We’re just moving into a co-op in a brownstone and planned to expose the beams with sheetrock and insulation between the beams. Unfortunately after we had already ripped up the ceiling, the board reversed their approval stating a firecode violation Since we’re on the ground floor with more than 2 floors above us, we can only have sheetrock around the beams. Any contractors or homeowners out there who can confirm?


Comments

  1. oh yeah. 1 hour rated ceiling required. you might look into intumescent paint – it foams up when heat is applied to create a fire resistant barrier. it is used on steel and wood. gyp board is cheaper, though.

  2. I’m not a code expert but exposed wooden beams in anything larger than a two family seems like an obvious fire code violation. You need a 2 hour (maybe 1 1/2) fire wall between all dwellings.