Sealed Rated

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Having a garage of your property is very convenient. However, as sometimes used the garage to carry out not necessarily safe "experiments" and store various flammable materials in the area, housing the separation wall and the garage (including wall penetrations) must meet some important rules.

Garage 1. Gateway to the house - it needs to be a solid door, wood or metal with a suitable climate to create an air barrier removal sandwiched between the garage and a dwelling (by law, the door should have at least 20 minutes fire resistance - no hollow core, interior doors such as those you normally installed in bedrooms, closets, bathrooms, etc.). One feature I always recommend to my clients, and has been required in new construction in many jurisdictions of several years and is a self-closing door. I do not think any local code enforcement division would force a homeowner to update it if it is an old house, and an original (old) door, but personally I think it makes sense to do an update for its own good. It's for your own safety ... I know that nothing bad happens to you, but just in case someone forgets to turn off the car engine and leaves the door between the garage and open house ... you will not smell Carbon Monoxide ...

2. The door from the garage into the house should be slightly higher / higher than the floor surface the garage. Many building codes require a step (or block) between the front door and garage floor. The step (min 4 "recommended, but check the local code) prevents gasoline vapors spilled into the house and partially protects the residents of the carbon monoxide fumes.

3. Garage Firewall / Separation wall - again would apply only to the house attached garages. The idea is to give an extra hour of protection (separation wall between the garage and the house is now needed to provide one hour fire resistance) in the fire that might start inside the garage. To achieve this qualification, the wall should be sheathed with at least 5 / 8 "drywall on each side (from the garage and the home team), but check with your local chapter of the code execution ... Some jurisdictions double thickness. The separation wall must not be missing or damaged sections of drywall, any penetration should be sealed (fire rated caulking would be perfect for small spaces around pipes, air ducts, door frames, etc.). If the wall is made of brick, block ash, stone, solid concrete or other nonflammable material would only have to worry about insights.

4. A system forced air heating air distribution through the house may not have registers (supply or return) in the garage - old houses usually have them, should be eliminated and the air duct opening sealed with sheet metal and fire rated caulking. Walls of the airways of exposed metal in the garage area be at least 26 ga. steel, not plastic or aluminum (or type of thin, flexible wall) vent hoses to penetrate the walls separating are permitted - if there is no way to run the ventilation pipes, box out and finish with 5 / 8 "drywall (Type X, etching).

5. An electrical box installed in the garage should not have one connected to the back (back to back installation) and open inside the house. In addition, some jurisdictions do not can afford to have an electrical panel installed inside the separation wall.

6. Attic access from the garage - keep it closed, no matter whether it is a separation / firewall or not (parking in a fire inside the garage, this vacuum will suck in the attic. Typical access garage attic (at least in most households in the Chicago land including new construction) is a square section of plaster board, typically set in the four pieces of seat. Drywall is fine, but the adjustment does not provide a proper seal, or has a required rate of fire ... will most likely burn a few minutes, but I think it's okay because everybody accepts it ... Another "loophole" in the firewall is a type drop-down stairs to the attic - most these have only a 1 / 4 "sheet of panels installed and rarely provide adequate seal over the opening - that local application of a comment by division code on it if your attic of the garage opens to the house attic space.

Many older homes do not meet these requirements and, of course - I recommend Highly make all necessary improvements - it is better to be safe ...

For more valuable information from Dariusz Rudnicki, on how to maintain your real estate property, correct most common problems and learn extremely important house selling tips (including step by step self-performed home inspection), please visit http://checkthishouse.com

Dariusz is a licensed Illinois home inspector who has been in this business for ten years, crawling through the areas you'd newer expect that even exist in your house ... just to let you now if everything is working properly.