Attic Fire Wall Protection In Garage Home Inspection

Designed as an extra layer of protection between the house and the garage an intact firewall resists the intrusion of fire into the home.

Attic fire wall protection in garage home inspection.

This gap will allow a fire to get into the attic and is a breach of the firewall. The wall and ceiling between an attached garage and the house living area is required to be minimum 1 2 drywall. No matter which standards you work by you can bet that attic inspections are always on the list. They re the standards of practice and most home inspector associations have them.

Material needed to fix a firewall at home. Older homes likely have little or no such protection. In addition inspectors can check for the following while inspecting walls and ceilings. In garages that have access to the attic a hatch cover made from an approved fire rated material should protect this access at all times.

Attics are hot in summer cold in winter dusty dirty and part of a complete home inspection. Home inspectors are not required to cut a hole in the gypsum board to measure the thickness so it is a visual inspection. This provision does not apply to garage walls that are perpendicular to the adjacent dwelling unit wall. Doug hastings kaplan real estate education instructor and home inspector for over 20 years will teach you the ins and outs of inspecting a garage.

Learn how to inspect a home garage from an expert home inspector inspecting a home garage is comprised of many different aspects don t forget to inspect an important component. Home inspectors should be checking for proper fire protection between garages that abut the living area of the home. Fire rated pull down ladders are available. If living space exists above the garage the fire separation should be at least 5 8 thick type x drywall which has a longer 60 minute burn time.

Inspectors typically work by a set of standards. Another common homeowner mistake is to install recessed lights in the garage. Most garages have a ceiling secured to the bottom chord of the roof trusses or rafters and that has to be 1 2 drywall also when the attic is continuous over the garage.