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Fire resistance classes and fire protection in garage buildings

What to consider when planning garages with regard to fire protection.

Safeguarding the valuables stored in your garage is important to us. Especially for small garages with a usable area of less than 100 m², the fire protection requirements are considerably less stringent. We at Käuferle will show you which points are important. We also offer expertise in doors and windows: https://stage.kaeuferle.de/fenster-tueren/brandschutzsysteme

Käuferle - leading German manufacturer of garage doors

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We are a family business from Aichach near Augsburg with over 50 years of experience in the construction of garage doors, car park boxes and partition wall systems. Our products are technically well thought-out and always part of holistic solutions that take particular account of fire protection requirements. This enables us to provide the best possible protection for your assets.

Expertise in fire protection for small, medium-sized and large garages

Our product range includes a wide variety of garage doors for garages of all sizes. We are therefore not only familiar with all current fire protection standards and regulations for the parking of motor vehicles. We also offer helpful tips and planning information on all aspects of building authority regulations, fire resistance and building material classes as well as fire protection doors and other fire protection elements.

Customised garage doors, tailor-made security

Your wishes and the respective installation situations and dimensions form the basis for us when planning and manufacturing garage doors. In this way, and thanks to the wide range of colours and materials for the door panels, our doors harmonise perfectly with your architecture. Added to this is our comprehensive service, with which we support you right from the start with all fire protection issues.

Interesting facts about fire resistance classes for garage buildings

Safety first in case of fire

In order to prevent major damage to property and save lives in the event of fire in garage buildings, the model garage ordinance and model building regulations stipulate compliance with certain rules. The fire resistance class of an entire building component and the fire behaviour of the building materials from which this component is made up are essential. The main focus here is on the load-bearing components - e.g. walls, ceilings, supports.

Building material classes - Fire protection with concrete, steel, aluminium and wood

In order to make building materials comparable in terms of their fire behaviour, they are grouped into building material classes according to non-combustible, flame-retardant, normally flammable and easily flammable building materials. The highest fire resistance class can always be achieved in garages with concrete or masonry. However, timber, steel or aluminium components can also meet this requirement - for example through encapsulation or painting.

Fire resistance classes for building components

Components (e.g. walls, ceilings, columns) are categorised into different fire resistance classes depending on their fire resistance duration. The designations F30 (fire-retardant), F60 (highly fire-retardant) and F90 (fire-resistant) defined in DIN 4102-2 refer to a fire resistance duration in minutes determined during tests. The European standard DIN EN 13501-2 contains further specifications in this regard.

Fire resistance classes for doors

If doors or garage doors are located in walls with building authority fire protection requirements, they must fulfil the requirements of the corresponding fire resistance classes T30, T60 and T90. Here too, the numbers indicate how many minutes the component must withstand a fire. The fire resistance of the fire protection elements (such as garage doors or fire protection doors) is determined not only by the building material used, but also by the structural design.

What types of garages are there and what applies to them?

The size of the garage makes all the difference

In medium-sized garages (100-1000 m² usable area) and large garages (over 1000 m² usable area), load-bearing garage walls and ceilings as well as room-enclosing walls and ceilings between garages and rooms or parts of buildings used for other purposes must be fire-resistant in accordance with the model garage ordinance and model building regulations. In small garages with less than 100 m² of floor space, these components can also be made of fire-retardant or non-combustible building materials without fire resistance.

Detached single and double garages

Load-bearing and space-enclosing components of single-storey, above-ground and detached small garages are possible without any fire resistance. In addition, they do not have to be made of non-combustible materials. To minimise the risk of fire, single and double garages are nevertheless often constructed from concrete and masonry, which can prove advantageous from an insurance perspective. There are no special requirements for garage doors.

Garage extensions to a residential building

If small garages are attached to a residential building, the wall facing it must be fire-retardant (F30) to prevent flashover in the event of a fire - doors in this wall must achieve fire resistance class T30 accordingly. Concrete and masonry garages fulfil this fire resistance class anyway; garage buildings in timber or steel construction may require cladding with F30 fire protection boards or a fire protection coating.

Carports

As carports are generally built as open timber structures, they are particularly susceptible to fire. While there are generally no fire protection regulations for free-standing carports, carports attached to residential buildings and closed on several sides are subject to regulations similar to those for garage extensions.

Tips and planning information on the subject of fire protection in garages

Fire prevention as the most important commandment

Today's vehicles are becoming increasingly dangerous fire hazards due to their increasing size and the growing proportion of flammable materials. For this reason alone, large quantities of fuel should not be stored here, nor should highly flammable substances. And even if there are no legal requirements in this respect: With a fire extinguisher within reach, many a fire disaster could easily have been avoided.

Fire protection even without binding regulations

Although there are often only a few requirements regarding building materials and fire resistance classes for single and double garages, the topic of fire protection in garages should not be neglected. Investing in fire protection is always worthwhile - especially when it comes to preventing a fire from spreading to other buildings or vehicles.

Observe the fire protection regulations of the federal states

Despite the model garage ordinance and model building regulations that apply nationwide, the official fire protection requirements for small garages are still a matter for the individual federal states. You should therefore find out about the regulations that apply in your federal state before building your garage. Talk to us: The Käuferle service teams will use their expertise to help you achieve your goals.

Frequently asked questions about fire resistance classes and fire protection in garages

Here you will find answers to frequently asked questions about fire resistance classes and fire protection in garages:

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