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walk through unconditioned basement to finished work out room in basement

jail

Registered User
Joined
Jan 16, 2021
Messages
21
Location
NH
My building inspector told me I can't go down the cellar stairs and walk through a unconditioned basement to a new finished work out room in the other end of the basement.
I can find no code that states this. Also, it would be impossible to condition the whole basement because the stairway is against the basement wall. House is 70 years old.
 
Ask the nice inspector for the code section/s

So you can review them and

If not provided can’t enforce

I take it you are remodeling , but have not done it yet??

So does he allow you in the basement pre-remodel?
 
I would like to know what the code says about this before I discuss it with him again. This is a remodel and an addition. The addition basement has a walk out with a slider where the new finished room will be. This room will not be used for sleeping or eating. There will not be a bathroom.
 
I would like to know what the code says about this before I discuss it with him again. This is a remodel and an addition. The addition basement has a walk out with a slider where the new finished room will be. This room will not be used for sleeping or eating. There will not be a bathroom.


Well problem is if there is not a code section for us to give you,,,, cannot tell you what to check in the code

Ask the person that says it is wrong

I get questioned all the time, and I am wrong sometimes.
 
I hate to be the bearer of potentially bad news, but this is maybe where the Inspector is coming from, 2018 IRC:

R311.1 Means of egress. Dwellings shall be provided with a means of egress in accordance with this section. The means of egress shall provide a continuous and unobstructed path of vertical and horizontal egress travel from all portions of the dwelling to the required egress door without requiring travel through a garage. The required egress door shall open directly into a public way or to a yard or court that opens to a public way.

Of course that means a code compliant path.

I think it is a reach, if the only issue is conditioned space.

When you say "cellar" stairs, that threw a flag for me.

Are the stairs compliant?

Is there compliant headroom to the space?
 
My building inspector told me I can't go down the cellar stairs and walk through a unconditioned basement
Are you over-simplyfying this? You make it sound like he won’t let you walk through the space. Is he actually saying you can’t use that path as your MOE?
 
Are you over-simplyfying this? You make it sound like he won’t let you walk through the space. Is he actually saying you can’t use that path as your MOE?
He is saying I can't finish the room in the basement if I have to walk through unconditioned space to get to it.
 
I hate to be the bearer of potentially bad news, but this is maybe where the Inspector is coming from, 2018 IRC:

R311.1 Means of egress. Dwellings shall be provided with a means of egress in accordance with this section. The means of egress shall provide a continuous and unobstructed path of vertical and horizontal egress travel from all portions of the dwelling to the required egress door without requiring travel through a garage. The required egress door shall open directly into a public way or to a yard or court that opens to a public way.

Of course that means a code compliant path.

I think it is a reach, if the only issue is conditioned space.

When you say "cellar" stairs, that threw a flag for me.

Are the stairs compliant?

Is there compliant headroom to the space?
The stairs can be rebuilt to be compliant. I have 7' of headroom. The new room will have an 8' slider to the back yard.
 
He is saying I can't finish the room in the basement if I have to walk through unconditioned space to get to it.
Well that would be a code that I am not familiar with.....but there's plenty that I don't know.....it might be some newfound folly from the energy code....lots of strange code there.
 
Sounds like miscommunication ... misunderstanding, and the OP got his hackles up and won’t ask for clarification. Not a good way to do business.
 
This building inspector does not like to be questioned. I want to know what I am talking about before I do. I sometimes do work in three hundred year old houses in this town. He could make me replace every piece of wood in a house if he wants to. I tread lightly.
 
This building inspector does not like to be questioned. I want to know what I am talking about before I do. I sometimes do work in three hundred year old houses in this town. He could make me replace every piece of wood in a house if he wants to. I tread lightly.


Is this a one horse town?????


As in does he have a boss??

I get questioned all the time,,,, If need be, since you will continue to work there, call him out!!!!!! Get this resolved
 
This building inspector does not like to be questioned. I want to know what I am talking about before I do. I sometimes do work in three hundred year old houses in this town. He could make me replace every piece of wood in a house if he wants to. I tread lightly.
Which codes have been adopted locally? And are you aware of any amendments? I have found it always helps to make sure both parties are working out of the correct book...right from the start.
 
This building inspector does not like to be questioned. I want to know what I am talking about before I do. I sometimes do work in three hundred year old houses in this town. He could make me replace every piece of wood in a house if he wants to. I tread lightly.
An inspector can't make you do anything. An inspector can refuse to approve something. I do it often. You can do whatever you want in the face of my refusal to approve it. If I am wrong, I will be made aware of my mistake. If I am correct, you can still do whatever you want and I can continue to refuse to approve it.

Be aware that the last word is never the inspector's. That's not to say that it is yours. It's just to say that inspectors are paper tigers. Like wizards from Oz, some rely on bluff and bluster.
 
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An inspector can't make you do anything. An inspector can refuse to approve something. I do it often. You can do whatever you want in the face of my refusal to approve it. If I am wrong, I will be made aware of my mistake. If I am correct, you can still do whatever you want and I can continue to refuse to approve it.

Be aware that the last word is never the inspector's. That's not to say that it is yours. It's just to say that inspectors are paper tigers. Like wizards from Oz, some rely on bluff and bluster.


Plus,, there is the categories of

Jerk

Because I told you

I don't know the code

Or mine, been doing it to long, and trying to enforce the 1977 UBC
 
Isn't there a egress door on the first floor? Are you allowed to go out that door and walk around the outside of the house to the basement door to get in that room? I don't know of any code section that would not allow to walk through a unconditioned area to a conditioned area. If that was true you won't be allowed to have a breezeway between a house and a heated garage.
 
I find it strange that there would be a reference made to unconditioned space. I can't imagine any amendment that would require all conditioned space to be accessible without passing through an unconditioned area. As long as the two conditioned areas meet the requirements of the code, why does the building official care if you have to walk through an unconditioned area?

Sounds like an unregulated design decision to me.
 
On anything that might be questioned I try to include the code reference on the inspection form, this prevents this type of situation. You have the code reference, now explain to me why you think I am wrong, if I am wrong it will not be the first time, and likely not the last. I am in a one horse town, I am the sole inspector/ building official for city and county. I was an electrical contractor for 15 years before I took this job so I have seen a lot of inspectors that only have one code reference, " because I said so". I strive every day to not be like these guys, I do not want to be labeled as having the "ten pound badge syndrome".
 
My building inspector told me I can't go down the cellar stairs and walk through a unconditioned basement to a new finished work out room in the other end of the basement.
I can find no code that states this. Also, it would be impossible to condition the whole basement because the stairway is against the basement wall. House is 70 years old.
IBC 2015 - Section 1209 - Access to unoccupied Spaces
 
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