Fire Blocking In Basement Walls

Our basement walls trigger a second code requirement.

Fire blocking in basement walls.

Fire block and firestop are two different concepts and use different materials. In a residential setting and especially when finishing your basement you are most likely going to fire block. Or drywall to the top. This is an area that seems to be very confusing for a lot of diy ers finishing their own basement.

Insulate your basement with fire blocking materials. But if you re finishing a basement putting on an addition remodeling a room or just running pipes or wires through a plate you ll need to include fire blocking. There will be a 3 5 space between your concrete wall and the framed drywall walls. The subject of fire blocking a basement seems to be surrounded by mystery and secrecy.

I know how you feel i have been finishing basements for 27 years and in the old days nobody ever heard of fire blocking. Fire blocking is for the ceiling space behind your basement walls which i m presuming are going to be drywalled. Diy basement finishing course. Code requirements for adding fire blocking and draft stopping apply mainly to new construction.

Fire blocking basement walls basement walls that are framed up against the concrete foundation walls need to be fire blocked because there is a gap between the framing and the concrete wall. Spray foams that are approved for fire blocking. Vertical basement wall fire blocking fire blocking basement walls is installed by nailing on strips of 5x8 or thicker o s b. It s the same as if you had a drywalled ceiling.

Hi geoff okay here s the deal with fire blocking your basement with a no drywall ceiling. R602 8 item 1 2 states that fire blocking is needed horizontally at intervals not exceeding 10 feet within concealed spaces in stud walls. In any case the underlying theme is to not spread the fire as much as possible.