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OBC DIVISION B · PART 3 · SECTION 3.10 — SELF-SERVICE STORAGE BUILDINGS

What fire separations are required in a self-storage building in Ontario?

Section 3.10 requires fire separations between the storage areas and other parts of the building, such as offices, service rooms and corridors used for egress. Partitions between individual rented compartments are generally not required to be rated fire separations.

Code reference
Within Section 3.10, self-service storage areas must be separated from other occupancies and from certain spaces such as service rooms and public or exit corridors by fire separations, while the dividing walls between individual storage compartments themselves are treated as ordinary partitions rather than rated assemblies.
OBC Division B, Section 3.10 (Self-Service Storage Buildings)

Paraphrased for clarity — open this provision in the BUILDAiD Library for the exact wording.

What this means in practice

The practical distinction is between the storage block as a whole and everything else. Walls between individual lockers are usually sheet metal or mesh and are not fire separations, but the corridor system, any office or caretaker suite, and service rooms need rated separations per the applicable requirements. A frequent review comment is missing rated separation where a rental office or attached dwelling unit abuts storage areas. Also coordinate with Part 3 service room rules and any mixed-occupancy provisions if retail is added.

Plain language

The flimsy walls between individual storage lockers do not need to be fireproof. But the building must have proper fire-rated walls between the storage area and things like the office, hallways people escape through, and rooms with furnaces or electrical equipment.

Related questions

What Ontario Building Code rules apply to self-service storage buildings?How many exits does a self-storage building need in Ontario, and what are the travel distance limits?Do self-storage buildings need sprinklers under the Ontario Building Code?

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This page is provided for general information. Building code requirements depend on your specific project, occupancy and municipality, and code editions change. Always verify requirements against the current Ontario Building Code and confirm with your local building department.