Thread: laminate on the garage floor

A creative home owner installed laminated flooring panel on the whole garage floor
I mentioned about it but the seller and buyer both liked it
what should I tell them? there is anything in the garage but water heater is in the corner

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Originally Posted by Ben Im

what should I tell them?

Tell them that the code requires the garage floor to be non-combustible (concrete is the code stated garage floor material) ... and that they can do whatever they want with the floor, but you are advising them that is could catch on fire and cause serious injury, death, or eve burn the entire house down ... but all you can do is to provide advice ... that what they do with that advise is up to them ... it stays in my report as a fire hazard.

Of cause, I told them the code violation, but their question is what makes the garage has more potential of fire, parked cars?

Originally Posted by Ben Im

... but their question is what makes the garage has more potential of fire, parked cars?

Correct.

Cars, gasoline, mowers, any and all gasoline powered items, along with anything which drips oil (cars) and produces heat (engines, exhaust pipes, etc).

That's why the garage is required to be separated from the living space with a wall which has certain requirements that other walls don't have.

I see.
Would you tell me just few major 'certain requirements' for the wall between living space?
thanks a lot

Also, this is unlikely to an approved use as per most laminate manufactures specifications.

Or ...
They need to keep gasoline out of there, and get a permit for the added living space.

Originally Posted by Ben Im

I see.
Would you tell me just few major 'certain requirements' for the wall between living space?
thanks a lot

- Minimum 1/2" gypsum board on garage side

- Minimum 1-3/8" solid wood, 1-3/8" foam filled steel, or 20-minute rated door.

- All openings sealed around to block the passage flame.

- Other requirements related to separation between garage and living space and it's attic.

If it is sold as an attached unheated storage area with a roll up door not a problem. Not selling it as a garage is the key, since it has been altered. It was a garage but it is not anymore.

Originally Posted by Garry Sorrells

If it is sold as an attached unheated storage area with a roll up door not a problem. Not selling it as a garage is the key, since it has been altered. It was a garage but it is not anymore.

What it's called doesn't matter, what it's used for is what matters.

Explain it in logical terms to the client and in the report, state that because it appears to be, and for all you know it is, "a garage" and garages require ... blah, blah, blah ...

If they don't use it as a garage is no different than a bedroom not being used as a bedroom (used as an office, for example).

Water heater TPR drain line discharging onto floor.

Originally Posted by Jerry Peck

What it's called doesn't matter, what it's used for is what matters.

Explain it in logical terms to the client and in the report, state that because it appears to be, and for all you know it is, "a garage" and garages require ... blah, blah, blah ...

If they don't use it as a garage is no different than a bedroom not being used as a bedroom (used as an office, for example).

Thank you for sharing useful information.

Originally Posted by Jerry Peck

Tell them that the code requires the garage floor to be non-combustible (concrete is the code stated garage floor material) ... and that they can do whatever they want with the floor, but you are advising them that is could catch on fire and cause serious injury, death, or eve burn the entire house down ... but all you can do is to provide advice ... that what they do with that advise is up to them ... it stays in my report as a fire hazard.

Boy was this post timely. Today we had a garage with a walk out basement built around 1940 with a wood floor and railroad track for the center beam. To Jerry's point about non combustible floor material, it did have some heavy metal sheets over part of the floor. The buyer simply said "well it's worked for over 70 years I'm not concerned". I love my job you never know what you will see next, this is a first for me.

Originally Posted by Don Hawley

... and railroad track for the center beam.

People erroneously think that railroad track as very strong ... after all, they do 'hold up the weight of very heavy trains, don't they?' ... sure, but have you ever looked at how closely those railroad ties which support the railroad tracks are?

The tracks are like concrete - very strong in compression - but as far as spanning large distances, not so good ... as can be seen by the bending of the track in the photo. Railroad ties have a typical spacing of 19-1/2 inches on center ... what is the support spacing (span) of the supports for those rail road tracks?