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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
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    Daniel Island, SC.
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    240

    Default Fire protection in garage

    Hello

    I inspected a new house today that had a main house, a screen porch and then a garage. They are calling the garage detached. However, it is attached to the house by way of the screen porch which has a continuous roof between the house and garage. There is no sheetrock on the walls or the ceiling of the garage. Isn't this a fire hazard?

    Jim Murphy

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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Fletcher, NC
    Posts
    28,032

    Default Re: Fire protection in garage

    Quote Originally Posted by JIM MURPHY View Post
    There is no sheetrock on the walls or the ceiling of the garage. Isn't this a fire hazard?
    Jim,

    Yes, and the the garage, or the attic of the garage, is required to be separated from the house/porch attic.

    They either need minimum 1/2" gypsum board on the ceiling of the garage to separate the garage from the combined attic space, or they can use minimum 1/2" gypsum board to separate the garage attic from the attic to the porch.

    Jerry Peck
    Construction/Litigation/Code Consultant - Retired
    www.AskCodeMan.com

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Daniel Island, SC.
    Posts
    240

    Default Re: Fire protection in garage

    Quote Originally Posted by Jerry Peck View Post
    Jim,

    Yes, and the the garage, or the attic of the garage, is required to be separated from the house/porch attic.

    They either need minimum 1/2" gypsum board on the ceiling of the garage to separate the garage from the combined attic space, or they can use minimum 1/2" gypsum board to separate the garage attic from the attic to the porch.
    Just so we are on the same page, I posted a picture

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  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Fletcher, NC
    Posts
    28,032

    Default Re: Fire protection in garage

    The left side wall of the garage needs to continue up to the underside of the roof as minimum 1/2" gypsum board and be installed to close off any and all gaps and spaces which interconnect the attic over the garage and the attic over the porch.

    Or they can install a minimum 1/2" gypsum board ceiling in the garage to separate the garage from its attic, in which case the garage attic and porch attic would not need to be separated.

    Jerry Peck
    Construction/Litigation/Code Consultant - Retired
    www.AskCodeMan.com

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Daniel Island, SC.
    Posts
    240

    Default Re: Fire protection in garage

    Quote Originally Posted by Jerry Peck View Post
    The left side wall of the garage needs to continue up to the underside of the roof as minimum 1/2" gypsum board and be installed to close off any and all gaps and spaces which interconnect the attic over the garage and the attic over the porch.

    Or they can install a minimum 1/2" gypsum board ceiling in the garage to separate the garage from its attic, in which case the garage attic and porch attic would not need to be separated.
    Thanks Jerry, that is what I thought the whole time I was looking at this. What got me asking was that this is a National Home Building Company and they should have been aware of this! Had me second guessing myself. I wonder how many that did not get inspected are wrong!

    Great being on the board again. It has been a while!

    Jim


  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Fletcher, NC
    Posts
    28,032

    Default Re: Fire protection in garage

    Jim,

    This is from the 2006 South Carolina Building Code on the ICC site, not sure if a newer version is being used in SC: (bold and underlining are mine)
    - R309.2 Separation required. - - The garage shall be separated from the residence and its attic area by not less than ½-inch (12.7 mm) gypsum board applied to the garage side. Garages beneath habitable rooms shall be separated from all habitable rooms above by not less than 5/8-inch (15.9 mm) Type X gypsum board or equivalent. Where the separation is a floor-ceiling assembly, the structure supporting the separation shall also be protected by not less than 1/2-inch (12.7 mm) gypsum board or equivalent. Garages located less than 3 feet (914 mm) from a dwelling unit on the same lot shall be protected with not less than ½-inch (12.7 mm) gypsum board applied to the interior side of exterior walls that are within this area. Openings in these walls shall be regulated by Section R309.1. This provision does not apply to garage walls that are perpendicular to the adjacent dwelling unit wall.

    Also, I forgot to mention this when I looked at the photo: Being as the screen porch is there and has a roof over it connecting the garage to the structure, the inside of the left exterior wall of the garage (the wall toward the house) also requires minimum 1/2" gypsum board on it as it is within 3 feet of the screen porch. I had forgotten that you said there was no drywall on the walls either.

    If there was no screen porch connecting the garage and the house, then no drywall would be needed on the wall, or the ceiling, or the attic as it would be more than 3 feet from the house. It is that screen porch roof which kicks those requirements in.

    Jerry Peck
    Construction/Litigation/Code Consultant - Retired
    www.AskCodeMan.com

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