do.
TB
I don't think its necessary unless you are storing highly flammable liquids. But if you want, just attach a piece of sheet metal on the door.
Generally having a parked car in the garage is treated as if you are 'storing highly flammable liquids' in the garage.
tom
The roof space of our 30-yr-old house is continuous. I.e., there is no wall at all between the part above the garage and the part above the living area.
Is that a Code violation? Should we think about constructing a fireproof/fire-resistant barrier in the roof?
Perce
On 05/13/05 06:55 am snipped-for-privacy@bellsouth.net tossed the following ingredients into the ever-growing pot of cybersoup:
To provide a one-hour fire resistive seperation between the garage and the dwelling, install drywall (5/8" type X) on the dividing wall between the garage and house on the garage side extending up to the roof sheathing, or drywall that same wall up and out on the ceiling of the garage. Tape the joints.
Btw, openings between the garage and dwelling shall be provided with a
1-3/8" solid wood or metal clad door installed with a self-closing device. Openings in one-hour resistive ceilings are permitted if protected by a UL listed fire door.Careful, this thread has gone into areas of techincally correct but unnecessary "requirements" in more than one post. Best thing to do is get the answer from the horse's mouth, and begin at the local Code Enforcement Office. Some things will be grandfathered, some won't, sometimes IF you work on it you have to upgrade and maybe something else, or if you sell it then ... and on and on and on, and I forgot the Homeowner's Insurance get involved, too if it's not to code. Only your CEO will know for sure or at least have access to be able to know for sure.
Pop
Pop,
What do you think the "local Code Enforcement Office" uses to administer and enforce the codes 'locally'? To mention a few, ever heard of the Uniform Building Code, International Building Code, International Residential Code?
Among others, I've got all of those code books sitting on my desk for referral. They *are* the horses mouth and are all or in part adopted by governmental agencys/building departments/code enforcement departments nationwide with regards to building codes and their enforcement of them.
When it comes to the "requirements and technicalities" regarding housing, zoning, or public nuisance codes, as an ICBO, IBC, and CCEO certified building, zoning, and code enforcement inspector I believe I can give it from the horses mouth.
OTH if all I had to offer for advice was "maybe this or maybe that and call your local inspector" then I would really have nothing to offer here and I wouldn't.
Pop's statement was on the money. Different jurisdictions can, and often will, alter the requirements of any national code to suit their perceived needs. Your comment about a layer of 5/8" type X would not meet the requirement for a one hour fire separation if I recall correctly. I believe that at least two layers of 5/8" type X is required to meet the one hour separation. I spent 33 years in the fire fighting and fire protection field and I don't recall one layer meeting that requirement. I could be wrong,...it's been a few years, and if I am, I apologize.
Waldo
Not really. Is he wrong to refer the OP to the locals? Of course not. He should have done that and left it at that. I took his statement to say that the rest of us were blowing hot air and the OP should just contact the locals. Because he doesn't know beans about it doesn't mean others don't. Hell, might as well just refer everyone whoever asks a question in here to their locals, oh and google.
You both seem to leave out one important element to that. If a jurisdiction adopts a code they can alter it to make the code requirements more stringent. Not less.
You're talking apples and oranges. 5/8" type X gypsum drywall - of and by itself has a rating of 40 minutes. IBC 720.2.1.4(2)
This thread refers to a *wall*. A wall comprised of different materials that combined have a fire resistant 'period'. Granted, walls may be constructed using different structural members but the *wall* and not just one element are considered to determine the rating. There are of course other methods or materials that can used to produce a one-hour resistance rating. In residential WOOD-framed construction, 5/8 type X over wood studs is pretty much the standard to meet the requirement. If you have access to the International Building Code check the tables in Chapter 7 - 719.1(2)-14 and the material ratings in
No appology necessary.
enforce the codes 'locally'? To mention a few, ever heard of the Uniform Building Code, International Building Code, International Residential Code?
referral. They *are* the horses mouth and are all or in part adopted by governmental agencys/building departments/code enforcement departments nationwide with regards to building codes and their enforcement of them.
zoning, or public nuisance codes, as an ICBO, IBC, and CCEO certified building, zoning, and code enforcement inspector I believe I can give it from the horses mouth.
your local inspector" then I would really have nothing to offer here and I wouldn't.
Pop's concern is well founded. Since you are not the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) for the code that has actually been adopted in the OPs community your answer is nowhere near final. Fire resistive separation may not have been required in that community when that home was built. If the OP undertakes to do what you advise they may be subject to permits and inspection. Adding a firewall to the structure could cause the finished structure to be subject to enactments passed since the home was built. An Inquiry directed to the actual AHJ may well avoid a major expense.
-- Tom Horne
I never said it was final. Go back and read my reply to the OP.
I never said it was required then. Go back and read my reply to the OP.
Yes, those are all possibilites. Go back and read my reply to the OP. It just about verbatim from the IBC. That's all. Should the OP check with the locals? Sure. Did I advise that? No. So what? That doesn't take away from the validity or correctness of my answer as you and your cronies want to imply. Go harp on something else.
end of subject...
They're only the horse's mouyth in jurisdictions that have adopted them without modification, otherwise they're a possible reference point but neither definitive nor binding.
G Henslee wrote: Snip>
That is not universally true. Virginia for instance, is a min/max state. I such states no modification of the adopted state wide code is permitted. There are also several states that have not adopted any State wide codes so the local jurisdiction is free to modify a model code in either direction including to make it more lax.
-- Tom Horne
Also, states may (and some do) adopt a state-wide version of a code that is less stringent than the model code.
Buy stairs with a fire-rated panel already installed. I believe Werner attic ladders have this option.
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