Fire Blocking Garage Attic Stairs

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theaggie

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Well I decided that the Basement remodel meant we needed some additional storage sapce and the attic above our attached garage would be perfect to last week I installed some pull down attic stairs.

Then, after I finished I found a comment that installing pull-down attic stairs can compromise the fire barrier between the garage and the house. ... So that's why the garage ceiling was finished with 5/8" FireCode SheetRock.

Well I don't want to have to lug SheetRock to the attic and figure a way to seal off the end of the house so I would like to Fire Block the stair opening. One solution I had heard of was to attach 5/8" FireCode SheetRock to the underside of the stair door. This sounds like the easiest solution. I figured I'll just zippy screw it to the frame that holds the veneer door and that should do. The one concern is that the edge of the sheetrock is will get damaged with use. The idea I have there is to cut the sheet rock as to leave a 1" border of paper on one side extending out past the gypsum core then wrap the paper over the sides to form a clean edge.

What does everybody else think.
 

Sulconst2

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you only need 5/8 rock if there is living space above. you should have a rock wall to the attic side of living space. definitley thinking too hard. unless the "comment" was from an inspector. correct me if im wrong.
 

theaggie

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Our master bedroom and bathroom are adjacent to the garage attic. As far as I know it is just a standard 1/2" SheetRock wall (not 5/8 FireCode). I'll check next time I am in the garage attic. I checked with a friend who has a similar stairs put in by the builder and it is rocked.

No, comment isn't from the inspector. If I can find the likn again I'll post it
 

hj

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fire

Garages here have to be done in 5/8" Firerock. If the ceiling is not "fire safe" then the attic of the garage has to be firewalled off from the house attic, which can be a "hassle".
 

JDkimes

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You can buy some L-channel or L-bead, or U-bead that goes over an exposed edge of sheetrock for just such a situation.
HD sells them. I've used them.
 
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