Building Inspections Newsletter, Issue 5, February 2007

10 Thank you for helping get the word out about our Newsletter Our current enrollment now exceeds 100 and counting O ne of the most incredible things about the Johnston County Inspections Department is our ability to work together so well Teamwork comes into play everyday Whether an experienced inspector is giving advice to a newbie or the support staff is training each other on how to issue a permit , we are all working toward a common goal To provide the citizens of Johnston County the most efficient service possible Every month the inspectors get together to go over things that have been coming up in the field This helps keep all the inspectors on the same page If you have any topics you would like brought up in the next morning meeting , let us know If you experience any problems with the Listserv or receiving the Newsletter , feel free to contact me D'Ann Michael at dannmichael @ johnstonnccom Issues Discussed at the February Meetings BUILDING CODE Stone prep Lath Inspection We will no longer require a lath inspection for stone prep We do still require that all bolted or nailed lintels be inspected , brick veneer prep be inspected and the usual exterior inspection of the windows , doors , flashing and nailing pattern on the sheathing ect Footing Inspections A reminder that when a footing is turned down and an engineer is required to do a site visit and submit a letter , the inspection department still has to do an inspection before any concrete is poured A field report is ok for the inspection but the stamped letter is required before the next inspection can be passed Truss drawings with engineer stamps We have been seeing a lot of truss drawings that are missing the engineers stamp on them This is required Drilling and notching of top plate Section 60261 IRC Drilling and notching of top plate When piping or ductwork is placed in or partly in an exterior wall or interior , braced or load - bearing wall , necessitating a cutting of the top plate by more than 50 percent of its width , a galvanized metal tie not less than 0054 inch thick and 15 inches wide shall be fastened to each plate across and to each side of the opening with not less than six 16d nails Head room at stairs A reminder that 6 ' 8 " is required head room at stairs When you have a set of stairs ending in front of a door or a case opening a full tread width is required between the bottom of the stairs and the opening , unless the header is raised so a min 6 ' 8 " can be maintained Johnston County Inspections Department Newslette r February2007 Issue 5 Table of Contents February Meeting 1 Q & A Interpretation 2 The Perfect House 3 Inspector Spotlight 4 Last Laugh 4 Things on our Website 4 Electrical Bonding 5 Protection of Appliances 6 You can find an archive of recent Newsletters on our webpage at wwwjohnstonnccom inspections in the Reference Desk section Ann Lancaster and Sue ThomassonPageMechanical Code Duct work resting on joists A reminder that when blowing insulation in the attic we do except the duct work laying on the joist if they are 2x8 or greater , if duct is laying on top of trusses the trusses are required to be furred up Make sure that the duct work has been raised while the insulation is being installed so there are no areas between the joist that are missing insulation Make up air 5045 2002 & 2006 Mechanical Code , Make up air In the 2002 code book this section was worded differently but the requirement is the same This has been overlooked in the field and I wanted to let you know we will be looking for a louvered door in this location or a min 10 " x10 " louvered opening at the final This is how the section reads " Where a closet is designed for the installation of a clothes dryer , and opening having an area of not less than 100 square inches for makeup air shall be provided in the closet enclosure , or makeup air shall be provided by other approved means " 2 Plumbing Code Automatic Clothes Washer Waste Connection NC Plumbing Code 2006 Automatic Clothes Washer Section 4063 Waste Connection This is a change and we will be looking for this for permits issued Jan 01 , 2007 The waste from an automatic clothes washer shall connect to a vertical branch drain of not less than 2 inches in diameter , or a horizontal branch drain of not less than 3 inches in diameter The 2 inch trap in the waste connection may be used as a cleanout for both the 2 inch and the 3 inch branch REMINDER Pre - approved plan process 1 Turn in 6 sets of plans for review 2 We keep 1 set for our file , you get five to build on 3 You can make up to 3 changes to a pre - approved plan , but this change can not be made until you fill out and application and submit the change for review , this would be called and addendum to your pre - approved plans When you make more that 3 changes to a pre - approved plan you will be required to have the plans redrawn and a new application to be filled and the new drawings reviewed This is for Code Plans or Sealed Plans Engineered sealed plans Engineered sealed plans require that the detail page s be stamped by the engineer of record on each page Q & A Based on interpretation by Bill Murchison of DOI Q Can wooden plates not wedges be used between wood girders and foundation piers A Yes There is nothing in the code that prevents the use of wooden plates , but there is also nothing in the code that provides prescriptive design information for them either The code does not restrict a wood girder from being out of level ; so , it must be assumed that plates to reduce that condition are a step I the right direction if the plates do not compromise the structural integrity of the pier girder relationship The following guidelines will apply 1 Plates would have to meet the requirements of Section R5062 for bearing surface , as well as the requirement for treated wood in Section 323 2 The minimum width of a plate must be the width of the girder that is being supported 3 The maximum depth of a plate is restricted to 1 - 1 2 inches because of the available heights of standard masonry 4 The plate material must be a minimum compressive strength equal to the wood girder material 5 Horizontal forces are not resisted at the plate location For the purposes of this interpretation " wooden girder plate " is a flat piece of wood with relatively even thickness that is placed between the top of a pier and the bottom edge of a wood girder where it rests on the pier This may also be referred to as a shim , but obviously cannot be of a wedge shape ATTENTION Important Policy Change The Johnston County Inspections Department will begin enforcing bonding of CSST per the manufacturers installation instructions and National Electrical Code Effective Immediately PagePursuit of the Perfect House Article from the desk of Dean Barbour , Chief Building Inspector Johnston County has some excellent homebuilders that strive to achieve to build the " perfect house " Some builders come real close , but then comes the building inspector for the final inspection and the homeowners for the walk through , and at last the home inspector for the mortgage company You guessed it , the home is not perfect , and at this point the excellent builder will just be happy to close the loan and declare the house sold The homeowners now move into their new almost perfect house and by the time the furniture and the cat and dog move in and get comfortable , there is a new punch list for the builder to work on You know that most builders give a one year warrenty on a new home I only know of one builder who does not and of course the builder is responsible for all the dings , scratches , and loose rails from moving into the house After all , the almost perfect builder made a killing building the house So , yes , he's the one to fix it The almost perfect builder continues to maintain the house for an entire year and then some in most cases You might ask who does the best job with homeowner complaints The answer is easy , the builder that answers the phone and responds to the homeowner promptly If you ignore the phone messages and allow the laundry list to grow , they then turn to the Inspections Department What you may find surprising is that the biggest builders in the county have the least number of complaints They have a maintainance program and respond promptly to the complaints keeping the anixous new homeowners appeased Anyway , getting back to the perfect house , I am waiting for someone to build a perfect house because I have yet to see one Michael J Fox summed it up when he said " I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection Excellence I can reach for , perfection is God's business " Johnston County is fortunate to have some excellent builders that take pride in building a quality product 3PageInspector Spotlight Mike Stratton HISTORY Bachelors Degree in Business Administration and E - Commerce Certified to inspect Building , Electrical , Plumbing , Mechanical , and Fire Experience Inspector with over 9 years in the field Formerly worked in franchise management , opening restaurants across the Southeast FUN FACTS In spare time , Mike enjoys participating in sailing races off the coast of NC Also enjoys motorcycling Things you can find on our website If you haven't checked our website in a while , stop by and check it out We've added lots of new information to help you through your permits and inspections wwwjohnstonnccom inspections Guide to getting permits Permit applications and forms Handouts and helpful guides Links to licensing boards including General Contactors Licensing Board , Licensing Board of Mechanical , Plumbing , and Fire Sprinkler , Manufactured home contractor licensing board , etc Newsletter archives including all past newsletters Permit fee schedule Registration for the Listserv to receive the Newsletter monthly And much , much more Last Laugh Continue to Next Page For Reference Documents News and EventsPagePage pageNumber5IMPORTANT NOTE This is an example from the Gastite manufacturer's installation instructions Other manufacturers may vary If you are using other manufacturers than Gastite , installation instructions from that company 5 will be required to be on the job site PagePage pageNumber66NC Department of Insurance Office of the State Fire Marshal - Engineering Division 1202 Mail Service Center , Raleigh , NC 27699 - 1202 Protection of Appliances from damage in One and Two Family Dwellings Code 2002 Mechanical Code Date October 6 , 2004 Section 3034 Question The 2002 NC Mechanical Code Section 3034 states " Appliances shall not be installed in a location where subject to mechanical damage unless protected by approved barriers " What is an example of " approved barriers " which is appropriate for protection of appliances from vehicle impact in a one - and - two family dwelling garage Answer Examples of approved barriers for protection of appliances from vehicle impact in a one - and - two family dwelling garage include pipe bollards extending three feet above the floor , such as 2 inch Schedule 40 steel pipe set in a concrete floor 2 inch Schedule 40 steel pipe set in a cored hole in an existing concrete floor and sealed with epoxy 2 inch Schedule 40 steel pipe welded to a ¼ inch steel base plate that is anchored to the concrete floor with four ½ inch x 2 ½ inch embedment depth 2 ¼ inch anchor bolts ; curb stops or raised pads of not less than 5 ½ inches set not less than 40 inches from the appliance Note that if the appliance is located out of the normal path of travel of vehicles , no protection is required Page