Fire Blocks
Fire blocks are pieces of wood or foam used between studs to help block fire from spreading through a house. Many people wonder why plain wood would be used as fire blocks if it is flammable. Before fire blocks were required, you could drop something from a hole in an attic wall all the way to the basement. If a fire starts, the channels made by studs act like huge chimneys that allow the fire to travel from one floor to all of the others. The fire blocks help block the path of the fire before it can spread.
Fire blocks need to be installed between all of the studs in your home. Longer versions must be installed between each level and in front of the gaps where the flooring is so fire can't travel horizontally across the floor.
Materials for Fire Blocks
Most fire blocks are made from a cheap material like wood or foam. Be sure to check that you are using fire-resistant foam before purchasing it. For extra protection, fire-resistant caulking can be used to fill in gaps and holes. The current standard grade of fire-resistant caulking is colored red so inspectors know you used the right stuff.
-
![Doityourself Staff]()
![H.R. Helm]()
H.R. Helm is an accomplished DIY craftsman. He has been DIY since childhood and is now a septuagenarian. He is experienced in wood and metal construction, having designed and built several houses and metal buildings. He built every permanent building on his current homestead and did all the plumbing and electrical work. He has several years experience as a professional cabinet builder, and he is an accomplished auto repairman, having operated an auto repair business for many years. He currently has a home shop where he sharpens and rebuilds saws, repairs lawn mowers, mobility scooters, hydraulic jacks, and anything else that comes along. He also builds custom tools for metal working. Invention prototypes are another of his many accomplishments. He owned and operated a manufacturing business building Compact Utility Vehicles for homeowner use. H.R. enjoys making jams and jellies during fruit season along with cooking meals. He is committed to outdoor cooking in a Bar-B-Q pit he welded together several years ago. He maintains fruit and nut trees along with helping his wife with a vegetable garden. He farmed commercial garden produce for several years. It helps to have over 50 years of farming and ranching experience. Employment/Education Highlights ASE Certified Master Auto Technician Certified Welder Cross country truck driver -- over dimensional freight Design Engineer/Project Manager for injection molded plastic company Bus Driver/Substitute Teacher Inventor with two patents (weight training – anti-rollback for manual wheelchair) BS in Industrial Technology
