Garage Attic Access Building Code

[flexysteve]

Hi All,
My Garage (and home for that matter) is a wierd shape. The builder planned for some of the area to be used as an additional room, but I opted not to get the room and got a bigger garage instead. On top of 1/2 of the garage is a finished room. On top of the other 1/2 where the other room would have been is attic space with vents and soffits which is only accessable through the garage. The builder drywalled and taped the ceiling, but not the entire outside wall.

Can I cut a hole in the ceiling for attic access and put in a sealed attic door or a small steel door like you would have leading to your living area?

My theory is because it doesn't connect to living area directly there still is the fire resistance of the drywall. I can drywall the attic if need be for another level of fire resistance if need be and figured the seal would be ok for CO2 and the vents would vent any co2 that leaked through

The closest I could find was this description of a shared attic with a garage.
http://www.ci.owatonna.mn.us/services/buildings/GarageAtticAccess.pdf

 

[kbs2244]

Are you saying that half of the attic space above the garage is not accessable? If so, how do you know what is up there?
I have never seen a garage with living space above any part of it with a door in the ceiling.
I think the arugment is that, even if it is well sealed, you just might be dumb enough to leave it open.
They may have some way that will let you seal the wall between the garage attic and the living space. But then any door you have from the living space to that half of the attic will have to be permently sealed. (No doors.)

 

[flexysteve]

I know there is nothing there because it was a spec home and I saw the building process, also I cut a hole in the drywall last night and climbed up into it, but I can fix the drywall hole no problem. I made a removable panel for the mean time.

I attached a picture to show what I'm talking about better

 

[Coach James]

One of my friends has a set up like that. He cut a door from the above garage living space into the attic area and just has a panel that slides open to access it. Not sure if it meets code here as he never got a permit for it.
Coach