Garage door vents & attic fan

[Lipets]

my neighbor cut in a few vents in bottom of his garage door then keeps the attic access open running an attic exhaust fan
I thought that was fire code issue acting like draft to add oxygen to a fire and cause more damage to house.

 

[bill1952]

Attached garage? I would assume if attic access hatch in garage then there is a wall between garage attic and house, covered with 1/2" (min) gwb. Essentially garage and it's attic is separated from the house through to roof. That is what I interpret code to require.

I can't see anything not to code in the low vent and high exhaust fan.

 

[Lipets]

No all the attics in the development are not seperated.

 

[bill1952]

Well, I thought that was required. Maybe there is a way around that. Is garage ceiling 5/8 drywall? If so, I thought the hatch would not be allowed.

 

[Lipets]

all the homes have a hatch to a storage deck over garage

 

[ICE]

What year was the home built?

 

[Lipets]

they are all the same for last ten years with this design

 

[TheCommish]

Your neighbors house? Their problem not yours, stay in your lane.

 

[Lipets]

ok so his house burns and takes mine with it, that was so unhelp full

 

[bill1952]

As best as I can tell from information presented, both your house and your neighbors house do not comply with code because ther is not a layer of drywall on the garage side of the the wall (or wall and garage ceiling) between them, ground to roof. At least the hatch compromises that little bit of protection.

If a fire started in their garage, it's going to find oxygen with or without the vents and fans. Maybe they would speed up growth a teeny bit, but they also might keep garage tenable for a minute or two longer. I don't to think they would be make much difference.

Now, if he's barbecuing in his garage or deep frying a turkey - a classic every Thanksgiving - watch out.

 

[ICE]

It depends on the way code was interpreted when the house was built. There has been a typical requirement for 5/8" type X drywall on the garage side of the wall between the house and garage. That separation was supposed to extend through the attic to the roof sheathing. However, the lid in a garage could be covered with 5/8" type X along with the walls that support the lid and achieve the same result as a separation extending through the attic.

Some jurisdictions would not allow an access through a protected lid. Other jurisdictions would allow an access as long as it was 5/8" type X drywall.

Code has changed and the wall between the house/attic and garage now requires 1/2 drywall.

 

[TheCommish]

ok so his house burns and takes mine with it, that was so unhelp full

The chance of the neghbor house burning your house down are the same with or without the vents and fans.