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rocknhorse's blog


house: inspection

Published Jun 11, 2008
Views: 337

*whimper* I had this blog all typed out and ready to post, hit the wrong key and lost it.  *sigh*

Long story short, we had our rough-in inspection and exterior inspection yesterday.  We knew before hand that the framing inspection would not pass.  But we scheduled it anyway so we'd know exactly what else we needed to do.  The plumbing passed with flying colors!  (YAY CHRIS MASSEY!!!).  The electrical had only one minor ding.  We have to have a light switch in the garage as well as inside the house since our stair risers are 6 or higher. (YAY GARY PRICE ELECTRIC!).  Mechanical only had 1 minor ding b/c we had the duct work for the bathroom fans and we had the bathroom fans installed, but they were not attached.  That's probably our fault since the duct work was there before we bought the fans.  (YAY WALL MECHANICAL!).

As far as framing and exterior.  They failed us b/c not all windows were taped.  We were told that taping was only required if the window manufacturer stated it in installation instructions, which our windows do not.  We intend to do it anyway b/c it's just that much more secure.  We taped the windows that we could easily reach as far as the tape we had lasted.  We planned to have the siding installer tape the rest since he'd be at those windows installing anyway and the tape would be delivered with the siding.  So we have to finish taping and have a re-inspection before we can begin siding. 

Otherwise, the interior framing had minor dings that will be easy enough to correct (add wall stud in living room, a couple of double joists, caulk holes where plumbing and electric come up w/fire caulk...).  The only biggie is they failed our stairs. 

Before we ever began this project, we had the house inspected inside and out.  It had to be approved for move.  We asked if there were any structural things inside that would not be approved - specifically the stairs and ceiling height upstairs.  We were told that the original house would be grandfathered in and any changes or additions would need to be to current codes. 

According to the inspection yesterday, we do not have a continuous 6'8" clearance on the stairs.  The ceiling height over the bottom stairs at one point is only 6'4".  If you drop a plumb line from the edge down to the step, it's 6'10".  But apparently you have to lay a board down the length of the stairs and measure up from the bottom plane of the board and have a continuous 6'8" clearance.  My husband is 6'3" and has never had a problem with the stairs.  He doesn't even come close to hitting his head.  But they are requiring we alter it. 

If we move that section back, we will not only have to cut into the wood floor upstairs, but the original banister/railings will no longer fit.  We questioned why that was not grandfathered in like the rest of the original structure.  They just said it was code.  *sigh*  Big heartbreak.  I don't know how we are going to fix this and make it mutually acceptable.  I am very adamant about not wanting ot alter the stairs/railings.

All things considered, I suppose we did pretty well.  With the exception of the stairs, there was nothing earth-shattering about the inspection.  We had dings, but we expected that the first time around.  Afterall, this IS our first rodeo and we certainly didn't shy away from tackling the biggest bull in the pen!  But we are completely stumped about what to do about the stairs to meet their requirement w/o altering the original look. 

I suppose this is where creativity and determination will come in handy!




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Congrats on the passings and boos on the small ding failures. We recently rebuilt our place after a fire and dealing with the codes is RIDICULOUS! It was such mundane annoying things that every time he pointed something out, I just wanted to GRRR and kick his azz...

...the determination of defects stated by the inspector is final. It is up to his determination to decide and note. It is his interpretation of the codes that matters....right or wrong... On the stair issue, the header over the stair opening at the lowest point may be exposed to allow an additional header and removal of the closet point. Setting back the opening and a cantilever if needed. Again, he may not like the idea or he may say OK...but it is easier than removal of the entire stair system.

It sounds like overall things went well. My hubby does heating/air cond. and they have had the same issue with the bathroom fans. Sometimes these kind of things depend on the inspector, too. Any chance of getting a different inspector with a different view of the codes?

Yeah good ole Government interference in our lives is just great. Apparently they believe a family of NBA players are going to occupy your dwelling. In the meantime, you could have someone build a house 10 feet apart from yours and that would be fine. That way if their house caught afire, yours would join in the fire party. Gotta love it. The real point of these inspections is not safety, it is just Government taking your money.

I realize that the inspector has the ultimate say. I also realize that it's not good to question and/or make angry the inspector b/c they hold the ultimate power of making our lives a living helll! I respect those things they dinged us for and since this is the house I plan to retire/die in, I WANT it to be right! I'm just a bit disconcerted about the stairs. I really don't want to change that.

Wow--I know this has to be heart breaking about the stairs. Maybe there is a good solution that will allow you to also keep them. I so enjoy your updates on your house.........

...just take the sheetrock off the ceiling around the header area, remove some flooring, remove header, and install a header behind. Retrim and refloor area when you reach the clearance with trim at 6'8". Removing the stairs and cutting back the landing is insane.

Sounds like you’re making good progress ....

Inspections are always a pain. Just remember this about working with an inspector:

Arguing with an inspector is like wrestling with a pig. You both get dirty, but only the pig enjoys it ....

About the stairs, try this: Request a variance in writing from the inspections department. It may not work, but since this is an existing condition that complied with the code at the time it was originally built, you may be able to get by. Find out the original construction date and quote the original code. Remember, make a FORMAL request in WRITING.

Keep up the good work and be sure the fingers never leave the hands ....

STS

...or you could try handing the inspector a tape measure with the first couple of inches cut off when he gets to the stairs....

blackdog, if I understand what you are saying, that would alter the length of the upstairs flooring and we would not be able to use the original banister/railings. They have not told us to move the stairs themselves, just figure a way to create the head clearance. We have some friends who are contractors. We're going to get them to take a look and see what we can do. Hopefully we'll come up with some solution that works with the Inspector AND will not alter the flooring upstairs.

As far as arguing w/the inspector, so far we've had VERY good experiences with the inspectors. We've called to ask certain questions to make sure we were on the right track. They obviously know more than us and we are not afraid to ask. They have been very helpful in answering our questions. When we have them come out next time, hopefully we can ask some questions about how to fix this and maintain the integrity of the house.

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