Garage Safety

 

Fire code evolves to separate homes more safely from their garages

Ever since there has been a state building code the requirement of providing a fire-rated separation between the garage and the house has always been part of the code. This goes back into at least the early 1960’s.

Why is this? Think about the things you keep in the garage. Lawn mowers, gas, cars, more gas, propane tanks, paint, firewood and all kinds of flammable or combustible stuff.

And usually, lots of it.

Through the years, as the state has updated or revised the codes, changes to the criteria of providing the fire separation have been adopted.

Here is a brief history of those changes taken straight from the old codes:

Before 1984: Garages should not be attached to, or built into, one or two family dwellings, unless fire separations with a fire resistance of at least 1/2 hour are provided.

Attached of built-in garages should be fire protected as follows:

(A) Non-combustible finish providing protection against ignition to combustible parts of the structure.

(B) Self-closing door not opening directly into a room used for sleeping purposes. No other opening shall be allowed between an attached or built-in garage and a dwelling.

(C) Floor of noncombustible material that will not absorb flammable liquids.

(D) Firestopping at garage end of breezeway. Where the breezeway is less than five feet or is closed on the sides, the garage shall be fire protected as though directly attached or built into a dwelling.

A carport with no more than two enclosing walls is not deemed to be a garage and is not required to be fire protected as indicated for garages.

From 1984–2002: Separa-tions of garages in or attached to one and two family dwellings;

(1) Private garages in or attached to a dwelling shall be separated for other spaces in the building by construction having fire resistance rating of at least 3/4 hour.

Each opening in the separation between the garage and other space in the building shall be equipped with a self-closing door having a fire resistance rating of at least 3/4 hour. Such door shall not open directly into a room used for sleeping purposes.

(2) Floors in garages shall be of non-combustible material that will not absorb flammable liquids and shall be placed or arranged so that heavier than air flammable vapors cannot spread to fixed sources of ignition.

(3) Construction of garages and arrangement of equipment installation shall be such that toxic gases originating within garages shall not spread to the dwelling; nor shall air for heating or ventilation be circulated through garages to dwellings.

(4) For purposes of this code, a carport with no more than two enclosing walls shall not be deemed to be a garage.

(5) An open breezeway with at least five feet between the dwelling and garage shall be acceptable as separation between a garage and a dwelling, providing a fire stop is provided between the roof and ceiling at the garage end of the breezeway.

From 2002–Current: GARAGES AND CARPORTS –

(R309.1) Opening protection. Openings from a private garage directly into a room used for sleeping purposes shall not be permitted.

Other openings between the garage and residence shall be equipped with 3/4-hour fire-protection-rated assemblies equipped with self-closing devices.

(R309.2) Separation required. The garage shall be separated from the residence and its attic area by horizontal or vertical separations conforming to Sections R309.2.1 and R309.2.2.

(R309.2.1 Vertical separations) Where partitions are used to separate an attached garage from a living space or its attic, the partition assembly shall have a 3/4-hour fire-resistance rating.

Exception: In lieu of providing partitions that have a 3/4-hour fire-resistance rating, one layer of 5/8-inch thick, type-X, gypsum board may be installed on the garage side and one layer of 1/2-inch, type X, gypsum board may be installed on the opposite side.

(R309.2.2 Horizontal separations) Where horizontal construction is used to separate the garage from the living space or its attic, such construction shall be protected with one layer of 5/8-inch thick, type X, gypsum board, installed in accordance with the requirements of Section R805.1.

Openings in horizontal separations shall not be permitted except where the residence is otherwise protected by vertical separations.

Where the horizontal separation is a floor-ceiling assembly, the structure supporting the separation shall also be protected by not less than 5/8-inch (15.87 mm) type X gypsum board or equivalent.

(R309.3 Floors) Garage floors shall be of approved noncombustible material. The area of floor used for parking of automobiles or other vehicles shall be sloped to facilitate the movement of liquids to a drain or toward the main vehicle entry doorway.

(R309.4 Carports) Carports shall be open on at least two sides.

Carport floors shall be of approved noncombustible material. Carports not open on at least two sides shall be considered a garage and shall comply with the provisions of this section for garages.

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Are those “pull down” attic stairs allowed to be installed in a garage ceiling?

Yes… if the house is separated by a continuous vertical separation all the way through the attic of the garage.

That way the ceiling of the garage may not have to be sheet-rocked with 5/8” type X… knowledge of the code and understanding how to apply it can be a challenge.