Early in my career, I worked with a brick mason who declared masonry construction is forever. In a humorous response, I teased him saying hed spent too much time carrying mortar up a ladder. But actually I knew when properly installed, masonry really is solid; it serves the construction industry well and provides outstanding protection against the spread of fire. Given its tested reputation, many inspectors have developed a mindset that keeps them understanding that because masonry is fire-rated it needs no inspection, or that all 8-inch block has a two-hour fire rating.
Consider the common misconception that all concrete block has a rating. If you look at the UL Fire Resistance Directory, it shows the block used in a fire-rated assembly must meet certain requirements. A 2-hour firewall requires a class B block. The block alone must be constructed following certain specifications. Its fire resistance rating is based on the thickness of the block.
So whats the difference between a class B block and the typical concrete block available at a local lumberyard or home store? It comes down to the required thickness of the walls and the size of the hollow core. Blocks...
To view and download this full PLR article, you must be logged in. Registration is completely free. Once you create your account, you will be able to browse, search & downlod from our PLR articles database of over "1,57,897+" on 1,000's of niches and 200+ categories without paying a penny. Click here to signup...
