Wait long enough and you may be required to install a sprinkler system (thanks to latest IRC code -- see link in thread started by carova_2008 on Sun, Oct 12, 08 at 13:39).

I used 5/8"-X sheetrock and a mix of 3/4" plywood (not OSB) and unistrut for mounting my radiant heating control board and pipe supports on the walls. Unistrut is usually seen only in commercial construction but is just as useful for residential projects. Running the sheetrock vertically improves fire performance by putting seams along studs (I learned of this after I installed my sheetrock horiz). Finally, use rockwool insulation in the ceiling and wall cavities. I have been involved with fire-rated assemblies in commercial construction and this is the simplest way to go.

Unfortunately, I may never be able to adequately close in my ceiling. I used wood I-joists and had to run a lot of my piping below the joists to avoid too many holes in the joists. I would use 2x4 open web truss joists if I had it to do over again. They cost a little more than I-joists but you save much more by removing the labor of drilling holes for electrical, plumbing, HVAC, etc. I also had a P.E. tell me he thought the web trusses held up better in a fire.

Lastly, use fire-rated doors for all entries/exits.

Fire ratings can be complicated -- keep it simple.

Hi,

One side effect of having a mechanical room is that you need good ventalation for it. The concern is carbon monoxide poisioning issues. We have a mechanical room where the oil boiler sits. It has no door. If it had a door then additional vents would be required by code for adequate ventalation. Right now the "room" is open to the basement which has a sufficiently large air volume to meet code.

Installing a vent can be a pain if your room is in the basement, so you would be required to do alot of digging outside your house.

Best, Mike.

terry t, if you are still following this thread, how did you ventilate?

Mark,

We just went through this exact process and decided to install 1/2" plywood covered with Type X wallboard. Mounting (and re-mounting) will never be a problem. And, ye, we are installing 2 Tyco residential sprinkler heads (at a total cost of $75 installed!)

Vince

My mechanical looks like the bridge of the Nautilus from 20,000 leagues. I'm gonna mount some victorain style dials in there to heighten the effect.

My walls are those pebbley hard plastic, and there are valves and copper pipes and pumps everywhere. The door isn't fire rated, don't think it needs to be. It passively vents into the adjoining crawl space below my laundry room, but has a fan that I can set to turn on at a given temp to keep the mech cool.

My ventilation rqmts are simple as my only flame is a gas water heater. My Bradford-White heater is vented via PVC exhaust pipe and a fan assist when heat kicks on (I believe the term is power venting and I also believe power vents are now part of any HVAC system using a flame to heat). A super-tight mech room could be a problem for power venting as they would struggle for air unless some kind of air inlet was provided.

To clarify fire rated doors -- they are only required where a fire rating is specified (e.g., doors to/from attached garages). My mech room leads to my garage but I will likely use a solid wood door, with some time of sweep to restrict airflow, for entry into the remaining basement area.

Ok, this post is sort of scaring me because my mechanical room is not "fire-proofed" and it is right beside my daughter's bedroom. Our room has two hot water heaters and one HVAC. No sheetrock was put on the walls... it just has insulation on each wall. Is this unsafe?

teach,

It's not really a matter of safe or unsafe -- just safer. I believe your mech rm was built to code but it would be a good idea, if you can, to put a layer of sheetrock on the wall adjoining your daughter's room. This assumes at least one of your mech systems are gas fired. Otherwise, my only concern would be noise.

Fire rated ceilings and walls are NOT fire proof and are designed to give people time to exit a structure in case of fire. The single safest thing to do is install interconnected smoke/carbon monoxide detectors and test them monthly. After that, anything restricting the flow of air will retard the growth of a fire (draft stops, fire blocking, etc.).

To be honest I have never heard of a fire caused by the failure of a residential mech system. Non-arson fires are usually the result of carelessness or negligence. Your concern is well placed but sometimes these discussions can elevate an issue far above reality. You can always call your local fire dept. for info or maybe even a home inspection.

Thanks, Terry t... I was hoping someone would respond. Neither the hot water heater or HVAC is gas... all electric. Thanks for making me feel better!