Type X Fire-Rated Drywall, Installed to Spec
Ontario Building Code requires 5/8” Type X fire-rated drywall in specific locations. The most common ones in residential work are house-to-garage walls and ceilings, furnace rooms, multi-unit party walls, basement-stair separations where a finished basement is below a living floor, and any commercial assembly involving corridors or shaft walls.
Type X looks like standard drywall but contains glass fibers and other additives that hold the panel together during fire exposure. When properly installed in a code-compliant assembly — right panel, right framing, right screw spacing, firestop at penetrations — a 1-hour rated wall will hold back fire for at least 60 minutes. A 2-hour wall, for 120 minutes.
Where Type X Is Required in GTA Residential Work
Attached-garage walls and ceilings. Every garage that shares a wall with a living space needs Type X on the living-space side. The ceiling between an attached garage and a room above also needs Type X. This is one of our highest-volume fire-rated jobs because it shows up on virtually every Toronto-area attached-garage home.
Furnace rooms in newer construction with separate mechanical rooms.
Basement-stair separations where the basement is finished and living above is occupied. This is the catch most basement-finishing homeowners don’t know about until inspection.
Party walls between dwelling units — for any duplex, triplex, semi-detached, or townhouse construction.
Multi-unit demising walls — required across condo and apartment construction, typically as part of a 1-hour or 2-hour rated assembly.
Commercial Type X Work
For commercial scope we install Type X for:
- Demising walls between commercial suites in office and retail fit-outs
- Corridor walls in commercial buildings (typically 1-hour rated)
- Shaft walls around elevator and mechanical chases
- Multi-layer assemblies for 2-hour ratings in larger commercial buildings
We coordinate with firestop subcontractors on penetration sealing at electrical, plumbing, and HVAC chases — and we document the work for the building official’s inspection.
What Inspection-Ready Means
Every fire-rated assembly we install comes with:
- Reference to the specific ULC-listed assembly we used (assembly number, source document)
- Panel layout matching the spec (panel orientation, joint location)
- Screw spacing per spec (typically 8” on edges, 12” in field, but varies by assembly)
- Firestop documentation at all penetrations
- Photo record for the project file
This documentation is what builders and developers need to satisfy the inspection, and it’s what protects the homeowner long-term in any insurance claim involving fire.
Where We Install Fire-Rated Drywall
Across the Greater Toronto Area for residential and commercial scope. High-volume areas include Brampton basement legal suites, Mississauga and Vaughan attached-garage code work, and downtown Toronto commercial fit-outs.
