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Apartment Decks

F

Fritz

Bronze Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2010
Messages
59
Location
Fargo, ND
In a type V apartment with open yards of more than 10' on all sides, what exterior wall covering restrictions would apply to the exterior walls where the decks are located. We have had a number of butt containers go up in flame and take along a good portion of the siding and decks.

What if any experience does anyone have?

Fritz
 
Out here, we call butt containers "toilets".

Seriously though, as far as I know there are no restrictions on a building of your description.

Your fire danger has to do with misuse of the exterior facilities. IMHO it is a fire code / ignition source issue (UFC 305.2), not a building code issue.

IFC 305.2 Hot ashes and spontaneous ignition sources. Hot ashes, cinders, smoldering coals or greasy or oily materials subject to spontaneous ignition shall not be deposited in a combustible receptacle, within 10 feet (3048 mm) of other combustible material including combustible walls and partitions or within 2 feet (610 mm) of openings to buildings.

Exception: The minimum required separation distance to other combustible materials shall be 2 feet (610 mm) where the material is deposited in a covered, noncombustible receptacle placed on a noncombustible floor, ground surface or stand.

I know this won't go over well in South Dakota, but here in some California municipalities there are laws prohibiting smoking outdoors within 20' of a window/door opening in multifamily housing. These are intended to address indoor air quality issues, but they might take care of your flaming butts issue as well.
 
People finally realize that smoking around the family is probably not a good idea, so they make good use of the deck. Why not? We are looking into ways to build a fire resistance into those areas around a deck. Most notably the exterior finish materials. Looking for input as to how to approach this in a reasonable manner.
 
Sorry, Fritz, I don't quite understand your perspective for this question - are you:

1. A code official, trying to figure out how to compel people to design things differently?, or

2. A developer / builder / architect / etc., just looking for some practrical design techniques to make an outdoor Type V deck more fire-resistant?
 
From the Code Officials point of view. I am researching the code to see if there is a way to limit combustible siding where decks occur. We have had a number of deck fires in residential buildings which work their way up and into the building. We are presently looking at a way to address this in apartment buildings. The fires have been in buildings without sprinklers. So now that we have sprinklered decks, maybe it will be a thing of the past. However exterior sprinklers, I just have my doubts.
 
Check out this thread started by Just John last month. There are a lot of good posts on this subject.

Question: Vinyl siding...What is the answer? The Chief is requesting input. A fire started on the exterior deck on the first floor of a vinyl sided 62-plex apartment. The fire climbed the three stories and went into the attic in minutes. Building had 13R sprinkler system with no sprinkler coverage on exterior. The city has had multiple recent fires that have spread into attics and roofs of buildings sided with vinyl. Current code adopted is 2009 IBC, IFC and it does now require exterior heads on new construction if there are projections.

Aside from banning all heat producing devices in close proximity of the siding, has any jurisdiction adopted provisions to solve this problem? (such as, requiring sheetrock in overhangs, requiring attics to be sprinklered, banning vinyl siding, etc.)
 
Many places outlaw the use of grills on decks in multi-family dwellings... multi-family dwellings are not the only problem (zero lot line single family with vinyl siding spring to mind).. IF it's a LEED project, smoking isn't allowed inside or within 25' of any door.

The most recent R-2 we did with a 13R system, the attic was sprinklered as was the interstitual space > 18" (floor/ceiling assemly).
 
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