duct clearance

[inspector1]

An existing house has a mold problem. The contractor is going to pour a slab under the house and put a close up the crawl space. (condition crawl space) Is the duct work still required to have the 4" minimum clearance?:banghd

 

[fatboy]

The section says from "earth"..........not concrete.

 

[north star]

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inspector1,

Welcome to The Building Codes Forum!

FWIW, has the "mold" been inspected & documented as mold, or

is this an assumption?.......There are certain forms / strains of

mildew / fungi that resemble mold.....Actual mold is big litigation

business these days.......Just askin'...

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[inspector1]

Northstar

Thanks and the homeowner has hired an engineer who has confirmed that this is mold. In order to correct the problem he has stated that the original dut needs to come out and be repalced after the rawlspace is closed. The HVAC company and engineer were asking about the clearance issues in case they had to go overhead. I know the section says 4 inches from the "earth", but suppose the concrete is only 2" thick. I just didn't want to be on the hook if another problem arises with the ductwork.

 

[fatboy]

Since in another section of the code, R408.3 (2006) you are allowed for non-ventilation purposes to seal earth with a vapor retarder, I would accept 2" of concrete, and I would think a reasonable inspector would to. Have you chatted with the AHJ?

And yes, welcome to the forum.