# Attached Garage Attic Access Pull Down Stairs



## jar546 (May 3, 2019)

OK so the new 'spin' that I hear on this is that an attached garage, although required to be separated from the attic with 1/2" gypsum or equivalent (with no habitable rooms above) is meaningless because 1/2" gypsum has no official fire rating, therefore a wooden pull down ladder installed in a garage does not have to be the equivalent protection of the 1/2" gypsum because the gypsum has no official rating.

I really don't agree with this.  What say thee?


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## Rick18071 (May 3, 2019)

Where does it say the garage needs to be separated from it's attic? Is that a FL thing?


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## ADAguy (May 3, 2019)

Have a similar condition in a friends attached garage which is separated from the attic by a vertical wall covered with Gyp. Using your example, he installed an access door to the attic space in the wall. Shouldn't the door then be rated?


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## Rick18071 (May 3, 2019)

No


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## jar546 (May 3, 2019)

Table R302.6, dwelling, garage separation.


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## jar546 (May 3, 2019)

Rick18071 said:


> Where does it say the garage needs to be separated from it's attic? Is that a FL thing?



In the IRC and FBC in chapter 3.  We are talking about an attached garage with a shared attic.


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## Rick18071 (May 3, 2019)

Did not know you meant a shared attic. In that case since the garage ceiling doesn't have type x 5/8 drywall installed and the fold down stairs really doesn't have anything to do with it. They need 1/2 drywall between the garage attic and the house attic. 



jar546 said:


> although required to be separated from the attic with 1/2" gypsum or equivalent


Like I said I don't know any requirement to have 1/2" drywall at all between the garage and any attic,  but there is separation requirements between dwelling and garage. This garage is non compliant even if did not have the fold down ladder.


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## jar546 (May 3, 2019)

Rick18071 said:


> Did not know you meant a shared attic. In that case since the garage ceiling doesn't have type x 5/8 drywall installed and the fold down stairs really doesn't have anything to do with it. They need 1/2 drywall between the garage attic and the house attic.
> 
> 
> Like I said I don't know any requirement to have 1/2" drywall at all between the garage and any attic,  but there is separation requirements between dwelling and garage. This garage is non compliant even if did not have the fold down ladder.



You might want to start reading this section then:


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## mtlogcabin (May 3, 2019)

Nothing in the IRC requires any fire rating for the walls or ceiling between the garage and the dwelling unit.
The IRC does have minimum prescriptive requirements of which the 1/2 gypsum board is one of them. Install the 1/2" gypsum board on the face of the drop down ladder and you are done IMHO. 
Something is better than nothing
19/32-inch wood structural panel bonded with exterior glue will give you the same 15 minutes 1/2" gypsum board will.
2012 IBC TABLE 722.6.2(1)

Remember the IRC is a prescriptive code not a design or performance code.  It is all about increasing the time for the occupants to get out of the building in a fire event. Even NFPA 13D only requires a 15 minute water supply in a sprinkled residence.


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## Rick18071 (May 3, 2019)

Just went from the 2009 IRC to the 2015 IRC and did not know about that table. Did not do any 2015 plan reviews yet. So now they only need 1/2 on this ceiling while before we required 5/8 for this situation. I always considered an attic above the garage as part of the garage if 5/8 was not on the garage ceiling.


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## Rick18071 (May 3, 2019)

So why wouldn't you need to go by this section for the opening to the attic? Would you be ok if drywall was glued to a swinging door too?

R302.5.1 Opening protection. Openings from a private
garage directly into a room used for sleeping purposes shall
not be permitted. Other openings between the garage and
residence shall be equipped with solid wood doors not less
than 13/8 inches (35 mm) in thickness, solid or honeycombcore
steel doors not less than 13/8 inches (35 mm) thick, or
20-minute fire-rated doors, equipped with a self-closing
device.


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## ADAguy (May 3, 2019)

There it is, though shalt not penetrate the rated wall between a garage and the attic above the residence unless the door is rated.


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## classicT (May 3, 2019)

Rick18071 said:


> So why wouldn't you need to go by this section for the opening to the attic? Would you be ok if drywall was glued to a swinging door too?
> 
> R302.5.1 Opening protection. Openings from a private
> garage directly into a room used for sleeping purposes shall
> ...


It is not a door between the garage and residence. Garage and attic, yes.


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## classicT (May 3, 2019)

Just an idea, but who thinks that Table 722.6.2(1) would prove a worthwhile argument.

Per IBC Table 722.6.2(1), 1/2" GWB provides 15-min resistance. To achieve an equivalent resistance, 19/32" WSP is required.

Gasketing is a further issue.


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## fatboy (May 4, 2019)

mtlogcabin said:


> Nothing in the IRC requires any fire rating for the walls or ceiling between the garage and the dwelling unit.
> The IRC does have minimum prescriptive requirements of which the 1/2 gypsum board is one of them. Install the 1/2" gypsum board on the face of the drop down ladder and you are done IMHO.
> Something is better than nothing
> 19/32-inch wood structural panel bonded with exterior glue will give you the same 15 minutes 1/2" gypsum board will.
> ...



This is exactly how we handle it.


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## my250r11 (May 6, 2019)

Our state amendments require 5/8" on ceiling & walls if no attic separation. If separated 1/2 on ceiling but still 5/8" on walls.

We allow the drywall or 26 gauge sheet metal attached to door, or a rated door.


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## Paul Sweet (May 7, 2019)

Drywall attached to the door will likely overload the springs and keep it from closing tightly.  Fire-rated attic stairs are available, of course they cost more.


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## jar546 (Mar 13, 2020)

Paul Sweet said:


> Drywall attached to the door will likely overload the springs and keep it from closing tightly.  Fire-rated attic stairs are available, of course they cost more.



Fire-Rated pull down attic ladder is the way to go.  Costs are not our problem.  If you want a pull down ladder to your garage attic, it is on your dime.  There are other ways to access it or design it.


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## Pcinspector1 (Mar 13, 2020)

We amended the table to 5/8" Fire-X type rock from residence to attic separation. 

I'm envisioning a ranch style house Most likely where your installing a drop down pull ladder there is no need for separation unless there's living space above the garage ceiling requiring separation..


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## jar546 (Mar 13, 2020)

Pcinspector1 said:


> We amended the table to 5/8" Fire-X type rock from residence to attic separation.
> 
> I'm envisioning a ranch style house Most likely where your installing a drop down pull ladder there is no need for separation unless there's living space above the garage ceiling requiring separation..



A ranch home with a built in garage would have a common attic between the living space and garage which is often the issue.


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## JCraver (Mar 13, 2020)

Around here, garages are not heated or cooled.  Therefore they're not _conditioned space_, and fall outside of the _building thermal envelope_.  To accomplish this, drywall is hung all the way to the roof deck on the wall(s) separating the house and the garage.  If that drywall is there, then whatever finishes and pull-down stairs you want in the garage are fine with me.


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## Pcinspector1 (Mar 13, 2020)

Jar, 
Real common design on a ranch home. Drywall would be on the attic wall between the garage attic and the residence attic. Here it would be 5/8" type-x on that attic separation wall and the wall in the garage between the main residence, due to us amending the table.


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## fatboy (Mar 13, 2020)

Pcinspector1 said:


> Jar,
> Real common design on a ranch home. Drywall would be on the attic wall between the garage attic and the residence attic. Here it would be 5/8" type-x on that attic separation wall and the wall in the garage between the main residence, due to us amending the table.



Yes, we have a builder that makes does the same thing. We also amended to 5/8".


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## jar546 (Mar 13, 2020)

JCraver said:


> Around here, garages are not heated or cooled.  Therefore they're not _conditioned space_, and fall outside of the _building thermal envelope_.  To accomplish this, drywall is hung all the way to the roof deck on the wall(s) separating the house and the garage.  If that drywall is there, then whatever finishes and pull-down stairs you want in the garage are fine with me.



I have seen that compliant method on occasion.  Nothing wrong with that at all.


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## jar546 (Mar 13, 2020)

Pcinspector1 said:


> Jar,
> Real common design on a ranch home. Drywall would be on the attic wall between the garage attic and the residence attic. Here it would be 5/8" type-x on that attic separation wall and the wall in the garage between the main residence, due to us amending the table.



Yep, see that too.


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## Rick18071 (Mar 13, 2020)

So according to Table R302.6 if you have an attic in an attached garage and the garage and house is separated with 1/2" drywall all the way to the roof you still need 1/2" drywall on the ceiling of the garage?

In other words you can't just have a plywood floor in a attic above a floor even when the garage and house is separated with 1/2" drywall all the way to the roof. Drywall still required on the garage ceiling?


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## Pcinspector1 (Mar 13, 2020)

Rick, you pose an interesting question my good fellow!

I do not see or interpret the code that you would have to drywall a garage ceiling when the wall between the garage going through the attic to the underside of the roof sheeting is dry-walled protecting the residence (example: ranch style house). It would be ugly as sin and may have conflicts with the energy code. I would like to know if this would be a correct interpretation? 

Does the code allow a garage to have exposed ceiling joist?

It open up more questions, like do the exterior walls require insulation, are the other walls of the garage required to be dry-walled? Do you require the wiring to be covered or in conduit?


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## mtlogcabin (Mar 13, 2020)

Happens all the time, no sheet rock installed on the garage walls or ceiling. There is no requirement to insulate a garage if it is unconditioned. 
If you do not install sheetrock on the ceiling then you must install truss bracing across the bottom chord of the trusses every 10 feet. Check the truss drawings since I don't believe it is a code requirement


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## Rick18071 (Mar 13, 2020)

Don't know what energy codes have to do with it if the garage is not conditioned.

No problems with leaving ceiling joist or other walls without drywall except house side.

I'm just saying if the garage is already separated per code and you create an attic in the garage by putting in a wood floor on the top of the ceiling joists does Table R302.6 require you to drywall under the ceiling joists?


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## Rick18071 (Mar 13, 2020)

Seen many pole buildings without drywall under the trusses.


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## my250r11 (Mar 13, 2020)

Pcinspector1 said:


> We amended the table to 5/8" Fire-X type rock from residence to attic separation.



We have too. We require 5/8 on ceiling and any wall that has the interior of the house on the other side, rated attic access if in the garage.

We have a lot of insulated garage, due to heat more so than cold and most builders install water heaters and softeners in a closet inside the garage, elevated at least 18" of course.


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## Pcinspector1 (Mar 13, 2020)

If stick framed, CJ's to garage beam connection will hold the CJ's at the on center marks.



mtlogcabin said:


> If you do not install sheetrock on the ceiling then you must install truss bracing across the bottom chord of the trusses every 10 feet



Agree, yes trusses are required to have bottom cord bracing and is usually on the truss design paperwork showing locations.

I have seen some garages with Masonite hardboard with lattice over the seams.


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## ADAguy (Mar 13, 2020)

Could, but not always.


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## texasinspector (Sep 18, 2020)

FIRE-SEPARATION COMPLIANT STAIRS REQUIRED

The attic stair unit in the garage is required to be fire-resistance compliant or improved to meet the minimal separation requirements set forth in IRC R302.5 and R302.6:

R302.5 Dwelling/garage opening/penetration protection. Openings and penetrations through the walls or ceilings separating the dwelling and attics from the garage shall be in accordance with Sections R302.5.1 through R302.5.3.


​
 




Built-in folding ladders provide a convenient means of access to attic areas and are becoming increasingly popular for utilizing (unintended) storage space above garages. Unfortunately, people who install these ladders are generally unaware of fire separation requirements. Thus, with almost all of these installations, fire safety standards are inadvertently violated.



The partition wall between a house and an adjoining garage is typically covered with ½ or 5/8 inch drywall, to slow the spread of a garage fire to the dwelling. If the garage attic and house attic are not also divided by a firewall or fire-separation rated assembly, then the garage ceiling becomes part of the fire separation and must also be finished with 1/2 inch drywall. The access cover on a folding ladder is a mere sheet of ¼ inch plywood. When installed in a garage ceiling, this thin wood membrane replaces a portion of the fire-resistant drywall board, thereby breaching the required fire separation.



*NOTE: The flame spread ratings for ½” gypsum board (drywall of Sheetrock) and ¼” Lauan plywood are not equivalent. The higher the rating the faster the material burns.



The rating for ½” gypsum board is 20*. See:

https://www.usg.com/content/dam/USG...eetrock-gypsum-sheathing-submittal-WB2380.pdf



*The rating for ¼” Lauan plywood is 150. *See:

http://sfm.dps.louisiana.gov/doc_woodproducts.html



Many, if not all, attic stair manufacturers sell units that will fulfill the fire separation requirement. The fire retardant plywood door panel is chemically treated to provide slower ignition, low flame spread, lower smoke production, and has self extinguishing features (burning ceases when ignition source is removed or exhausted.) Class A, or 1, pressure treated plywood is approved by building codes throughout the US for specific applications within fire resistant buildings as an equal alternative to non-combustible construction.



Memphis Folding Stairs, et al., advertises a "Firegard" option. FireGard® XF - Antimony Trioxide Flame Retardant.



To recap, a garage ceiling pull-down ladder is allowed by the IRC only under two circumstances: if the firewall is continuous above the ceiling separating the attic spaces between the garage and house, or if the pull-down ladder unit itself is UL-rated for installation in a fire-separation ceiling. IT CANNOT BE MADE ANY CLEARER.

There are roughly 7,000 fires in attached residential garages in the US every year. Do not become a statistic.
See: https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/statistics/v14i12.pdf


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