Have you ever noticed that the door between your home and the garage is heavy solid wood or metal with no window? It’s part of your home’s fire separation system.
Since about 1970, codes have required a fire separation between the home and the attached garage. Fire separation measures are necessary since flammable materials like gasoline and oil are often stored in the garage. The assembly includes a wall and a fire-rated door, creating what’s known as the 20-minute fire separation to the garage.
All surfaces separating the living space from the garage must be finished with a special drywall; it’s fire-rated and 5/8 inch thick. You will also notice that there are no holes in this drywall. The drywall may extend from the floor to the roof of the wall adjacent to the home or it may cover the wall and ceiling of the garage. All joints must be taped and finished.
