Fire resistant drywall: where to install

Before starting new construction, the contractor has to choose the right type of drywall. Some of it is used often but other types are too specific and usually installed in specific areas. Fire resistant drywall is one of them.

The fire-rated Gypsum has three different types. Tipe X has a minimum fire rating for the assembly of 1 hour and used for many building codes. Type C has more glass fiber and other ingredients that makes it superior to the Type X. The Type X Shaftliner is thicker than the previous two. And usually installed in shaftwall systems. 

Those types of drywall could hold up longer to the fire exposure. They have to be used in large buildings (such as condos, offices, hotels), with space requirement and an area separation wall. For individual family houses fire-rated drywall is usually used in garages when one wall connects to the rest of the house, or if you have separate apartments in one dwelling. 

When you do a renovation in your garage you might consider upgrading the wall that connects to the house, with a fire resistant drywall. It’s better to ask your contractor and check the code of your town Municipality.