AskCodeMan

Is fire blocking and caulking required in a detached garage with vaulted ceiling. I was under the assumption that this applied to habitable space.
Thanks Jerry
Bruce

Hi Bruce,

Fireblocking is required for all occupancies where there are concealed spaces, such as for the stud walls in the garage you are describing.

The key to that requirement is "concealed" spaces, such as the stud cavities enclosed and concealed between the studs and the drywall and drywall (or drywall/exterior sheathing, or any wall surface enclosing the stud cavities and the surface on the other side of the studs which makes that space enclosed).

Those concealed spaces would be required to be fireblocked at the garage floor (which they already likely are) and at the top of the studs where the top plate is.

Fireblocking is not the same as fire caulking, however, whenever fireblocking is penetrated the space around the penetration much be sealed with a suitable material, and fire caulking will work for that in most cases until you get into actual fire-resistance rated assemblies, then the penetration must use a firestopping listed penetration, not just "fire caulking" per se.

In an unrated assembly, such as that garage wall, the top plate serves as the fireblocking. Any and all penetrations through the top plate then must be sealed around. The IRC states it this way: "At openings around vents, pipes, ducts, cables and wires at ceiling and floor level, with an approved material to resist the free passage of flame and products of combustion." - i.e., "fire caulking", which is an intumescent material.

On that same subject, In Michigan, which doors in my house have to be fire rated. I think the garage to the dwelling has to be fire rated and solid with no "penetration" points to it.
Thanks,
Thomas

Jerry Peck - Codeman wrote:Hi Bruce,

Fireblocking is required for all occupancies where there are concealed spaces, such as for the stud walls in the garage you are describing.

The key to that requirement is "concealed" spaces, such as the stud cavities enclosed and concealed between the studs and the drywall and drywall (or drywall/exterior sheathing, or any wall surface enclosing the stud cavities and the surface on the other side of the studs which makes that space enclosed).

Those concealed spaces would be required to be fireblocked at the garage floor (which they already likely are) and at the top of the studs where the top plate is.

Fireblocking is not the same as fire caulking, however, whenever fireblocking is penetrated the space around the penetration much be sealed with a suitable material, and fire caulking will work for that in most cases until you get into actual fire-resistance rated assemblies, then the penetration must use a firestopping listed penetration, not just "fire caulking" per se.

In an unrated assembly, such as that garage wall, the top plate serves as the fireblocking. Any and all penetrations through the top plate then must be sealed around. The IRC states it this way: "At openings around vents, pipes, ducts, cables and wires at ceiling and floor level, with an approved material to resist the free passage of flame and products of combustion." - i.e., "fire caulking", which is an intumescent material.

Hi Thomas,

First, let's start with proper terminology.

tasellers wrote:which doors in my house have to be fire rated. I think the garage to the dwelling has to be fire rated ...

It would be rare that any residential code would *require* ANY doors to be "fire rated".

The wall between the house and the living space is simply a "separation" wall and is not a "fire rated" wall.

The door in that wall connecting the garage and the living space together is *required* to be at least 1-3/8 inches "solid wood door", or, that door may be a 1-3/8 inch minimum thickness "solid or honeycomb core steel door", or, that door MAY BE (but is not required to be) a "20-minute fire-rated door".

with no "penetration" points to it.

That part would be difficult to achieve as the door handle set would be considered a "penetration" through the door.

That door also needs to have, because it is separating the thermal envelope of the house from the garage which is outside the thermal envelope, a threshold, be weatherstripped, and basically be comparable to your front entry door in thermal insulation and sealing air tight (okay, you will never get it "air tight", but I am sure you understand what I mean).

Can you put a 'dogie door' through that door? No.

Can you have glass in that door? No. Well, not unless it was a 20-minute fire-rated door which was so rated with glass in it. You could not put glass in another type of door as it would no longer meet the "solid wood door" or "solid or honeycomb steel door" requirement.

Can you put a 'peep-hole' in that door? Not and maintain the requirements, unless, again, if it was in a 20-minute fire-rated door and the door was rated with a peep-hole in it.

By the way, a 20-minute fire-rated door would be self-closing and self-latching, and if a 20-minute fire-rated door was installed without being self-closing and self-latching, then that 20-minute fire-rated door would no longer be "20-minute fire-rated" as it would lose it rating.

On the other hand, a "solid wood door" or "solid or honeycomb steel door" *is not* required to be self-closing or self-latching - there is no "rating" to be lost by not having it self-closing and self-latching.