What Is a Fire Wall in Construction

A firewall is a term that is used in the construction industry to describe a fire-resistive-rated wall or fire-stop system, which is an element in a building that separates adjacent spaces to prevent the spread of fire and smoke within a building or between separate buildings.

What is considered a fire wall?

A firewall is an assembly of materials used to separate transformers, structures, or large buildings to prevent the spread of fire by constructing a wall which extends from the foundation through the roof with a prescribed fire resistance duration and independent structural stability.

How do I know if a wall is a fire wall?

Open the door and look on the frame and the inside edge of the door next to the hinges. A fire rated door has a metal tag listing the fire rating of the door assembly. All openings through a fire rated wall MUST be sealed with a fire rated caulking (its red in color) so that no air (or flame) can pass through the wall.