Debate today. Does this garage ceiling meet fire wall requirements?
Metal is screwed directly to the joists with insulation between the joists.
No it does not meet code requirement for a fire seperation
Is there living space above?
No. But then the OSB on the wall is not either.
Metal is a fine conductor of heat. That’s why cooking pans are made of it. That’s why my heavy safe relies on a gypsum liner to achieve its fire rating. If someone wants to argue that the corrugated sheet metal meets the standard, ask them to show where it is stated in the product documentation that it has fire resistance equal to or greater than 1/2 inch sheetrock. Unless it’s documented, it’s not a substitute.
Assuming that this is an attached garage with a common attic or living space directly above. If there is habitable space above the requirement rises to 5/8 inch type-X (note that not all conditioned spaces are considered habitable space).
You do not feel that this would meet the 1 hour fire rating, Or is it because it is not gypsum board?
No living space above
The house wall does not extent to the rafters.
This further supports Grusk comment.
I am already calling out the OSB on the house wall side.
Owners argument is that a fire will not get through the sheet metal (very fast).
My concerns also were with the heat transfer through the metal to the wood joist is is secured to.
You don’t need to be concerned with or argue this. The installed product meets the published standard or does not. (From the residence and attics: Not less than 1/2-inch gypsum board or equivalent applied to the garage side). If the manufacturer does not represent that it meets this standard, then it does not as far as the standard is concerned. In the absence of manufacturer documentation, based on testing, that it does meet the standard in the manner that it is installed, your client should assume that it does not.
Do not debate this with the seller or their agents. Communicate with and educate your client so that they may make their own decision as to whether what is there is acceptable to them or not. You do not need to convince either the seller or their agents. You only need to be credible with your client. Your client needs to make the decision to go with it as is or to change it. Your job is to make sure that they have the information that they need to make an “informed” decision.
OSB fails without a doubt. Don’t know about Iowa, but NJ requires 2 layers of 5/8 gypsum on garage ceilings with living space above (or with no firewall separating unfinished/non habitable garage space from any unfinished/habitable space).
But even if that sheet metal is accepted in your state, that access hatch (looks like non fire rated) in photo 2 (by the light fixture) will void the fire rating anyway.