Building Inspections Newsletter, Issue 13, January 2009 - August 2009

10 Newsletter JOHNSTON COUNTY BUILDING INSPECTIONS DEPARTMENT Issue 13 January 2009 - August 2009 Mission Statement Johnston County Inspections Department aspires to lead by example It is our mission to provide friendly and knowledgeable service , while demonstrating integrity , professionalism , and to hold the public's welfare and safety to the highest of standards If you experience any problems with the Listserv or Newsletter , feel free to email me Beth Stewart at bethstewart @ johnstonnccom Leftovers Article from the desk of Dean Barbour , Chief Building Inspector Everyone enjoys leftovers ; some people say they are better than first servings This is probably true , unless you have a leftover house , they sure go down tough , grass to mow , interest payments to make , and taxes to pay They kind of remind you of Aunt Bee's kerosene pickles , not only do they taste bad , but after a while you can't give them away Builders and contractors have had two years of tough economical times , they are experiencing the longest recession since th World War II We could however be climbing out of this hole soon The News and Observer stated on July 17 that the jump in housing starts reflected a more than 14 percent increase in construction of single family homes Home prices are low and first time buyers are taking advantage of the maximum 8,000 tax credit for first time home buyers The problem for the builder is they have already lost money on leftover housing and are not eager to invest money in a housing market that shows little potential for a profit We've got to start somewhere , builders need to build , and the impact on the economy will trickle down one hundred times If you want a stimulus package , go build a house I think by the time this newsletter goes out that most of you probably will have already heard that Mr CP Thompson th lost his battle with cancer on July 12 CP was a long time Director of the Inspection Department ; he set the example for others to follow by treating people the way he would like to be treated He always said , he taught me everything I know , but very little of what he knew When we would occasionally argue about something , and I wanted my way , he would always tell me that I wanted a set of brass horns , but I would die bumble headed This is interpreted that if I didn't do as I was instructed I reckon he was going to cut off my horns so I would listen to his instructions better CP left instructions for his own funeral , one hour full of preaching , nothing about him or his life I will reference the scripture so you may read his own request , for everyone at his funeral to find salvation , 2 SAMUEL Chapter 12 , 15 - 22 with most of the sermon from Verses 22 and 23 CP Thompson , Jr August 24 , 1941 - July 12 , 2009 IMPORTANT REMINDERS FROM AMY CLIFTON , RESIDENTIAL SUPERVISOR Highlights Administrative Code & Policies - p 2 Building Code - Exterior Coverings - p 3 Mechanical Code - Dryer Ducts - p 4 Reminders p 4 - 5 NEW on Tuesdays and Thursdays for Residential Inspectors NEW Applications Swimming Pools Manufactured Housing , Set - Up Contractors Reminders 1PageNEW - Code Information Administrative Code and Policies Section 105 Alternate Material , Design and Methods 1051 Approval The provisions of this code are intended to allow the use of any alternate material , design or method of construction , provided the alternate has been approved by the code enforcement official An alternative material , design or method of construction shall be approved where the code enforcement official finds that the proposed alternative material , design or method of construction complies with the intent and provisions of the technical codes Section 1072 Inspections requests It shall be the duty of the permit holder or his or her agent to notify the code enforcement official when work is ready for inspection and to provide access to and means for inspection of the work for any inspections that are required by this code Section 1073 Approval Required Work shall not be done beyond the point indicated in each successive inspection without first obtaining the approval of the code enforcement official The code enforcement official , upon notification , shall make the requested inspections and shall either indicate the portion of the construction that is satisfactory as completed , or shall notify the permit holder or an agent of the permit holder that the work fails to comply with the technical codes Any work that does not comply shall be corrected and shall not be covered or concealed until authorized by the code enforcement official North Carolina Department of Insurance Section 203212 Formal Interpretations Any person may request in writing a formal interpretation of the code The request shall be addressed to the Chief Code Consultant for the Department of Insurance The request shall be specific and shall reference the code sections in question All formal interpretations shall be in writing A formal interpretation shall be binding on all parties unless appealed to the Building Code Council as specified in Section 20192 Formal interpretations determined to be of a general nature may be posted on the department website City and County Government 20431 Permits No Person shall commence or proceed with 1 The construction , reconstruction , alteration , repair , movement to another site , removal or demolition of any building 2 The installation , extension or general repair of any building ; 3 The installation , extension , alteration or general repair of any heating or cooling equipment system ; or 4 The installation , extension , alteration or general repair of any electrical wiring , devices , appliances or equipment without first securing from the Inspections Department with jurisdiction over the site of the work each permit required by the North Carolina State Building Codes and other State or local law or local ordinances or regulation applicable to the work 20432 Validity In accordance with General Statues 153A - 358 for Counties , a permit expires 6 months , or any lesser time fixed by local ordinance , after the date of issuance if the work authorized by the permit has not been commenced If , after commencement , the work is discontinued for a period of 12 months , the permit immediately expires No work authorized by a permit that has expired may be performed until a new permit has been issued 2Page2049 Service Utilities No person shall make connections from a utility , source of energy , fuel or power to any building or system that is regulated by the technical codes until approved by the inspection department and a certificate of compliance is issued Building Code Exterior Covering IRC7032 Water - resistive barrier One layer of No 15 asphalt felt , free from holes and breaks , complying with ASTM D 226 for Type 1 felt or other approved water - resistive barrier shall be applied over studs or sheathing of all exterior walls Such felt or material shall be applied horizontally , with the upper layer lapped over the lower layer not less than 2 inches SEE TABLE R7034 WEATHER - RESISTANT SIDING ATTACHMENT AND MINIMUM THICKNESS - Reference Pages last 2 Brick Veneer IRC 703742 Air Space The veneer shall be separated from the sheathing by an air space of a minimum of a nominal 1 inch but not more than 4 ½ inches IRC 703743 Mortar or grout fill As an alternate to the air space required by Section R703742 , mortar or grout shall be permitted to fill the air space When the air space is filled with mortar , a water resistive barrier is required over studs or sheathing When filling the air space , replacing the sheathing and water - resistive barrier with a wire mesh and approved water - resistive barrier - backed reinforcement attached directly to the studs is permitted Vinyl Siding IRC 70311 Vinyl siding Vinyl siding shall be certified and labeled as conforming to the requirements of ASTM D 3679 by an approved quality control agency IRC 703111 Installation Vinyl siding , soffit and accessories shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturers installation instructions Stone Veneer Johnston County Inspections Department requires a lath inspection If installing manufactured stone the manufacturers installation instructions will need to be left in the job box for the inspector to do the inspection Mechanical Code NC Mechanical Code 5046 Domestic clothes dryer ducts Exhaust ducts for domestic clothes dryers shall be constructed of metal and shall have a smooth interior finish With the exception of the transition duct , flexible ducts are 3Pageprohibited The exhaust duct shall be a minimum nominal size of 4 inches in diameter The entire exhaust system shall be supported and secured in place and shall terminate not less than 12 inches above finished grade The male end of the duct at overlapped duct joints shall extend in the direction of airflow Clothes dryer transition ducts used to connect the appliance to the exhaust duct system shall be limited to single lengths not to exceed 8 feet and shall be listed and labeled for the application Transition ducts shall not be concealed within construction and must remain entirely within the room in which the appliance is installed Exception Where the duct termination is less than 12 inches above finished grade an areaway shall be provided with a cross - sectional area not less than 200 square feet The bottom of the duct termination shall be no less than 12 inches above the areaway bottom 50461 Maximum length The maximum length of a clothes dryer exhaust duct shall not exceed 45 feet from the dryer location to the outlet terminal The maximum length of the duct shall be reduced 5 feet for each 45 degree bend and 10 feet for each 90 degree bend The maximum length of the exhaust duct does not include the transition duct Reminders Updates Reminder that all permits issued July 1 , 2009 and after are required to meet the 2009 Building and Technical Codes and the 2008 National Electrical Code CSST Bonding Requirements CSST Pipe is required to be bonded per the manufacturers installation instructions ; this is not a requirement from the NC Fuel Gas Code The following are the current wire sizes needed for specific name brands Gastite # 6 Copper Tracpipe Table 25066 NEC Metal Fab Diamond Back # 6 Copper Parflex Table 25066 NEC Proflex Table 25066 If the name brand that you are using is not one of these you will need to provide the installation instructions to the inspector IRRIGATION • Landscape Irrigation Contracting is now regulated in the State of North Carolina under HB89G The purpose of this licensure act is to protect the public health , safety and welfare and to promote the efficient use of water The North Carolina Irrigation Contractor's Licensing Board oversees the licensing of Landscape Irrigation Contractors they can be reached at 9198722229 Johnston County Inspections department has always required a separate permit for irrigation systems with the option of using the house tap or a separate tap Effective July 1 , 2009 North Carolina General Statue 143 - 3554 a states that Local government water systems and large community water systems shall require separate meters for new in - ground irrigation systems that are connected to their systems 4PagePage pageNumber5• Currently on , Tuesdays and Thursdays residential inspectors are routed from home Therefore , the inspectors may get to your jobsite earlier With this , the office staff will Please Remember have the phones on at 7 30am for your convenience Continue Reminders When an inspection is passed , the inspector will not leave a notice on site ; however , the inspector is required to sign the permit card • Residential Site Plan Update In an effort to ensure accuracy and a thorough review of residential site plans , we are going back to a 24 hour turn around on review time Please provide us with site plans that are to a legible scale and include all pertinent information such as setbacks , the entire septic layout and the well location if applicable We will no longer accept copies of septic permits as a site plan They can be drawn by a surveyor or simply by printing a copy of the parcel from the County's GIS system to the appropriate scale As a reminder , all accessory structures must be located outside ANY portion of the septic repair area and NO structures of any type are allowed within easements whether for drainage , utility or access If you have any questions , feel free to let us know • Residential Plan Review Update From Walter Blackman , Plan Reviewer Electronic Plan Review Our goal is to serve contractors , engineers , and architects by saving them time and money With this , we have developed a system for plan review This process should save everyone some time and money Plans shall be submitted in PDF format I will communicate via email during the plan review process , or by telephone which ever is most suitable After , electronic plan review approval the customer is responsible for printing and submitting drawings that reflect any changes discussed during plan review process • New Conditional Power Form • New Residential Plan Review Application The builders that are making copies of the old application and using them please fill - out the new application • New Residential 2009 Code Summary Forms - The new 2009 Code is now effective and for builders that have plans from the 2006 Code By completing this form , the builder would not have to redraw their plans showing the 2009 Code • NC Energy Code Compliance Certificate requires all builders to post compliance certificate in each home permitted after July 1 , 2009 Office Staff attaching to permit card available online Fill - in and print option You can find all the forms and handouts online at wwwjohnstonnccom inspections under the Reference Desk NC Energy Code Johnston County is in Zone 3 ; however , Wake County is in Zone 4 5PagePage pageNumber6New on Pools Code Revisions North Carolina Residential Code , Appendix G North Carolina Building Code , Section 31095 The following amendments to the code sections referenced above have been approved by the NC Building Code Council , have cleared NC Administrative Rules Review , and are mandatory enforceable effective June 1 , 2009 Portable Storable Pools Seasonal Pools Inflatable pools , non - metal frame Requirements Swimming Pool Application No site plan needed Fee 6000 6PagePage pageNumber7Manufactured Housing , Set - Up Contractor Reminders 7PagePage pageNumber88PagePage pageNumber99Page0Reference Documents 10Page111Page