Hi geoff okay here s the deal with fire blocking your basement with a no drywall ceiling.
Fire blocking in basement walls.
Code requirements for adding fire blocking and draft stopping apply mainly to new construction.
R602 8 item 1 2 states that fire blocking is needed horizontally at intervals not exceeding 10 feet within concealed spaces in stud walls.
Insulate your basement with fire blocking materials.
Fire blocking basement walls basement walls that are framed up against the concrete foundation walls need to be fire blocked because there is a gap between the framing and the concrete wall.
In a residential setting and especially when finishing your basement you are most likely going to fire block.
Fire block and firestop are two different concepts and use different materials.
I know how you feel i have been finishing basements for 27 years and in the old days nobody ever heard of fire blocking.
This is an area that seems to be very confusing for a lot of diy ers finishing their own basement.
If you re in the process of building a new house you probably won t have to specify that you want fireproof materials as these features are now standard.
Diy basement finishing course.
Fire blocking is for the ceiling space behind your basement walls which i m presuming are going to be drywalled.
Insulators like gypsum mineral wool and particle board are known for their fire retardant qualities.
There will be a 3 5 space between your concrete wall and the framed drywall walls.
It s the same as if you had a drywalled ceiling.
In any case the underlying theme is to not spread the fire as much as possible.
But if you re finishing a basement putting on an addition remodeling a room or just running pipes or wires through a plate you ll need to include fire blocking.
Spray foams that are approved for fire blocking.
The rule is intended to prevent all the bays in a wall from being connected when the studs are not drywalled or sheathed on both sides.
Our basement walls trigger a second code requirement.