Garage fire door question

I'm doing some work to insulate my garage and bring it up to current standards for fire protection. The walls were originally covered with rock lath panels but never finish plastered, and then paneled with pegboard (apparently for appearance only, because there's no space behind the pegboard to actually install hooks). I'm ripping out that nonsense and applying Type X drywall on the walls and ceiling.

The garage is attached, and the existing door into the house isn't fire rated, so I'll be replacing it with a self closing, self latching, fire rated door. So far so good, I think... here comes the dilemma. The existing door swings into the garage and interferes with another door on the adjacent back wall. I'd like to eliminate this nuisance by making the new door swing into the house.

After much web searching, I've found one (quite possibly erroneous) reference to a local code requirement that attached-garage entry doors must swing into the garage (to make them more resistant to pressure buildup from a fire). The IBC doesn't seem to care either way, and actual practice seems to be 50-50.

So, is it prudent and advisable to make the door swing into the garage, or is that overcautious, and should I take the route of convenience? Yes, I will consult my local code officer, but I've found that it helps to know what the answer is supposed to be before asking the question. :D

Thanks,
Kent

Kent, when I bought my current home in Massachusetts, the garage walls were all covered with homosote and had a standard wooden door that swing from the garage into the house. The adjoining room used to be a breezeway - sometime in the past they converted it into family room.

The inspectors required us to drywall the common wall with 5/8 type X sheetrock (but not the ceiling as there is no living space above) and replace the door to a fire-rated door. The original door swung into the room, not the garage which they said was a no-no. It was easy to fix by just buying the right door. I also had to add a 3x4 inch concrete ledge on the common wall (to prevent spilled gas from leaking into the house).

That was a lot of work for a relatively small family room (and one we have since found we don't use very much). Thankfully it didn't cost me a thing as we had the estimated cost deducted from the purchase price of the house.

Anyway, long story - bottom line, my inspectors (insurance, fire, and general house guy) all said the door had to swing into the garage.

Take care,

Doc

In the area I live in, doors to the garage can swing in.

In SoCal my garage is considered "outside" so the wall between house and garage is to exterior code and the solid core door swings in.