[mulligan]

Code only requires a 1/2 hour fire rating on the garage ceiling and the wall or walls common to the house. Higher rating if there are sleeping spaces above the garage. I believe you will find 5/8 firecode sheetrock in these areas which achieves the correct rating. The rating is lost with unprotected penetrations, wooden stairs, and non-fire dampered vents.

[jimbo2012]

Originally Posted by CaptJohn

A properly vented garage will keep gas fumes from accumulating and causing spontaneous combustion. Venting should be done to the outside, not into the attic, and fresh air needs to be allowed into the garage. Also there should be a firewall in the attic between the garage and the rest of the house to minimize spreading. I'll bet there's not a house in TV with that firewall.

I would say the fire code is met by the building code, so the fire wall in the attic not required.

Also the drywall on the ceiling acts as the firewall perhaps.

Now pop a hole for attack stairs????

CAN you leave a pull-down stair open? Yep.

CAN you leave a self-closing door open? Yep.

ARE BOTH "gapping holes in the" ceiling/wall? Yep.

As far as venting the fumes out of the garage, I've not seen that done normally.

Bottom line is it meets the code now, but on older homes built before the code changed in 2005 I have no idea.


.ps: how many attack stairs meet the 1 hour fire code, if they are not covered with 26ga steel or drywall they can burn real quick.

[Joaniesmom]

Originally Posted by bkcunningham1

According to a news source, the house was in the Village of Hadley on Rhapsody Path. The owner, Paul Dugan, and his fiancée, Faye Dudas, were in the home when Dugan heard an explosion in the garage at around 5 p.m, Monday, August 13. They both escaped without injury.

The State Fire Marshall's Office is expected to investigate the cause of the fire.

District Public Safety Department Chief Mike Tucker said the entire garage, a 2010 Chrysler Country Limited, a 1992 Chevy Corvette and a golf cart, all inside the garage, were all damaged by the flames. There was smoke damage to the inside of the structure, but no damage inside due to flames. The heat of the fire melted the siding on a neighbor, Marjorie Wdowiak's house, but didn't do any structural damage.

Thank you for the information. So very sorry for their damage and happy they no one was injured in the fire. Congratulations to everyone who helped put the fire out!

[courtyard]

The Smart Meter on the outside of our garages has been known to cause fires.

[JoeC1947]

Originally Posted by Bill-n-Brillo

Sometimes, smoke detectors can trigger false alarms from the car exhaust. We've got heat detectors in our garages here in OH, wired into the security system.

Just another option.....

Bill

Bill,

What do use for a heat detector? Popcorn?

[JoeC1947]

Originally Posted by courtyard

The Smart Meter on the outside of our garages has been known to cause fires.

What the heck is a smart meter?

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Originally Posted by JoeC1947

Bill,

What do use for a heat detector? Popcorn?

Ba-doom-boom!!

Now that's some funny stuff right there!

Bill

[CaptJohn]

Originally Posted by JoeC1947

Bill,

What do use for a heat detector? Popcorn?

Brilliant!

[CaptJohn]

Originally Posted by mrfixit

Was up at our ATTIC a month ago....Have not slept well since.

To sleep better, take some sheetrock up there in the attic and fasten it to the trusses separating the garage. Use double thickness (2 layers).
Also add 2nd layer to wall between garage and living quarters. Building codes are minimums. I like overkill and redundancy when my life's at stake.

[courtyard]

Originally Posted by JoeC1947

What the heck is a smart meter?

It's your new electric meter. You can learn about them on YouTube under "Smart Meter."

[JJ&TJ]

Fire wall in the attic is not needed where I'm from up north unless it is a multi residence, (townhome or duplex type). Vents through the ceiling of the garage probably not good idea. The stairs to the attic are supposed to give you the same fire rating as the drywall. Not all are the same though. The power company up here are replacing smart meters because of causing fires.

[spk7951]

Apparently the cause of this fire has been traced to an overheated battery on a gas golf cart.