Duplex Attic Firewall

How do you brace the roof and ceiling if i can t penetrate the fire wall.

Duplex attic firewall.

A firewall separates each apartment with a fire and smoke barrier in the. The international residential code requires that in townhomes and duplexes each unit needs to be separated from the next by fire walls. Leaving an opening between every rafter. If there is a firewall in your attic the fire rating should be printed on the.

The firewall is one of those invisible features that can save your life and if your home was built after 1927 and has an attached garage you most likely have a firewall. The duplex will be 28 x about 60 long with the building split down the middle to make two 14 x60 units. In addition each unit needs to be self supporting where the collapse of one unit will not damage the neighboring unit. In the most literal sense a firewall is a fireproof barrier that keeps a fire from entering a space.

I was called out to a duplex that has one side is on the market to sell. While inspecting i noticed that the fire wall stopped at the top of the ceiling joist and the lower fire wall stopped at the bottom of the ceiling loist. This unit was constructed in 2002. Both duplexes and apartment units that don t have firewalls in the attic for separation said architect david maschke.

Generally the one of the walls will be built with drywall on both sides this would be the firewall and then the second wall would be built with drywall just on the finish room side. This type of firewall would be cost prohibitive to build especially in a. I know that i need a 1 hour fire wall separating them from the foundation to the bottom of the roof.