What's Your Philosophy

[Glenn]

Never forget the difference between minimum standard and best standard, and the freedom and the market that thrive on the distinction. For if the market thrives on the minimum, the best will take our freedom.

 

[RJJ]

It is always one choice to build above the code, but the code needs to function between the Market Place and minimum safety. Most homeowners will choose Granit Tops over sprinklers. We no they don't see the big deal they have smokes. Many arguments I have had with Homeowners finishing their basement until I tell them they need a second means of egress. The question is always why? The excuse often is there goes my pool table or big screen.

 

[tmurray]

We keep calling it a "minimum standard", but everyone else hears "good enough". I keep telling people that the code is the absolute worst building you can build that isn't too dangerous to be used. Lately I've been finding "life safety" doesn't have the effect it should on people. I've started saying "it's required to keep people from dying" rather than "it's required for life safety". Maybe we're using to many buzz words in our industry and people don't know what's at stake anymore.

 

[MASSDRIVER]

Code and quality are two different things. You can build to a very high quality standard and not meet code. You also can exceed code and build a total POS.

As for "Keep you from dying", a lot of that is to protect from the worst possible circumstances that can be imagined. Sometimes the world does not want to be protected that much. Not to say there should not be legitimate safety controls, but reality based common sense has a place too.

Brent.

 

[Gregg Harris]

"reality based common sense has a place too."

That is a commodity that is in short supply.

 

[Yankee]

"reality based common sense has a place too."That is a commodity that is in short supply.

common sense just means you have made that mistake already before. . .