I have a kitchen where one wall is the "wall towards the neighbor." In this wall, there is currently double drywall to function as a partition wall between different fire compartments (us and the neighbor).
Is it okay to take down one of these drywall layers and replace it with some kind of plywood?
The advantage of this is that I can take down the existing drywall with ease. Then I also don't need to frame for kitchen cabinets, etc., in the same way because they will be screwed into the "plywood."
Is plywood counted as the same fire protection class, or does it have to be double drywall?
Is it okay to take down one of these drywall layers and replace it with some kind of plywood?
The advantage of this is that I can take down the existing drywall with ease. Then I also don't need to frame for kitchen cabinets, etc., in the same way because they will be screwed into the "plywood."
Is plywood counted as the same fire protection class, or does it have to be double drywall?
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· Korpilombolo
· 3 724 posts
It's probably not OK (I don't think the neighbor would agree either).
You might want to check what's applicable for your house.
I saw an attic in a semi-detached house where they had triple drywall on both sides of the studs, i.e., a total of six drywall sheets as a fire wall. There was probably a reason for this.
You might want to check what's applicable for your house.
I saw an attic in a semi-detached house where they had triple drywall on both sides of the studs, i.e., a total of six drywall sheets as a fire wall. There was probably a reason for this.
Thanks for the answers!
Looking at my own post, I can conclude that I was probably tired yesterday.. =)
What I meant was that the existing KAKLET can be taken down easily in this way.
When I say plywood, I mean what seems to be called OSB, which seems to be okay to use in fire-separating walls.
Any tips on where one can turn to get a "correct" answer?
Looking at my own post, I can conclude that I was probably tired yesterday.. =)
What I meant was that the existing KAKLET can be taken down easily in this way.
When I say plywood, I mean what seems to be called OSB, which seems to be okay to use in fire-separating walls.
Any tips on where one can turn to get a "correct" answer?
The partition wall is classified as a firewall between your two apartments and must not be compromised (i.e., reduce thickness or change material). Building codes exist for the type of fire protection required between joined small houses/apartments. According to these, there must always be a fire protection/firewall of at least fire technical class A60/EI 60 (if I'm not mistaken). What you could do is either tear down the plasterboards so you don't have to chisel down tiles and then restore with new plasterboard + plywood on top or let the plasterboard remain and attach a plywood board to it.
OSB cannot replace drywall in a fire-rated wall.
If you want OSB to make it easier to mount cabinets, it might be OK to remove both layers of drywall and install OSB between the studs, and then put up double drywall again with overlapping seams. Then you can screw things through the drywall, and still not end up with a thicker wall.
However, I'm not sure if it's allowed at all to have wood panels in the fire-rated wall.
If you want OSB to make it easier to mount cabinets, it might be OK to remove both layers of drywall and install OSB between the studs, and then put up double drywall again with overlapping seams. Then you can screw things through the drywall, and still not end up with a thicker wall.
However, I'm not sure if it's allowed at all to have wood panels in the fire-rated wall.
Wood must not be used in the wall. Depending on the fire rating and how many minutes the wall should withstand fire without flames breaking through, you should use protect boards, e.g., Gyproc Protect 15 mm double, which are classified for 90 minutes.
Check everything before you do anything as insurance companies look into such things in the event of a fire.
Check everything before you do anything as insurance companies look into such things in the event of a fire.
Why not just use Elfa's g6 expander?
Quicker, simpler, and much cheaper than dealing with osb.
Not really sure if it's okay to drill a bunch of 10mm holes in a fire wall though...
Quicker, simpler, and much cheaper than dealing with osb.
Not really sure if it's okay to drill a bunch of 10mm holes in a fire wall though...
There is nothing that says wood cannot be used in a fire-separating wall. It is the construction of the wall as a whole that determines fire resistance.Dzollero said:
However, you should not replace parts of an existing construction with materials of different properties.
What you can do in this situation is remove the outer layer of gypsum, replace it with plywood, and then supplement it with 13 mm gypsum over it. Then you are definitely covered.
I would also think that a similar solution with renovation gypsum, as mycke_nu suggests, would suffice, but I would like to double-check to be on the safe side.
What you can do is buy a metal strip that comes on a roll, it is 10 cm wide and the roll is long, so you can probably cut off the length that you need for your wall. Tear away the outer layer, screw the metal strip onto the studs that you will be able to see on the first layer, you should have two lengths, one for the upper and lower cabinets, just find out what height they should be at. If there was a regular plasterboard there before, you can screw a regular board there again. Then take plaster/metal screws and fasten the metal strip, which lies between the first and second layer. On the first plaster layer, you will probably notice there is a joint between the plaster wall, ceiling, and floor, and if you see that anything is missing, put in fire sealant where it is missing. Your firewall is also a false wall, and yes, you can have wooden studs in a firewall too.