• Welcome to the new and improved Building Code Forum. We appreciate you being here and hope that you are getting the information that you need concerning all codes of the building trades. This is a free forum to the public due to the generosity of the Sawhorses, Corporate Supporters and Supporters who have upgraded their accounts. If you would like to have improved access to the forum please upgrade to Sawhorse by first logging in then clicking here: Upgrades

Help with building code requirement on covering kraft faced insulation please

E

Early E

Registered User
Joined
Jun 9, 2022
Messages
24
Location
Black River, NY 13612
I've had zero success in trying to get anywhere with my local tax assessor in that my covering my "unfinished walls" with sheetrock was a necessary task because leaving kraft faced insulation exposed is not allowed. I have 2 rooms upstairs on my plans that are clearly marked on my building permitted plans as "future expansion". I insulated the areas because I have room in truss cape cod style home and covered the walls with sheetrock and taped them. I only taped them or what I call "fire taping" tape imbedded in 1 coat of mud for ahering the tape to and sealing off as we typically do in commercial above ceiling wall and ceiling assemblies requiring a level of fire rating. I got my certificate of occupancy and my inspector even noted that the rooms above are for storage. I need something out of the code books to show that covering the kraft faced insulation is mandatory if anyone has a link I can pull up and print that shows this. This basically will show I was correct at grieveance for taxes when I take this up with SCARs/next level of getting my GLA/gross living area adjusted to reflect a reduced square footage for the sake of taxing me according to what I have, not what he thinks it can be later like an unfinished basement is to one that is finished.

Thanks in advance.
 
I don’t understand how two rooms would not be counted in the square footage simply because they are labeled future expansion. The building inspector recognized the rooms as “storage”. The assessor sees rooms and does not care what they are used for.
 
Not to stray from the question I asked and you didn't answer.............but.............the 2 rooms in question have sheet rock over what I am asking about. That aside, the rooms are like any bonus room in a house over a garage or in a basement and are not to be factored into the "gla/gross living area" of which assessments are based. There is a difference between GLA and SQF in a home with regards to taxation purposes and calculating them. The finish has to be comparable to the same level throughout the home and subfloor and a layer of sheetrock does not meet that definition in addition to the space not being ducted for heating. Thus the C of O mentioning "additional storage above". Now back to the question at hand. Kraft faced insulation and the need to cover this for flame spread reasons. Anyone with a link to share or a page to reference in a IRC or BOCA or similar that I can use in my quest to get the facts corrected about my home for my petition.
 
Instead of Sheetrock you could have used faced insulation and covered the with a rated plastic barrier.

The Building Codes do not govern how an assessor, appraiser or other entity values a building.
 
Technically, I don't really think it is code, but manufacturers installation instructions....So you could use like...

R106.1.2 Manufacturer’s installation instructions.
Manufacturer’s installation instructions, as required by
this code, shall be available on the job site at the time of
inspection.

R104.9 Approved materials and equipment. Materials,
equipment and devices approved by the building official shall
be constructed and installed in accordance with such
approval.

R302.9 Flame spread index and smoke-developed index
for wall and ceiling finishes. Flame spread and smoke developed
indexes for wall and ceiling finishes shall be in accordance
with Sections R302.9.1 through R302.9.4.
R302.9.1 Flame spread index. Wall and ceiling finishes
shall have a flame spread index of not greater than 200.

I kind of agree with ICE...If the assessor sees it as "finished" even if "poorly" done....it might not matter....
 
Whatever brand insulation you used, John Manville, Knauf, Owens Corning, etc.... the Kraft Face covering has stamped writing stating something along the line of “can not be left exposed” or similar.

Go online, print or screen shot and forward
 
Your rooms are "upstairs" so not below grade and will always be counted in any GLA appraisal. They will be counted differently as storage, but always counted.
 
IBC 720.2.1 Facings
Where such materials are installed in concealed spaces in buildings of Type III, IV or V construction, the flame spread and smoke-developed limitations do not apply to facings, coverings, and layers of reflective foil insulation that are installed behind and in substantial contact with the unexposed surface of the ceiling, wall or floor finish.

I'm not sure if the IRC has a similar requirement, but as others pointed out manufacturers installation instructions require kraft-faced insulation to be covered.

Can you leave the joints untaped and nailheads unspackled?
 
Early E said:
Not to stray from the question I asked and you didn't answer............
Click to expand...
He did answer … you didn’t like it. You want it to be considered unfinished space … rip out the sheetrock and insulation, leave the framing exposed. I bet you have a ceiling light fixture installed (can’t have a dark room) and at least one electrical outlet (for the vacuum cleaner).
 
It states right in the assessors handbook that 3/4 areas above first floor get subtracted from the GLA just like they do in other instances such as basements. I don't see how to post a picture on here, but have it saved for bringing to my petition....anyway...just trying to get some reference to building code that states that kraft faced insulation has to be covered. I see it on the insulation and on the insulation website to cover with a minimum of 1/2" sheetrock which I did. I am a commercial carpenter and it's always the case, you can't not cover it and it's always done with sheetrock and taped 1 coat only called fire taping and that is what I did because you can't have joints perpendicular to the trusses open or it leaves it still exposed depending on how well the sheetrock is installed. Anyway, thanks all that helped me here!
 
e hilton said:
He did answer … you didn’t like it. You want it to be considered unfinished space … rip out the sheetrock and insulation, leave the framing exposed. I bet you have a ceiling light fixture installed (can’t have a dark room) and at least one electrical outlet (for the vacuum cleaner).
Click to expand...
You have light fixtures in basements too. I have the same kind...porcelain box mounted type that is typical in basements. I didn't like his answer because it's not correct in his assumptions. Just as basements can be unfinished, so too can 2nd story spaces...ie...over garage or other. I am reading directly out of the NY assessors handbook that instructs them to deduct such spaces that are unfinished in their GLA equations. It's quite clear, he's just got a hard on for me because I declined his request to enter the build 3 years back. I have a space that is unheated, and unfinished per their definition. When it's the assessor at the grieveance that has the last/final word on whether this is correct or not...it's a no win situation, this is why I am going up to the next step of appeal. I have the proof and this fire proofing aspect was necessary per the insulation and the manufacturers instructions.
 
Paul Sweet said:
IBC 720.2.1 Facings
Where such materials are installed in concealed spaces in buildings of Type III, IV or V construction, the flame spread and smoke-developed limitations do not apply to facings, coverings, and layers of reflective foil insulation that are installed behind and in substantial contact with the unexposed surface of the ceiling, wall or floor finish.

I'm not sure if the IRC has a similar requirement, but as others pointed out manufacturers installation instructions require kraft-faced insulation to be covered.

Can you leave the joints untaped and nailheads unspackled?
Click to expand...
I did not because it's not sealed without taping one coat, just like an attached garage. I firetaped...1 coat of mud with tape embedded.
 
What is a 3/4 area? Is the area an attic? How is the area accessed? Are there any windows?
 
Last edited:
Early E said:
I didn't like his answer because it's not correct in his assumptions.
Click to expand...
I made no assumptions….I went with what you stated. I said that I didn’t understand …. That the inspector recognized the “rooms”. …. And the assessor did too. And by the way, it’s okay with me if you didn’t like my reply.

Do you have to pay a fee to file an appeal? Some jurisdictions make it so expensive to file that it seldom happens.
 
Last edited:
ICE said:
I made no assumptions….I went with what you stated. I said that I didn’t understand …. That the inspector recognized the “rooms”. …. And the assessor did too. And by the way, it’s okay with me if you didn’t like my reply.

Do you have to pay a fee to file an appeal? Some jurisdictions make it so expensive to file that it seldom happens.
Click to expand...
SCAR/small claims assessment review takes place after you are not okay with grievance day results. It cost 30 bucks to file a petition. What you might be thinking of is the next step.. Tax certorari which would take an attorney and the cost usually negates the benefit unless it's for your personal quest to win no matter what and you know you're right/I'm that kind of person to not give up. Anyway, the 3/4 area has windows of egress size too small to be legal for bedroom and that is how I designed the home to make it abundantly clear this is for storage or future expansion just like cellars and garages are and do not count on GLA calculations. Here is a cut and paste of how they deduct the space: RFV - Residential Building Area Section 9.00 Assessor’s Manual PAGE 6.00 DATE 3/1/08 EXAMPLE 5 One and three quarter story cape cod 22' wide and 38' long. One half of the three quarter story area is unfinished. No interior dimensions are provided. Formula Area = 22' x 38' = 836 square feet : A = L x W Three quarter story floor area = 627 sq. ft (836 x .75) Total main area = 836 + (627) = 1,463 sq. ft. Unfinished area = 314 sq. ft. SFLA = 1,149 sq. ft OR on the other page....SFLA = 1ST STORY + 2ND STORY + ADDT’L STORY + ½ STORY + ¾ STORY - UNFIN. ½ STORY + UNFIN. ¾ STORY + UNFIN. FULL FLOOR + FIN. ATTIC + FIN. OVER GARAGE + FIN. BSM (look closely this doesn't paste like the picture does in the manual...the minus symbol next to "- UNFIN. ½ STORY + UNFIN. ¾ STORY" ....there ya go, it has to be deducted because it has to be of similar material and quality/level of finish found in the rest of the home which it is clearly not and no ducting for heat in additon which is another item mentioned. I pointed this all out in the grievance, but the assessor was as he was 3 years ago...unwilling to acknowledge the very wording in his manual that clearly states what I have is to be deducted....hence SCARs next and then Tax certorari if necessary. I found a post online of him doing this to someone else and doing the exact same thing, bumping up my assessment each year afterwards and he's isolated my home as opposed to everyone else on my road not getting a bump up, but for me 2 years in a row. I'm not done with this guy, I will be going after him and his job before I am over with it.
 
So what is the game plan here? Call out as unfinished and as soon as the assessment is to your liking, finish the rooms? I am assuming there is some sort of agenda here to circumvent the system to save a few bucks. How do you plan on heating these rooms in the future? Did you already stub out hot water basebaord heating, maybe electrical or duct work? Why even make them part of the thermal envelope? If you want them as storage, rip out the insulation and drywall, any electrical other than a light and get reassessed. You are making way to big of a deal of this to not have a future agenda.
 
Early E said:
and he's isolated my home as opposed to everyone else on my road not getting a bump up, but for me 2 years in a row. I'm not done with this guy, I will be going after him and his job before I am over with it.
Click to expand...
That paragraph is too dense to follow … except the last part … “he’s out to get me!” … “he’s treating me different” … “it’s a personal attack”
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top