I find myself loosely using the term "firewall" on occasion when I am reporting on the garage at a house I am inspecting. I am working on breaking that bad habit since "firewall" is one of the most misused terms in construction. I cannot even guess how many times I have heard someone, including we inspectors, reference that an attached garage at residential construction has a problem at the "firewall." The reality is that, in residential construction, a garage does not require a firewall. At a single family residence with an attached garage, the proper terminology is "limited resistance to the spread of a fire". Anyone who would like specific information on the finer details of the topic should seek out an IRC code book.
I have been doing this job for several years now in Bellingham, Whatcom county and the region. From my photo archives, I have put together this slide show on the topic of fire-resistance. A few of the pictures capture glaring problems with fire-resistance, usually as a result of homeowner modifications or repairs. The video, prepared for my clients, is public and it has been embedded below.
Check out "This Day In History" -- music and vintage television from the 1950's through the 1980's. I enjoy writing these articles because they take me back to my days in radio broadcasting. Click on Elvis' gold record, below, to revisit those golden hits of yesteryear.
