Do I need fire blocking in my basement?
Fire blocking is required by most local building code departments when a home owner finishes their basement. Whether you hire a contractor, do it yourself, get a permit, choose not to get a permit, the truth is that installing the fire blocking is just a good idea.
What is basement Fireblocking?
Fire blocking is for the ceiling space behind your basement walls (which I’m presuming are going to be drywalled). There will be a 3-5″ space between your concrete wall and the framed-drywall walls. It’s that ceiling space that MUST be fire blocked with drywall or some other material.
Where is fire blocking required?
Fireblocks are required between floors, between a top story and a roof or attic space, in furred spaces or the cavities between studs in wall assemblies, at connections between horizontal and vertical spaces created in floor joists or trusses, soffits, drop or cove ceilings, combustible exterior wall finishes and …
Do you need to fire block interior walls?
Although interior walls must be fireblocked, there is no 4′ requirement in the IRC code. They must be fireblocked at the platelines and any spaces that exceed 10′ heights. 4′ blocks are typically for blocking edges of exterior sheathing laid horizontally, and aren’t intended to serve as fireblocks.
What blocks to use for a fire pit?
For a fire pit ring, you need trapezoidal blocks, which are narrower on one side. This allows the edges to fit snugly together for a circle without creating any gaps. A square fire pit uses rectangular blocks and can be constructed in a variety of patterns with blocks of different shapes and sizes.
What is code for fire blocking?
Fire Blocking Purposes Additionally, IBC Section 718.2. 3 requires that connections between horizontal and vertical spaces utilize fire blocking in order to prevent the passage of flame, smoke and gases from walls to connecting floors and vice versa.
Can I use 2×4 for blocking?
To install blocking, take your framing gun and “toenail” (nail at an angle) a nail on each side of each end of the 2×4. The main thing is the be sure that the blocking is flush with the bottom of the joist and straight and flat. If you don’t have a framing nail gun and are doing this by hand or with screws…
Do I need blocking between joists?
Depending on the state in which you reside, floor joist blocking may be a requirement under the building code. This is especially a common construction requirement if your joists are more than two inches wide and 12-inches deep.
Do 10 foot walls need blocking?
Blocks for safety But many of today’s codes do require fire blocks in walls that are more than 10 ft. high, like rake walls. When they are needed, cut the blocks to length and nail them between the studs while framing the wall on the floor. If a fire did get started in one of these places, blocks would help contain it.
How to determine if fire blocking your basement framing?
The best way to determine if you need to be fire blocking your basement exterior walls is to simply ask. I always call ahead to the permit code office and ask the code official in charge if I need to do it as part of the permit inspection process.
How do you build a fire stopping wall?
Modern building methods create effective instant fire stopping or fire blocks. The continuous top and bottom wall plates at the ends of wall studs create this life-saving feature. Once a wall is covered with drywall and or plywood/OSB on both sides, the covering material creates separate sealed compartments between each stud cavity.
What’s the best way to fireproof a basement?
Measure the distance between your basement wall studs. Stretch a tape measure across the expanse from one stud to another. You should be measuring between the inner edges of the studs. Write this number down, rounding to the nearest quarter inch (roughly 1.25cm) The firestopping blocks will be cut to fit this space.
What’s the difference between a firestop and a wall?
Firestop, on the other hand, has a different objective – To stop the fire from passing through the penetration, based on the materials used. It provides the same level of fire protection that a fire-rated wall or ceiling provides to any ceiling or floor that is penetrated. Penetration is due to pipes and wires.