Difference between fire-blocking vs. draft-stopping in garage construction.

Fire is one of man’s most formidable adversaries. How many thousands of people are burned out of their homes? Many of those fires start in the accessory buildings on the property, like garages or storage buildings. An experienced Building Contractor is intimately aware of the building requirements to prevent the spread of fire. An experienced Building Contractor implements those requirements out of habit and responsibility without cutting corners.

It is an enormous task of the local Building Officials to properly enforce compliance. There are specific and implied fire-resistant building requirements for garages, accessory and storage buildings. Some Building Contractors are focused on building at the minimum required guideline with complete disregard for the potentially fatal consequences of complacency. When it comes to fire, responsible building is a must. It doesn’t matter if the building is made of steel. Disregard of fire-resistant construction guidelines is foolish.

A lot of tradesmen perform their duties out of habit. No all workers are schooled or trained other than in the field. And that training is mechanical. If one framer teaches another worker a way to draft-stop or fire-block with short-sight, it can mean the difference between injury and life. While there is little substitute for experience, an educational component can make or break a successful garage project. Knowing building code and WHY it is important is the fore-front of an experienced new construction General Contractor.

What is fire-blocking and what is draft-stopping? According to International Building Code, fire-blocking is required to cut off all concealed draft openings, both vertical and horizontally, to form a fire-barrier between the stories of a garage, home, addition or accessory structure, as well as those in a roof-assembly. Fires need air to grow. By cutting off these spaces, fires are less likely to spread as far or as quickly.

Draft-stopping focuses on the usable space both above and below the concealed space of a floor-ceiling assembly. Draft-stopping guidelines require any space of 1000sf or less be draft-stopped in every garage, home, addition, accessory structure or storage building. Draft-stopping divides the concealed space into equal areas, where the ceilings assembly is enclosed by a floor membrane above and a ceiling membrane below. For example, suspended ceilings.

When you are ready to build your garage, addition or accessory structure, talk with your Building Contractor about fire-resistant building. If he doesn’t use the terms, draft-stopping or fire-blocking, call another Contractor. Call H.W. ENTERPRISES, INC. to discuss your next building project. With over 59 years of experience in building garages, shell homes, barns and additions, H.W. ENTERPRISES, INC. KNOWS BUILDING CODE AND PROVIDES THE QUALITY YOU ARE LOOKING FOR. You and your family deserve nothing less.! Call 757-595-4562 or 757-696-1927 or visit us at www.hwenterprisesinc.com.