What is a Demising Wall?
Definition of Demising Wall in Construction
A demising wall is a specially constructed wall or partition that separates two different uses or occupancies on a project. The proper construction of a demising wall is inherently important to comply with fire, smoke, sound and other special requirements noted on the drawings and specifications. Special construction assemblies are required to properly construct demising walls for stairways, elevator shafts, hallways, means of egress and common walls between separate residences.
The building official will spend considerable time and effort determining that all demising walls are correctly built in accordance with the proper codes, and will check the top and bottom sealing of these walls to ensure total and complete compliance. There are several different design accommodations for demising walls and each project will specifically identify these requirements. In many cases, the demising walls within a structure will need to comply with the UL ( Underwriters Lab ) standards for this type of construction.