Fire walls are designed to prevent fire spread by extending from grade through the ceiling and projecting at least how many inches above the roof?

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Multiple Choice

Fire walls are designed to prevent fire spread by extending from grade through the ceiling and projecting at least how many inches above the roof?

Explanation:
Fire walls are meant to act as a continuous barrier to slow or stop the spread of fire, and that barrier must extend above the roofline to stay effective where the roof could otherwise allow heat and flames to bridge the top edge. The required minimum projection is 18 inches above the roof. This distance helps prevent fire from crossing over the top of the wall, accommodates proper flashing and fire-stopping around the wall-roof intersection, and keeps embers from sneaking over the edge. A smaller projection, like 6 or 12 inches, wouldn’t reliably block fire spread at the roof, while a much larger projection, such as 36 inches, isn’t typically required by code and adds unnecessary cost.

Fire walls are meant to act as a continuous barrier to slow or stop the spread of fire, and that barrier must extend above the roofline to stay effective where the roof could otherwise allow heat and flames to bridge the top edge. The required minimum projection is 18 inches above the roof. This distance helps prevent fire from crossing over the top of the wall, accommodates proper flashing and fire-stopping around the wall-roof intersection, and keeps embers from sneaking over the edge. A smaller projection, like 6 or 12 inches, wouldn’t reliably block fire spread at the roof, while a much larger projection, such as 36 inches, isn’t typically required by code and adds unnecessary cost.

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