• 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

In addition to clarify the ducting ran thru this space, it is behind the sheetrock, it is the main trunk line with take-offs feeding the home's living space below thru ceiling diffusers..it is not feeding this space, but could be only if I cut open the wall and do my take-offs from the main itself situated between the diagonal chords of the truss. This is my 3rd home I have built and did my own ductwork as I have on the other 2 and never had those sized either. I've simply asked the HVAC guys at work what size should I put in a home of "x" size and they tell me. I did tell them it needed to accomodate upwards of 1600 sqf which it would be if I were to run it to all the space 100%. So higher volume of ducting leaves a quieter supply I have realized or my hearing is worse.
 
bill1952 said:
I thought assessments for property taxes were supposed to relate to market value. They do where I live, with assesed value being close to market value. (Which if Early R's profile location is correct, I'm in same county and 25 miles or so from him.) I don't know anything about GLAs and SCARs. It seems these unfinished rooms add to the market value - since they admittedly were built for profit. Yes, worth a little less than if finished, but 10 or 20% maybe? Look at real estate for comps, and around here most places are going over asking price by a lot.

I can only assume fighting with an assessor is like fighting with a building official - like wrestling with a pig in mud - the pig likes it and the pig usually wins. (Stolen from a building officials signature, a fellow who I worked with on code development years ago.)
Click to expand...
Find a comp with a 1 bedroom house, you won't find them up here I can tell you that much...not in 13612 zipcode or for many miles...maybe in the big cities.
 
ICE said:
Did you miss a zero?
Click to expand...
No he started into my build with an increased assessment at 40K something then up and up...last year at 233K for a house with no water connection or sewer, rooms unfinished and no finish flooring or trim..no C of O obviously...got it reduced to 198K then this year back exactly to 233K this year before I had gotten the C of O which was literally 3 or so days before grieveance...so no justification for increase other than the sewer and water connection he made have been made aware of possibly. Without the C of O, that would not make it jump that much when no others on road have been increased. This obvious he's toying with me.
 
Early E said:
How is running ductwork thru the unusable portion of the truss and having electric in the space made it a different story? Cellars and garages are not living space and have electrical. There is NO duct into these space..it is unheated space per the definition of non living space. Window egress only affects it's ability to be utilized as a "bedroom" it can still be living space like a study, living room whatever you want to call it......however, the big key here is it is unheated and unfinished, no trim, no finish floor and the building inspector would have not made it clear it is storage otherwise. In addition to this....here is a cut right from the assessor's handbook regarding "finish" : The finished area must be similar in quality to that found in the main living area, but does not have to be finished with the same materials. This will not be added into the square footage of living area and it will not be costed.

Again, you are playing the same game the assessor did here. How is this space any different than the cellars/basements in almost all the homes that have them...It is not! It has the potential to be, but until it is......It is not. No different than the kraft faced insulation below a subfloor not being covered with the recommended sheetrock which is often done.......is a hazard to the home period. Plastic sheeting does not provide adequate barrier for a barrier on something flammable and which is required for this type of home/cape cod.

Even if...................the room got finished, it cannot be classified as bedroom space and hence, it's still a 1 bed 2 bath home and you won't find a market value on a 1 bedroom home that is where I have on this. It is not and the homes nearby far exceed it's worth, yet I am being toyed with by inspector because I refused his entry 3 years ago, just like the other guy I linked the story about he ran into.
Click to expand...
Early,
Your space is (using the correct term) Indirectly conditioned, because it is within the Building Envelope
You said that you "merely" have to connect the registers to the Already Installed trunk duct

In Philly we call a celler the below grade space that contains the heating / cooling unit and is used for storage.
Something like your approach, it is not considered Habital Space" (especially when misused as a bedroom also consider a gas-fired standard warm air furnace) because it does not have a proper egress window well.
Basement on the other hand is or is potentially a Habital Space

The real point is, you over played your hand and Substantially Completed the construction so that a new buyer would consider the EXTRA VALUE YOU CONSTRUCTED even if it wasn't 100% complete with paint rugs and trim.
The Assessor is considering the extra value for the work that you have done,

So, nice try but the Assessor has got the facts on their side, and it seems your push back is just making this more personal and contentious. I too have a tendency to dig in my heels in situations like this.
Perhaps a conversation like, it cost me 50% of the fair cost for a fully finished 2nd floor, how about 50% of the assessed value for my partially completed 2nd floor? At the end of the day IT IS NOT AND UNFINISHED ATTIC
 
  • Like
Reactions: SDS
Wonder how easy it would be to convert the upstairs window to code-correct eero? Probably not hard.
 
Genduct said:
I am confused by your response

The Kraft Paper is the vapor retarder in the Insulation Product. It is not a finish or something added to the Assembly. So what Code reference is your Municipal Official referring to that requires you to complete your unfinished/uninhabitable space so they may increase your taxes, Before you decide to complete your improvements?

So they are going to put the Christmas decorations up there until they need the extra space and have the money to complete the work? Interesting Over Reach, me thinks!
Click to expand...
My point is if you had not used Kraft faced insulation the requirement to cover the KF would not have to be enforced, with unfaced insulation and the appropriate plastic barrier could have been left exposed and the assessor may have look at the space differently.
 
Early E said:
The plans were approved and I am unaware of duct sizing being dictated in any coding. Ducting is often oversized...is mine? I have no idea. Seems as though you are like the assessor grasping as straws to project something that is not so.
Click to expand...
Duct work sizing and HVAC equipment sizing is governed by the energy code, and the reference standard of ACCA Manual D, J and S
 
Early E said:
Even if...................the room got finished, it cannot be classified as bedroom space and hence, it's still a 1 bed 2 bath home and you won't find a market value on a 1 bedroom home that is where I have on this. It is not and the homes nearby far exceed it's worth, yet I am being toyed with by inspector because I refused his entry 3 years ago, just like the other guy I linked the story about he ran into.
Click to expand...
Live and learn. Your area has a high property tax rate. The upside is that the valuation of $233K is about $100K less than what would fly in much of the country. The $40K works out to about $760.00 per annum.
 
TheCommish said:
My point is if you had not used Kraft faced insulation the requirement to cover the KF would not have to be enforced, with unfaced insulation and the appropriate plastic barrier could have been left exposed and the assessor may have look at the space differently.
Click to expand...

Just pointing out, plastic would require covering the same as kraft facing.

Edit, you did write appropriate plastic.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top