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Specialty Drywall Systems

Fire-Resistant Drywall

Fire resistant drywall assemblies slow the spread of fire between spaces for a rated period, typically one or two hours. The rating belongs to the complete tested assembly, including board type, framing, fastener spacing, joint treatment, and firestopping, not to the board alone.

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Drywall fire resistant type X commercial, California
Written ScopesDust ControlFinal WalkthroughServing Orange County

About Fire-Resistant Drywall

Fire rated construction is the area where getting the details right matters most and where shortcuts are least visible. A wall built with the correct board but the wrong fastener spacing looks identical to a correctly built one, and it does not carry the rating.

The rating comes from a tested assembly. A listing specifies board type and thickness, how many layers and how they are staggered, stud material gauge and spacing, fastener type and spacing, how joints are treated, whether insulation is required, and how penetrations are firestopped. All of those were part of the test. Substituting any of them means you no longer have the assembly that was tested.

Penetrations deserve particular attention because they are the most common failure. Every pipe, conduit, duct, and electrical box passing through a rated wall creates a path for fire and smoke, and each requires an approved firestop system installed as the manufacturer specifies. An unsealed penetration compromises the entire wall.

Where these assemblies exist, they exist for a reason: garage to house separations, corridors, shaft walls, stair enclosures, and unit demising walls in multifamily buildings. We build them to the listing and document what we built.

Drywall fire resistant double layer stairwell, California

Why this matters

  • Assemblies built to their listed details rather than approximated
  • Correct board type, layering, and fastener spacing
  • Every penetration firestopped with an approved system
  • Head of wall and perimeter detailed correctly
  • As built documentation for inspection and closeout

Related guides

How we work

Our Process

How a fire-resistant drywall project runs from first contact through final walkthrough.

  1. Step 1: Define the Performance Target

    Moisture, fire, sound, and impact are four different problems. We establish which one you are actually solving before specifying anything.

  2. Step 2: Specify the Assembly

    Performance comes from the complete assembly, not the board alone. We specify board, framing, insulation, fasteners, and sealing together.

  3. Step 3: Written Scope

    The estimate names the specific board type and assembly details, so what you are buying is unambiguous.

  4. Step 4: Build to the Detail

    Specialty assemblies only perform when built exactly as listed. We follow the detail rather than approximating it.

  5. Step 5: Verify and Document

    Assembly checked before close in, documented where an inspection or rating depends on it, then finished and cleaned.

Scope

What's Included

Written into every estimate so there is no ambiguity about what you are paying for.

  • Assembly listing review and confirmation
  • Framing to the specified gauge and spacing
  • Type X or Type C board in the specified layering
  • Fastener type and spacing per the listing
  • Joint treatment as the assembly requires
  • Approved firestopping at all penetrations
  • Head of wall and perimeter detailing
  • Documentation for inspection
Drywall fire resistant completed commercial, California

Specification

Materials and systems we use

Specified per project rather than by habit, because the right material depends on the conditions it has to survive.

Material or system
Type X board, 5/8 inch,for most one hour assemblies
Type C boardwhere the listing specifies enhanced performance
Shaft wall liner panelsfor vertical enclosures
Approved firestop sealants, collars, and wrap systems
Deflection track with rated head of wall details

Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Type X drywall automatically a one hour wall?
No. Type X board is a component of many one hour assemblies, but the rating comes from the full tested assembly. Board type and thickness, stud gauge and spacing, fastener type and spacing, joint treatment, insulation, and penetration firestopping were all part of the test. Change any of them and the rating no longer applies, even though the board is still Type X.
Where are fire rated walls required?
Common locations include the wall and ceiling between an attached garage and the living space, corridors in commercial and multifamily buildings, stair and elevator shaft enclosures, demising walls between dwelling units, and around mechanical and furnace rooms. Your local code and, in commercial work, your drawings determine the specifics.
Why does firestopping matter so much?
Because fire and smoke follow the easiest path. An unsealed penetration for a pipe or conduit gives them a route straight through a wall that is otherwise rated for an hour. This is the single most common reason rated assemblies fail inspection, and it is entirely preventable.
Can you provide documentation for our inspector?
Yes. We document the assemblies as built, including board type, layering, fastener spacing, and the firestop systems used at each penetration, which is normally what inspectors and general contractors need at closeout.

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Need fire-resistant drywall in Orange County?

Tell us what the wall or ceiling is doing and we will tell you what it needs. Free written estimates with no obligation.

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Written estimates · Texture matching stated up front · Final walkthrough on every job