I am building a garage and since it is less than five feet from my property line, I am required to have a one hour fire rating for applicable walls. I was told by my local planning office that even if I built it with brick walls that I would still need to have 1/2" Gypsum board on the exterior and 1/2" Gypsum board on the interior. The brick has the required one hour fire rating by itself so I am not sure why I still need to have the gypsum board. Anyone have any info on this or experience with it? My county uses the 2012 international building code.
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One hour fire rating
- Thread starter clemsonee
- Start date
Higgins
Well-known member
It's the ole saying, if the local code requires it, your going to have to do it!
It may be worth while to stop by their office and go over their requirements.....
It may be worth while to stop by their office and go over their requirements.....
Zeke
Well-known member
Damn. You could put 5/8ths rock on both sides plus the brick and probably call it a 4 hour wall. But he's right, you do what they tell you. 1/2 drywall is cheap and you only have to fire tape the outside which means you don't even have to spot fill the attachments.
readhead
Well-known member
I would suggest that you go to the office and go over the one hour assembley options with the code official. There may be some options. Don't get sideways with building department. They will usually treat you well if you work with them. The '12 code is pretty restrictive in some areas and you may have found one of those areas.
I know that here brick has never met the 1hr. requirement. We usually install 5/8 X-board behind the brick.
I know that here brick has never met the 1hr. requirement. We usually install 5/8 X-board behind the brick.
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I am building a garage and since it is less than five feet from my property line, I am required to have a one hour fire rating for applicable walls. I was told by my local planning office that even if I built it with brick walls that I would still need to have 1/2" Gypsum board on the exterior and 1/2" Gypsum board on the interior. The brick has the required one hour fire rating by itself so I am not sure why I still need to have the gypsum board. Anyone have any info on this or experience with it? My county uses the 2012 international building code.
I have never heard this before, I work with a lot of commercial fire rated walls and What I would normaly see in this situation would be 2 layers of 5/8 drywall on the inside or 1 layer with rockwool in the stud bays.
I would go talk it over with them, what I think is a misunderstanding, That sounds like a interior wall fire rateing not exterior.
woodrail
Well-known member
It all about the assembly, not the individual materials. Tell them you want to use a UL-356 construction. This gives you 1-hour.
"U356: 5/8" (15.9 mm) Fire-Shield Gypsum Board applied vertically to interior side of 2x4 wood studs 16" o.c. with 6d coated nails, 1-7/8" long, 1/4" heads, 7" o.c. 3-1/2" insulation installed in stud cavity. 7/16" wood panels applied horizontally or vertically to exterior side with 6d coated box nails 6" o.c. Exterior to be finished with vinyl siding, particle board siding, wood structural panel (lap siding), cementitious stucco, brick veneer, exterior insulation and finish system (EIFS), steel/aluminum siding, fiber cement siding."
You are probably close to this construction already. Pray they don't make you rate your roof construction.
"U356: 5/8" (15.9 mm) Fire-Shield Gypsum Board applied vertically to interior side of 2x4 wood studs 16" o.c. with 6d coated nails, 1-7/8" long, 1/4" heads, 7" o.c. 3-1/2" insulation installed in stud cavity. 7/16" wood panels applied horizontally or vertically to exterior side with 6d coated box nails 6" o.c. Exterior to be finished with vinyl siding, particle board siding, wood structural panel (lap siding), cementitious stucco, brick veneer, exterior insulation and finish system (EIFS), steel/aluminum siding, fiber cement siding."
You are probably close to this construction already. Pray they don't make you rate your roof construction.
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
... What I would normaly see in this situation would be 2 layers of 5/8 drywall on the inside or 1 layer (5/8) with rockwool in the stud bays.
This is a good solution because you getting insulation also.
Check on ceiling requirements as well as use of any "special" joint compounds/tape.
If you are hiring it out, make sure the contract states, in writing, "installed to be compliant with local code." Also in writing, state you are going to hold back at least 1/3 of the payment until it is inspected and approved.
6768rogues
Banned
Since it is a property line issue, I assume that the fire rating has to be to protect an adjacent property from your building fire. The brick will be attached to the framed wall. If your building fire levels that framed wall, the brick will go down, too.
Any engineer/architect friend or perhaps the local library, or the local code enforcement office should have a copy of the Underwriters Laboratory (UL), Gypsum Association (GA) and/or Factory Mutual (FM) books that described listed fire rated systems. Any system in those books that meets your construction limitations and the fire rating requirements is acceptable under building codes. There are hundreds of them. Check the books, pick a system, then submit the system number to the code office. It should be acceptable to them; that is what architects and engineers do. Then you have to build it exactly as it is listed.
Any engineer/architect friend or perhaps the local library, or the local code enforcement office should have a copy of the Underwriters Laboratory (UL), Gypsum Association (GA) and/or Factory Mutual (FM) books that described listed fire rated systems. Any system in those books that meets your construction limitations and the fire rating requirements is acceptable under building codes. There are hundreds of them. Check the books, pick a system, then submit the system number to the code office. It should be acceptable to them; that is what architects and engineers do. Then you have to build it exactly as it is listed.
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Architorture
Well-known member
woodrail
Well-known member
Since it is a property line issue, I assume that the fire rating has to be to protect an adjacent property from your building fire. The brick will be attached to the framed wall. If your building fire levels that framed wall, the brick will go down, too.
Any engineer/architect friend or perhaps the local library, or the local code enforcement office should have a copy of the Underwriters Laboratory (UL), Gypsum Association (GA) and/or Factory Mutual (FM) books that described listed fire rated systems. Any system in those books that meets your construction limitations and the fire rating requirements is acceptable under building codes. There are hundreds of them. Check the books, pick a system, then submit the system number to the code office. It should be acceptable to them; that is what architects and engineers do. Then you have to build it exactly as it is listed.
uhm, I just gave him this info a couple of posts up. Unless he runs up against a hardass, this should get him through.
KELLHAMMER
Well-known member
Wall assemblies are given an hourly rating based on UL testing. UL assemblies can vary in materials, so you could look at the UL tests for alternatives to achieve a 1 hour PARTY wall.
Be prepared to show the UL info to the building official since there are thousands and they will want the published info
Be prepared to show the UL info to the building official since there are thousands and they will want the published info
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theoldwizard1
Well-known member
It is 5/8 gypsum on the interior and exterior, one layer, with brick veneer.
So that was after the "meeting" ?
rancherbill
Well-known member
This is a case of DEFINITELY finding out all about it before you proceed.
Around here they have the similar regulations. The builders don't use regular drywall, it is pink colored on residential walls on the side exposed to neighbors. On commercial they use yellow colored drywall on the whole exterior of the building. It is not regular drywall.
Every year there are stories of a house burning down and also burning down the houses on either sides.
Around here they have the similar regulations. The builders don't use regular drywall, it is pink colored on residential walls on the side exposed to neighbors. On commercial they use yellow colored drywall on the whole exterior of the building. It is not regular drywall.
Every year there are stories of a house burning down and also burning down the houses on either sides.
So that was after the "meeting" ?
The only thing different than original is 5/8 vs 1/2. No meeting yet, just clarified it with the builder.
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
The only thing different than original is 5/8 vs 1/2. No meeting yet, just clarified it with the builder.
Has your builder dealt with this building inspection department ?