Fire Blocking In Stud Walls

Soffits floor joist soffit double top plate 2nd flr stud cavity wall ceiling finish 1st flr stud cavity subflooring fire in stud cavity fireblocking added there are instances in which the plates may not provide the protection that they do otherwise.

Fire blocking in stud walls.

These spaces can create drafts that will allow fire to spread readily if not dealt with. Here we see a soffit similar to what you see above. Concealed spaces in walls when a wall is not drywalled or sheathed on both sides which is typical of furred out basement walls and double stud walls there must be a full height fire block every 10 feet horizontally. Horizontal basement wall fire blocking fire blocking must also be installed every 10 horizontally along the wall irc 302 11 1 2.

Fire track blocking ftb provides horizontal bracing for studs and joists. Fire blocking strategies far left. It s purpose is to prevent the spread of smoke and flames from reaching the bottom of the 1st floor of your home from the basement area thereby burning through and spreading to the 1st floor of the home. What a relief to see i can screw it to the underside of the top plate and hit the gaps behind the studs with great stuff fireblock.

F ire blocking aims to prevent or at least slow the vertical movement of flames smoke and gases by sealing off concealed spaces like stud cavities and soffits. Fire blocking in stud walls is required in wood framed buildings to stop drafts in the cavities between framing members. In other words these cavities can act like the flue on a fireplace and actually promote the rate in which a fire could grow. Fire blocking is a blocking device inserted between the top plate of your exterior wall and the exterior masonry wall.

This means that every 10 feet along a wall you will need to close the gap between the wall stud and the concrete wall from floor to ceiling. This provides some additional fire protection benefits and will slow the spread of a fire up a wall by limiting the amount of. Done with stud walls in basement and realized i had not planned for fire blocking. The ftb is thoroughly engineered for 12 16 and 24 stud layouts and has pre punched guide holes and precut flanges to fit the stud cavity for quick installation.

Was trying too hard. Smoke and gases readily travel horizontally as well so preventing horizontal air movement such as within a dropped ceiling has its own name. Blocking to reduce stud slenderness ratio. In the habitat house we worked in baltimore city two weekends ago the project team installed additional fire blocking in the studs of the house by nailing a 2 4 half way up on the wall.

Wood studs used in light frame wall construction may require horizontally oriented blocking for a number of reasons including blocking at shear panel edges fire blocking and buckling restraint when subject to axial loads.