zgears
Member
I'm planing on converting my attached carport to a enclosed garage. What can you tell me about building a firewall that is code and may buy time in a fire event? I have some theories, but would like some input.
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Garage - house firewall
- Thread starter zgears
- Start date
djjsr
Well-known member
Code in my area is 5/8" minimum drywall. NO OSB, NO PLYWOOD.
Sheetrock is cheap. If I did it today I'd use double 1/2" minimum.
Sheetrock is cheap. If I did it today I'd use double 1/2" minimum.
A double layer of 5/8" drywall is used quite often in commmerical applications. If you're serious about it being a firewall, make sure to use some fire rated caulk to seal everything up.
rkevins
Well-known member
and a fire rated door
fourjeepin
Well-known member
What kind of siding does it have now? I converted one a year and a half ago. It had concrete siding (not to mention Sheetrock on the inside of the house). I figure the concrete siding is way better than a couple of layers of Sheetrock. Brick would be great. Aluminum siding too. Vinyl would probably be bad, but I have no experience with it.
TOOL_MONGER
Well-known member
a call to your local building official will save you the headache of incorrect information... like previous posts code in my neck of the woods is 5/8" sheetrock that has been taped. It is likely the same in your area but I would make the call. A concern I would have is that it is a carport, if it does not have footings it would not be allowed to be attached/enclosed in my area...
good luck...
good luck...
and a fire rated door
I converted my carport to a garage but fortunately the wall on the house side was brick. However, local fire codes required that we remove the window in the carport and cover the space with drywall. So we wound up covering the whole wall.
Rkevins is right... you need to check local fire codes, but most, if not all require a fire door between the house and an attached garage. I had to replace the old wood exterior door between the house and carport with a 2-hour metal UL rated fire door with a automatic door closer. The wood door frame also had to be replaced with a metal frame.
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
A double layer of 5/8" drywall is used quite often in commmerical applications. If you're serious about it being a firewall, make sure to use some fire rated caulk to seal everything up.
I don't care what the code is, I would do the above !
I believe that the first layer has to be taped and have at least 1 coat of mud.
The joint should be staggered.
Tim The Tool Man
Well-known member
A double layer of 5/8" drywall is used quite often in commmerical applications. If you're serious about it being a firewall, make sure to use some fire rated caulk to seal everything up.
^This is what I do. Code is one layer of taped and mudded 5/8. Doubling it up is the way to go!
What kind of siding does it have now? I converted one a year and a half ago. It had concrete siding (not to mention Sheetrock on the inside of the house). I figure the concrete siding is way better than a couple of layers of Sheetrock. Brick would be great. Aluminum siding too. Vinyl would probably be bad, but I have no experience with it.
...and do not trust those cement siding boards, there is a potential for gas and fire penetration at each and every seam. They won't pass code as a fire break either.
readhead
Well-known member
One layer of 5/8 X fire rated drywall taped and sealed. If there are windows into the house they have to be fire rated. Doors to the house need to be rated with smoke seals and a closer. Any penetrations such as pipes or electrical boxs need to be rated or be removed. The rateing should be extended up to the bottom of the roof deck or continue across the ceiling. If you are not sure you can check with your local code official or the fire department.
Kevin54
MEMBER EMERITUS
I was doing a search that other day and ran across a few sites that they mentioned Fireproof drywall. From what I can make from it, it is some sort of a magnesium impregnated material and other chemicals mixed it to make it fireproof. You my want to do your own research into it.
What do you currently have on your house now? If vinyl or wood siding, then you want something to code which is more than likely going to be 5/8" fire retardant drywall or better
What do you currently have on your house now? If vinyl or wood siding, then you want something to code which is more than likely going to be 5/8" fire retardant drywall or better
willymakeit
Well-known member
Google US Gypsum or a similar brand.
They will have thier fire rated assemblies posted with their respective ratings.
There are different assemblies you can look at and decide which is best for you
, along with a STC rating for sound.
Hope this helps.
They will have thier fire rated assemblies posted with their respective ratings.
There are different assemblies you can look at and decide which is best for you
, along with a STC rating for sound.
Hope this helps.
Nowater
Well-known member
Code here is 1/2" GWB and a 20 minute fire door, solid core door, or steel honeycomb door, but the best advice is to ask your local building official.
By the way, the way drywall works as a fire barrier is that the gypsum contains so much water bound up in it, that the water all has to turn to steam before a fire can pass thru. On the other hand, the Hardie type panels are made from cement, and will not burn, but I don't know how well they resist the spread of fire. If the heat of the fire passes thru the panel to wood studs on the other side, then the fire effectively "passes" thru the Hardie board even though this sounds somewhat counterintuitive.
By the way, the way drywall works as a fire barrier is that the gypsum contains so much water bound up in it, that the water all has to turn to steam before a fire can pass thru. On the other hand, the Hardie type panels are made from cement, and will not burn, but I don't know how well they resist the spread of fire. If the heat of the fire passes thru the panel to wood studs on the other side, then the fire effectively "passes" thru the Hardie board even though this sounds somewhat counterintuitive.
I just did a code job on a ceiling in a retail business with living space above it. There, the code was 2 layers of 5/8" Type X drywall, 2nd layer spackled/taped, joints fire-caulked. USGypsum can send you a PDF of their 'systems', and they are very specific, but the gist of the above posts ('check with your local code official') is the only right answer.