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  1. R

    mud sill

    "The idea that the mud-sill is a dry environment based on the trades getting it right always .....well who other than ICC believes that? " In other words, have them do something that the code does not require because they don't do something else that the code does require. I agree most don't...
  2. R

    Florida Owner Builder - Metal buildig kit as residential home?

    What others have said is correct. You can make an appointment to talk to someone in planning and zoning who should be able to answer general questions about what you can and can't build. Afterwards probably someone in the building department will talk to you and give you their guidelines...
  3. R

    Hawaii pier and post

    Hawaii would be in a hurricane zone I presume. On the Gulf Coast where I live the recommendation is for no bracing between the piers and the floor system so that it can "move" some in strong winds. I assume the principal is similar to how bridges are built to move but I am not an engineer.
  4. R

    Knob & Tube Wiring and Replacement Insulation

    Thanks so much for the quick responses
  5. R

    Knob & Tube Wiring and Replacement Insulation

    This question relates to the Building Official's authority to require replacement of knob and tube wiring. This old house was in close proximity to a major fire and suffered smoke damage. The insurance company acknowledged lots of cleaning and removal and replacement of insulation in the...
  6. R

    Does your jurisdiciton require approved plans on site?

    As a contractor I twice had problems with lost/stolen/destroyed/couldn't find on-site plans. Afterwards I always took my approved set and had two copies made. One went to the job site and the other was in the office as a back up in case something happened to the first set. The original...
  7. R

    3" vtr

    There are several plumbing codes and I believe most of them require one 3" 'vent through the roof.
  8. R

    Conex Boxes as dwellings?

    I'll jump in here on this one as I have working on perfecting designs with these for several years and will be starting the first one (model home) next year. My approach from the beginning is that it is a non standard building material and therefore every aspect of it must be fully engineered...
  9. R

    What is the space below the Flood Plain Considered? Is it a story

    Qualifications for answering the question: I am a designer, a contractor and a certified flood adjuster for over 20 years. Areas that have flood insurance (definitely along the coastal areas of Long Island) must have there own requirements that are part of their local regulations for reducing...
  10. R

    2 x 2 ledger strip fastening

    I know the code doesn't approve or not approve based on wood species, but I would think they would work fine on most framing lumber except yellow pine which is so hard and tends to split more easily. The cost of the hangers is a factor on smaller houses that are trying to hold the cost down.
  11. R

    vent craw space

    In 2005 I built a model home (that I ended up living in) which was my first sealed-insulated crawlspace. It was in the Southwest at 7,200' so a fairly cold winter climate. HVAC was forced air through uninsulated ducts in the crawlspace. The system was efficient because it is so much easier to...
  12. R

    flashing requirements for cement board siding?

    Thanks to all. I wrote J. Hardi and asked them about doing it this way and their response was it had to b ethere because the code required it. I have written them back quoting them all of the code sections and that it is NOT a code requirement but they haven't responded yet. With a full rain...
  13. R

    flashing requirements for cement board siding?

    I have always specified and used Z flashing at horizontal joints and have assumed it was a code requirement as well as a good practice. However, I haven't created a rain screed space with cement siding before so I considered the Z very important for keeping water out from behind the siding. I...
  14. R

    Foam Insulation?

    Doesn't the the installer have the right under the code to certify it and it has to be accepted? N1101.4 Building thermal envelope insulation. An R-value identification mark shall be applied by the manufacturer to each piece of building thermal envelope insulation 12 inches (305 mm) or more...
  15. R

    NM Cable in Crawl Spaces

    Wood girder and yes, you can staple the crossing wires directly to the bottom of it where they cross. I was looking as to how to comply with both the intent and the "letter" of the code as I believe the NEC requirement I am referring to specifically prohibits stapeling to the edge of framing...
  16. R

    NM Cable in Crawl Spaces

    The 2008 NEC requires the following: “In Unfinished Basements and Crawl Spaces. Where cable is run at angles with joists in unfinished basements and crawl spaces, it shall be permissible to secure cables not smaller than two 6 AWG or three 8 AWG conductors directly to the lower edges of the...
  17. R

    Flexible air connector

    14' is the limit for flex connectors. There is a higher grade flex duct that does not have the 14' restriction.
  18. R

    Learning Residential Building Code

    The jurisdiction I used to build in adopted the IRC and I decided I wanted to know it and not have to make corrections. I put it (hard copy), colored highlighters and colored tabs by my bed. Each night I would sit in bed until I got sleepy, reading cover to cover--slowly and intently. Each...
  19. R

    HOw deep can a framing nail head be set?

    16d nails have heads and you must have 3 of them in the ledger at each joist. The joist and rafter will be one in the same. This is a flat roof so I don't believe there would be any straps.
  20. R

    HOw deep can a framing nail head be set?

    Sorry I was not clear. I would never try to set nails in sheathing so I didn't even think that way! This will be exposed ceiling joists and they will set on a ledger. So the nails I am referring to would be the 3 headed framing nails that must be in the ledger just below each joist and the...
  21. R

    HOw deep can a framing nail head be set?

    I know they often are set some when an air gun pressure is too high. I have a design feature where I will have some framing exposed and painted. If the heads can be set slightly and puttied, it will have a nicer appearance than a flush painted nail head. However, theoritically the deeper the...
  22. R

    R502.6.1 Floor Systems

    I wouldn't think so since a joist can sit on a 1.5" (2x2) ledger.
  23. R

    Blower door test and natural ACH

    This is a subject I have read and studied quite a bit over the past several years. Building Science Corp. does a lot of research on the subject and has published quite a few papers on it. They study and write of the benefits of using an ERV or HRV but they also promote simply introducing fresh...
  24. R

    Now that we have a designer forum

    DRP--I don't think you are picking and absolutely agree. Though I think of it as a profession since it is a part of how I am paid, I have never used the term "professional" as a descriptive title of who I am.
  25. R

    Minimum room size

    I have never seen the 7' requirement there before (which is the main reason I read this forum--to keep learning). Bathrooms and closets are excluded if you go to the definition section and read Habitable space. And perhaps the stub wall here is OK because the code doesn't say where you take...
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