Building Inspections Newsletter, Issue 14, August 2009 - January 2010

10 Newsletter JOHNSTON COUNTY BUILDING INSPECTIONS DEPARTMENT Issue 14 August 2009 - January 2010 Mission Statement hnston 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 Jo If you experience any problems with the Listserv or Newsletter , feel free to email me Beth Stewart at bethstewart @ johnstonnccom We hope you have a happy New Year ; we would like to thank you for the productive year in 2009 We are ready to start out the New Year right , by making all the improvements to serve you better this New Year , 2010 In order to do this , we ask for feedback from you so we can make these improvements Our goal is to provide excellent customer service to the builders and citizens of Johnston County IMPORTANT Cold Weather Advisory Question Should the local inspections departments allow concrete pours footings in particular during these extreme cold conditions Answer The NC codes require concrete construction to be accomplished in accordance with ACI 318 - 05 an extensive document approximately 1 " thick Section 512 provides the very basics of " Cold weather requirements " and the commentary for this section states " Recommendations for cold weather concreting are given in detail in " Cold Weather Concreting " reported by ACI Committee 306 " A copy of this report may be downloaded at the following web link http wwwccagcorg pdfs ACI_306R - 88_Cold_Weather_Concretingpdf Section 11 of Cold Weather Concreting defines cold weather as " a period when , for more than three consecutive days , the following conditions exist 1 the average daily air temperature is less than 40 0 F 5 0 C and 2 the air temperature is not greater than 50 0 F 10 0 C for more than one - half of any 24 - hr period " It is the position of this office that concrete placement in " cold weather " must be done in compliance with an approved plan of action based on the principles included in " Cold Weather Concreting " reported by ACI Committee 306 " Department of Insurance did say that we could allow a concrete pour if the contractor provides to us a copy of ACI and a " Plan of Action " ACI 306 has the conditions to be met for a cold weather pour Otherwise , have a Geo Technical engineer on site test for acceptable slump and air entrainment during the pour also provides the plan of action per ACI 306 Concrete subject to freezing and thawing during construction shall be air entrained Total air content shall not be less than 5 percent or more than 7 percent Concrete will have lower water - cementitious materials ratios and porosity and , therefore , improved frost resistance All concrete materials and all reinforcement ,Pageforms , fillers , and ground with whi c h concrete is to come in contact shall be free from frost Adequate equipment shall be pr ovided for heating concrete ma terials and pro t ec ting co nc r e te during f r eezing o r near freezing weather Buildin g C o de Deep Free ze Author , Dean Barbour This is the first day in two week s that the ice on my pon d is showing si gns of tha w ing The thermome te r is reaching close to fifty degree s today , an d the concr e te con t rac t or s have stopped throwing e ggs at my i n spectors an d have gone back to wor k NO ; you can't pour concrete in freezing weather , unless you have an action pl an to pro t ect the concret e What we need is a good thaw , builders building houses , bankers le nding mon e y to the aforementi oned , an d realtors selling new homes The Inspecti on Depar t men t has poste d an increase in reside ntial buildi n g permits for three c o nsecutive months Th is might be a thaw , bu t builder s want a tren d , can't hel p you at thi s time , but it's a star t HEY ; we had two full moons in December , and the last one around the twenty ninth was blue Misse d it , di d you , better start to buil d houses or you will mi ss the thaw When Noah built the Ar k it was not raining , if you wait for nice weather everyone that wants to be a builder will be in the market I think Johnston County shou ld le ad the way and be the triangle's l e ader in new house starts , l e t's c o me out of the deep fr eez e and start a trend BU ILD Code on St eps R3 11 5 3 1 Maximum r i se 8 - 1 4 " M i nimu m T r ead depth 9 " 2 Headroo m 6 - 8 " in ALL PARTS of the stairway 3 Th e t o p an d b o t t o m ris e r o f in t e rio r st a i rs sh a ll not exceed the smal l e r r i s e r withi n tha t sta i r run by mo re th an 3 4 " 4 The tr ea d dept h sha l l be mea s ur ed horizontally bet w een the v e rt ic al p l an es o f t h e for e most p r oj ecti on of the a d ja cent trea ds a n d a t a ri ght a n g l e to the tr ea d s lea d i n g edge 5 The r a dius of c u rvature at the lead ing edg e of the tr ea d sha l l be no gr e a te r t h an 9 16 " A nosi ng not l e ss tha n 3 4 " but not mor e tha n 1 - 1 4 " shall be provided on st airs with solid rise rs 6 Mi ni mum of one tr ea d depth i s r e quir ed between the bo ttom step and t h e door or case ope n i n g Pl ea s e r e me m b er w e do not know the floor f i nish on t h e rough - in inspection It is y o ur r e sponsi bil i t y to ha ve the cor r ect ri se a n d r un on the fi nal i n specti on Page• Found ati o ns Cr a wl spaces Here is some informatio n that will save time R4082 Gr ound vapor retarder Requires full coverage ground va por r e tarde r s for all wall vente d ground spa ces Wall vented cra w l spaces s h all be prot ected from w a ter entry by the evapo r a t ion of wate r from the g r ound s u rfa c e A mini mum 6 mil polyethylen e vapor retarder o r eq uivalent shall be installed to nominally cover all exposed ea rth in the crawl space wi th joints lapped not less than 12 " Where there i s no evid enc e that the gr ound water table can ri se to w i thin 6 " of the floor of the craw l space , i t is acceptable to puncture th e gro und vapor retarder at low s p ots to prevent water p u ddles fro m forming on top of the v a por r e tard er d u e to co nden sation The floo r o f the c r awl s p ace shall b e grad ed so that it drains to one of more low spots Install a drai n to daylight or sump pump at e a ch low s p ot Cr awl s p ace drai ns s h all be kept s e pa rate fro m roof gu tte r drain s y s t ems an d f o un da tio n perimeter drains Th e drain or drains are to be inst alled under the polyethylene vapor retarder R40911 A ccess A minimum a c cess op ening meas uring 18 " by 24 " shall be pro v ided to the crawl space See N C M e c h anical cod e for a cce ss req u ire m e n ts wh ere mechani c al equipment is located under floors a n d NC M e cha n ical code fo r access re q u ire m e n ts wh er e Plumbing eq uipment is loca ted und er floors R40912 Removal of debris The cra w l spa ce floor shal l be cl eaned of all veget a tion and organic material All wood fo rm s used for p l acing conc r e te shall be removed b e fore the b u ilding is occupied o r used for an y purpose All construc tion materials sha ll be remo ved b e fore the build ing is occu pied or used for any purpose R40913 Fi nished grade The fin i shed g r ade of the c r awl space ma y be located at the bottom of the footings ; ho we ver , whe r e the r e is e v idenc e tha t the gro und w a ter tabl e can rise t o w i thin 6 " of the finished grade o f th e cra w l spa ce at the p e rimete r or wh ere ther e is eviden ce that the su rfac e wate r does not readily drain from the building site , the grad e i n the c r awl space s h all be as high a s the outsid e finish ed grade , unless an appro v ed d r ainag e system is provided Section R 305 Ceiling Hei g ht E xce p tions 3 an d 4 gi ves everybody the most tr ouble R3051 Mi nimum height Habitable rooms , hallways , corridors , ba throoms , toi l et rooms , a n d laund ry rooms shall have a ceiling heig ht of not less than 7 feet The req u ire d height s h all be meas ure d fro m t h e finish ed floor to the lowest proj ection from the ceiling Exce ptions 1 Bea m s and girders spa ced not les s than 4 on center ma y project not more than 6 " belo w required ceiling height 2 Ceilings in basements may project to wi thin 68 " of the finished floor Bea m s , girder , ducts , or other obstructions may p r oject to within 64 " of the finished floo r 3 For rooms with sloped ceilings , at least 50 of th e required floor area of the room must ha ve a ceiling height of at least 7 and no portion of t h e requi r ed floor area may have a ceiling height of less than 5 4 Bat h roo m s shall have a minimum ceiling height of 68 " measur ed at the front of t h e fixture A shower or tub equipped with a sh ower head shall have a minimum ceiling height of 68 " above a minimu m ar ea 30 " b y 3 0 " at the sh owe r h e ad Building Informatio n to c o nside r Braced Wall Panels If the area they are to be installed has been approved , the inspector will then l o ok at the installation of these panels at the Rough - In or I n sulation i n s p ection The inspect o r will indicate on th e notice that it is ok to i n stall the braced wall panels for inspection 3 Continue Building Code PageExterior Covering 4 Weep holes 70376 Weepholes Weep holes shall be provided in the outside wyt h e of m a sonry walls at a maxim u m s p acing of 4 8 inches 1219mm on center Weepholes shall not be less than 3 16 inch 48mm in diameter Weep holes shall be located immediately above the flashing There are NO exceptions that allow exclusions fo r weepholes Weepholes are required under cover e d areas Stone V e neer Johnston Co unty Insp ec tions Depa rtme nt req u ires a l a th inspection I f installing manu factur ed stone th e manufacturer's installation instructions will need to be left in the job box for the insp ector to do the inspection Man u factured stone shall have the ability to drain w a te r via weepholes or equiv a lent PagePage pageNumber5Q With th e size of t h e units gettin g larger what wi ll need t o be done fo r attic acc e ss A Section 3063 of the 2009 NC Mechani c al Code requires that attics containing appliances shall be provided wi th an openi n g and uno bstructed p a ssage wa y large enough to allo w removal of the largest appliance The passa g e way shall not be less than 30 inches hig h and 22 inches wide and no t more tha n 20 feet in le ngth m e asu r ed along th e ce nter lin e of the pas s agewa y fr o m the op eni n g to the ap pliance The passa g e way shall have continuous solid fl ooring no t l e ss than 24 inches wid e A level service space not less tha n 30 inches deep a n d 3 0 inches wi de sha ll be pres ent at the f r ont of s e rvic e side of the appliance The cl ear ac cess op enin g dime nsion s shall be a minimu m of 20 " by 30 " where such dimensions are large enough to allow removal of the largest appliance K e ep in mind , the equipment has to come out of the acces s and the code has mi ni mum access sizes W e have found th at a lot of coils and air handlers are 22 inc h es wid e and will not cl ear the pull down stairs ope n ing Exce ptions 1 The passa g e way a n d level service spa ce ar e n o t requir ed wh ere the a ppliance is capable of being servi c ed and removed t h roug h the req u ired o p ening 2 Where the passagewa y is not less than 6 feet high fo r its entire lengt h , the passa gewa y shall not be limited in length Q When do we have to star t us ing R - 2 ar mflex ins u lation on our line sets A The requirement w a s put into the Energy Co de section 4033 July 09 This section requires that systems piping capable of carrying fluids above 105 de grees F or below 55 degrees F shall be insulated to a minimu m of R - 2 You nee d to use prope r ins u lation on any job pe rmit ted und er t h e n e w cod e Q Do we n eed to s t a r t insulati ng our bath exhaust ducts installed in attics A Section 30612 of the Mechanical Code does require that minimum insula tion to be installed on ducts that may condensate Reading the co mmentary on this section does requ ire exha ust ducts to be insulated in attics to prevent condensation a n d R - 8 wo uld be the i n s u lation value required Q Does the current code re quir e three foot cl ear a n c e from e x haust terminati o ns to win d ow s and doors in residential A Yes Secti o n 50121 of the Mechanical Code , Item # 3 For environmental air d u cts 3 feet fro m property lines , 3 feet from operabl e openings i n to building s for all occupancies other tha n group U and 1 0 feet from mechani c al air intakes En viron m e n tal Air is defined as air t h at is conveyed to or from occupied areas thro ugh ducts which are not part of the heating or a i r - conditioning system , such as ventilation fro m hum an us age , dome stic kitche n ran g e exhaust , ba t h roo m exh a us t an d d o mes t ic cl othes drye r exhaust Q Wh at are the tes t requireme n ts for hy dronic pi pi ng A Section 12081 of the Mechanical Code req u ires that hydroni c piping must be tested at one and one h a lf times the maximum system desi gn but not less than 100 psi Mechanic al Re minder Fl oa t Swi t ch • On final in specti on , we do require that if a fl oa t s w itch has be en provide d in an atti c installe d ai r handler , it i s re quired to be wired Bu t if the th ermostat wire is not connected at thi s time , the inspe c tion will still be passe d Q C a n P V C pi pe be us ed f o r t h e drai n line from a water he at er pan A No , Not f o r the 2009 NC Plumbi ng Code 50471 The 20 06 Code wo uld allow the use of PV C piping material fro m the drain line fro m a water heater pa n when it included Table 7021 , Table 7021 is no larger included Section 50471 only allows material listed in table 6054 does not included PVC piping 5 Mechanical Code Questio n s & Answers Plumbing Code Questions & AnswersPagePage pageNumber6 Q Di d the maxi mum distance fr om fi xture to vent change in the 2009 Plumbing Code A Section 9061 Distance o f trap from vent Each fixture t r ap shall ha ve a prot ect i on vent located so that the slope a n d the d e v e loped lengt h in the fixt ure drain f r om the trap w e ir to the vent fitting are w i thin the req u irements set forth i n Table 906 1 9062 Venting of Fi xture drains The total fall in a fixture drain due to pipe slope shall not exc eed th e diameter of the fi xture drain , no r s h all the ve n t conne ction to a fixture drain , except for water closets , be below the weir of the trap Q Will a pressure - re d ucing val v e with a therma l expansion bypass buil t in , be an acce ptabl e means to contr o l thermal expansion A No According to the engineers who d e sign this type b y pass in the PRV state , this type of bypass is design ed to only wo rk wh en the o u tlet press u re e x c eeds the inlet pr e ssur e The 2009 Pl umbing code states in section 6073 Thermal expansion control A means of controlling increas e d p r ess u r e cau s ed by t h er mal expa nsion shall be provide d wher e r e qui r ed in acco r d ance with Sections 60 731 and 60732 60731 Pressure - red ucing valve For wate r s e rvice systems s i xes up to a n d including 2 i n ches , a device for controlling pressure shall be inst alled where , because of thermal expansio n , the pressure on the do wnstream side of a p r es sure - r e d uci n g valve ex cee ds the p r ess u r e - red u cing valve setting Exa m ple S t reet or s e r v ice p r ess u r e is 90 psi Inlet pres su re Pressure reducing valve with b u ilt in bypass is fa ctory set at 50 psi Outlet pressure There is nothing controllin g the increased pressure caused by t h er mal ex p a nsion as r e quired by section 60731 The b y pass only a c tivates after 90 psi in this exam ple Q I am a li censed Plumbing Contractor and I am installing a water line for a lawn irri gation s y s t em D o I need to get a plu m bin g permit f o r the ins t allati o n A Yes , but it w o uld onl y cover from the meter to the backflow p r eventer and i n clude the ba ckflo w preventer This type of installat i on would also require that the insta ller be a licensed plumbing or utility contractor The N C State Boa r d of Examiners of Pl umbi ng , Heating and Fire Sp rinkl e r Contract ors hav e posted on t h eir web site clarification and N C G e neral Statutes for this requirement Go to ww wn c lice n singor g C lick on the tab Interpretations Please check with the Irrigation Licens e Boa r d as to how much of the " I rriga tion Sy stem " can be ins t alled as a pl umbing c o ntractor , if any See Reference Documents at the e n d of Newsl e tter page s 10 - 12 Q C a n P E X pi pe be i n s t alled n e xt t o ca n lights A The NC Plumbing Co de 2009 30 32 Installations of mat e rials All materials used shall be installed in strict accordance with the standards und er which the ma terials are a ccept ed an d approv ed In the absence of such installation proced ures , the manu facturers in stallation instructi o ns shall be followed Whe r e th e r e quir em ent s of r e fe re n c ed standa r ds or ma nu f a cture r inst allation instructions do not confo r m to minimum provisions of this code , the provisions of this code shall apply Attached are tw o copies of insta llat i on instructi o ns for PE X pipe next to recessed lighting These installat i ons instructions came from PPFA " Pla stic Pipe and Fittings Association " and fro m " Zurn com " See Refer e nce Documents at the end of Newslette r pages 13 - 14 These instructions are subject to change w i thout notice It is always good practi ce to keep t h e most current copy of installati on instruct ions on hand 6 Continue Plumbing Code Questions & Answers PEX PI PIN G AN D RE CES S LI G H T S DO N'T MIXPagePage pageNumber7Q What pr ocess or fi rst steps does the license bo ar d t a ke wh en inf o rma t ion about a co mpl a i n t comes in on a license d or unlice n sed contr a ctor A If a formal complaint is received by our office a letter is sent to the l i cens ee o r u n licens e d p e rso n notifying them that a complaint has been filed against them and ask th at they respond to explain their side of the complaint The file is al so sent to the inve stigator to start t h e investigation If the compliant is received in the field by one of our i n spectors t h e inspector will start the inve stigation and during the process the inspector will contact t h e licensee to discuss t h e facts a n d evidence found during the investigation Q Wh at are the min i mum pen a lty s an d the maxi mum pen a lty s that can be gi v e n to someone t h at has be en fo un d i n viola t io n of t h e co des A The penalty is dependent o n the co mplete facts of the case if so meone was exposed to harm o r danger , if there w a s intent to a bscond with funds , why the violatio ns happe ned , pre v ious co mplaints , supervision , etc so there is no way to list the mi nimu m o r maxim u m since each case is w e ig hed on the merits of that specific case The Bo ard has the authority to revoke qualif ications or to close a case for no cause Q Does it matter if I call the license boar d or do I need an Ins p ector to c a ll Do I need to call my local inspections offi ce first Who can I get a fas t er respon se with What i n f o rmati o n do I need whe n I call the m A A homeowner ca n contact the licensing boa r d di rectly w i thout going through the inspections depart ment The respo nse time fro m the boa r d on co mpliant investigations is typically dependent on investigator case load , though we d o try to use judgm ent o n cases i n volving dang er or no hea t cooling in extre m e co nditions for elderly , phy s ically handicapped or those with ch ildren Yo u are not re quired to contact the local inspections depart ment fi rst , but ma ny times the local inspections depa rtment can hel p resolv e the proble m wit h the lice n s ee If a h o meo w ner wi shes to file a complaint they ca n from our web s it e wwwnclicensingorg ? We are no w in the 200 8 NEC for permits issued July 1 , 2008 and later ? SE cable and Tamper Resistant Rece ptacles are in effect ? Arc - Fault Circuit In t e rrupter P r otecti on for Dwelling Units and Rece ptacles in Da mp and Wet Locations to be listed fo r such us e b e came effe ctive January 1 , 200 9 ? CSST Bo nding R e quire m e n ts CSST Pipe is required to be bonde d per the manufacturer s installation instructions ; this is not a requirement from the N C Fuel Gas Code The foll owi n g are the cu rrent wi re sizes needed for specific name br ands Na me Wire Size G a s t i t e # 6 C o p p e r Tracpipe Table 25 0 6 6 ' 0 8 NE C Metal Fab Di a mon d B a ck # 6 C o p p e r Parflex Table 25 0 6 6 ' 0 8 NE C Proflex Table 25 0 6 6 ' 0 8 NE C If the name brand that you are using is not one of these you will need to provide the installation instructions to the inspec to r 7 Ele c tr ica l Points of Intere st Gas Piping See R e ference Documents for further inform ation rega rding Gas Piping pages 15 - 18 Continue Plumbing Code Questions & Answers Questions f o r the State Board of Examine r s of Pl umbing , Heating & Fire S p rinkler Co ntractors PagePage pageNumber8? Check back over the work be fore ca lling for inspections ? No reversed drawing plans and pla n s must be neat , legible , intact , and complete ? Stamped ap proved plans IN JOB B O X at time of inspection ? On plans SEALED with and engineers stamp , any cha n ge befo re , d u ring , or after construction will require a letter from an engi neer ad dressing those changes The letter shal l be site specific a n d must b e stamped with an engineer's seal Certificate of Occu pa ncy or Certificate of Compliance will not be issued wi th only a field copy letter ? On NO N - SE ALED plans code plans without an engineer s s t amp , any change befo re , during , or after will require approval thru PL ANS REVIEW ? For " pre - ap p roved plans " system , any re ports , letters , or s i milar that are PLANS specific rather that site specific must be sub m itted fo r plan review AN D attached to inspections office copy and to all inspector's field cop y with red stamp on each ? Orange p e rmit card AND site plan as req u ired to be in an accessibl e location ONSITE for ea ch inspection ? Clearly id en tify lot co nstruction site and ENTRANCE ? Lot lines must indentified and setba c ks verifi ed ? Porta - Jon required to b e onsite by foundation inspection ? Plans and o r truss dra w ings are req u ired to be onsite for exterior inspection ? Pay fo r add e d squa r e feet that wa s not includ ed with o r ig inal permit ? Plumbi ng a n d gas test are on ? Fire blocking and dra f ting stopping are co mplete ? Che c k for o v er not c h e d c u t f r am in g m e m b er s ? Tem p er ed g l ass installed wh er e r e q u ired ? Nail plates installed as necessary ? Drain lines are p r operly grad ed and suppo rted ? Provid e lad d er s as ne eded for ins p ection ? Power will only be turned on with Certificate O ccupa ncy or with application of conditional power ? E n ergy Code Compliance E CC certif icate given out when permit is purchased to be filled out and installed on an interior panel bo x door or interior kitchen cabine t before Certificate of Occupancy can be iss u ed A quick w a lk through can save TIME and Money Each yea r the No rth Car o lina G e ne ral Co n t ra c t or s L i ce n s in g B o ar d se n d s ou t a lis t of contractors who hav e f a iled to r e n e w their ge ne ral contractor's license W e ar e r e quir ed at that time to r e vok e per m its that ar e held b y th e unlice n se d contracto r Until 2007 , the fee to r e new the per m it was t h e full amo unt of the o r iginal per m it Because of the incr ease in the failur e to r e new license in 2006 and 2007 , the Jo hnst o n Co unt y Inspections D e pa rtment negotiated w i th the C o unty to r e duce that fee to 2000 0 This fee is the same for e x pir e d per m its , for e closur es a n d cha n ge of general contractor U pdate for Land lord s Beginning January 1 , 2 010 under the new Nort h Car o lina state law , landlor ds ar e now r e quir ed to inst all at least one battery or el ectric carbon mono xide alar m on each level of each r e ntal unit Landlor ds must e n sur e that the c a rbon mono xide appliance is operating at the b e ginning o f each n e w le ase Th ey m u st r e pair o r r e plac e th e alar m within 15 days of being notified in writing of a nee d for r e pair or r e placem ent and may b e fin e d if the y ar e out of co mpliance All Orange Permit Cards are req u ired to be i n the job b o x for ALL i n spections The i n spe c tor i s required to sign the per m it card at all inspecti ons NO inspections will be made wit h card When an inspection is passed , the inspector wi ll no t leave a no tic e on si te ; however , the inspecto r is Passed Reminders Up dates to Remem b er Steps to passing your in spection s the first time required to s i gn the permi t card Please co n t 8 out a permit a c t the Inspec tio n Department if your permit c a r d has not bee n signed PagePage pageNumber9Currently 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 have the phones on at 7 30am for your convenience Residential Conditional Power is ONLY good for 30 days • 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 NC Energy Code Johnston County is in Zone 3 ; however , Wake County is in Zone 4 You can find all the forms and handouts online at wwwjohnstonnccom inspections under the Reference Desk Reference Documents Backflow Interpretation Letter Pages 10 - 12 Plumbing Pex Use Pages 13 - 14 Fuel Piping Letters Pages 15 - 18 Please Remember 2009 Annual Report Permit Activity 3,024 building permits Commercial 758 Commercial site plans construction plans drawings were reviewed Objective for 2010 • Work toward achieving Master Code Professional certification for all qualified Inspectors through the International Code Council Master Code Professional is the highest level certification offered by the ICC There are only five inspectors in the state with this certification • Update MobileHWY software to make it more inspector & customer friendly • Customer relations enhance our customer service skills ; first impressions are very important us Residential Plan Review Update , From Walter Blackman Plan Reviewer Electronic Plan Review is now functional you can email your plans to walterblackman @ johnstonnccom for review This saves time & money If you have any questions , please contact Walter at 9199895064 Continue Reminders Page010Page111Page212Page313Page414Page515Page616Page717Page818Page