Fire Wall?

[Ian A. Niquette]

I inspected a small vacation home this morning. The attached garage was connected to the basement and sat underneath the home. My question is, does the concrete block wall between the garage and basement serve as a fire wall? Also does the ceiling need to be covered with fireproofing of some sort? Cabin is 15 years old. I also could not verify a fire door, or is one not need in this situation? Thanks for the help guys.

[Patrick J. Cloninger]

The concrete block wall should serve as a firewall as long as there are no gaps or holes.

Does the ceiling have drywall?

Was the door solid wood or metal?

Depending on the age of the home many of these things may not have been common practice.

[Russel Ray]

Originally Posted by iniquette

I inspected a small vacation home this morning. The attached garage was connected to the basement and sat underneath the home. My question is, does the concrete block wall between the garage and basement serve as a fire wall? Also does the ceiling need to be covered with fireproofing of some sort? Cabin is 15 years old. I also could not verify a fire door, or is one not need in this situation? Thanks for the help guys.

Concrete block wall would serve as a fire wall here.

If the basement (?) is considered a living area in your state, then I would say that there needs to be a fire ceiling and a fire door.

[Richard A. Hetzel]

If there is living space above the garage, then the entire garage needs to be clad in 5/8 Type X gypsum board, walls (except for the block wall), ceiling and beams, and any columns supporting beams should be concrete-filled steel pipe columns. That is the "modern standard". However, the house may have been code-compliant when built, and there is no requirement to upgrade to current standards. The owner may wish do do so voluntarily to enhance safety, and the inspector may wish to suggest such an upgrade.

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Originally Posted by Richard A. Hetzel

If there is living space above the garage, then the entire garage needs to be clad in 5/8 Type X gypsum board, walls (except for the block wall), ceiling and beams, and any columns supporting beams should be concrete-filled steel pipe columns. That is the "modern standard". However, the house may have been code-compliant when built, and there is no requirement to upgrade to current standards. The owner may wish do do so voluntarily to enhance safety, and the inspector may wish to suggest such an upgrade.

The Canadian code only requires air tight separations from the garage to living areas of the house. The block wall if not breached by piping, etc anywhere and sealed at the ceiling finish would suffice provided it has sealer/plaster over it on the garage side. The exposed wood ceiling construction would be OK if airtight but this may be a board floor over joists- hard to make air/gas tight. The joists may need to be coverd with regular 1/2 inch gyroc with joints taped and mudded and sealed at the block wall.

Any person door from the garage to the living area needs a "self closing device". No bedroom doors can open into the garage.

PS: Just realized that Ian is from the US. For some reason thought he was from western Canada!! So for you Canadians...........