Jim Baird

Jeff, Under modern codes you would look for separation between units, but no telling, I suppose, when the one was made two. You, likely, feel that you've been hired for two jobs when you only agreed to one?

I have seen dryer vent moisture from a clogged vertical duct accumulate so in a laundry alcove that the walls were moldy and lint covered as well.

SECTION M1601 DUCT CONSTRUCTION M1601.1 Duct design. Duct systems serving heating, cooling and ventilation equipment shall be fabricated in accordance with the provisions of this section and ACCA Manual D or other approved methods. M1601.1.1 Above-ground duct systems. Above-ground duct systems shall conform to the following: 1. Equipment connected to duct systems shall be designed to limit discharge air temperature to a maximum of 250°F (121°C). 2. Factory-made air ducts shall be constructed of Class 0 or Class 1 materials as designated in Table M1601.1.1(1). 3. Fibrous duct construction shall conform to the SMACNA Fibrous Glass Duct Construction Standards or NAIMA Fibrous Glass Duct Construction Standards. 4. Minimum thickness of metal duct material shall be as listed in Table M1601.1.1(2). Galvanized steel shall conform to ASTM A 653. 5. Use of gypsum products to construct return air ducts or plenums is permitted, provided that the air temperature does not exceed 125°F (52°C) and exposed surfaces are not subject to condensation. 6. Duct systems shall be constructed of materials having a flame spread index not greater than 200. 7. Stud wall cavities and the spaces between solid floor joists to be used as air plenums shall comply with the following conditions: 7.1. These cavities or spaces shall not be used as a plenum for supply air. 7.2. These cavities or spaces shall not be part of a required fire-resistance-rated assembly. 7.3. Stud wall cavities shall not convey air from more than one floor level. 7.4. Stud wall cavities and joist-space plenums shall be isolated from adjacent concealed spaces by tight-fitting fire blocking in accordance with Section R602.8. SECTION M1602 RETURN AIR M1602.1 Return air. Return air shall be taken from inside the dwelling. Dilution of return air with outdoor air shall be permitted. M1602.2 Prohibited sources. Outdoor and return air for a forced-air heating or cooling system shall not be taken from the following locations: 1. Closer than 10 feet (3048 mm) to an appliance vent outlet, a vent opening from a plumbing drainage system or the discharge outlet of an exhaust fan, unless the outlet is 3 feet (914 mm) above the outside air inlet. 2. Where flammable vapors are present; or where located less than 10 feet (3048 mm) above the surface of any abutting public way or driveway; or where located at grade level by a sidewalk, street, alley or driveway. 3. Aroom or space, the volume of which is less than 25 percent of the entire volume served by such system. Where connected by a permanent opening having an area sized in accordance with ACCA Manual D, adjoining rooms or spaces shall be considered as a single room or space for the purpose of determining the volume of such rooms or spaces. Exception: The minimum volume requirement shall not apply where the amount of return air taken from a room or space is less than or equal to the amount of supply air delivered to such room or space. 4. A closet, bathroom, toilet room, kitchen, garage, mechanical room, furnace room or other dwelling unit. 5. A room or space containing a fuel-burning appliance where such room or space serves as the sole source of return air. Exceptions: 1. The fuel-burning appliance is a direct-vent appliance or an appliance not requiring a vent in accordance with Section M1801.1 or Chapter 24. 2. The room or space complies with the following requirements: 2.1. The return air shall be taken from a room or space having a volume exceeding 1 cubic foot for each 10 Btu/h (9.6 L/W) of combined input rating of all fuel-burning appliances therein. 2.2. The volume of supply air discharged back into the same space shall be approximately equal to the volume of return air taken from the space. 2.3. Return-air inlets shall not be located within 10 feet (3048 mm) of any appliance firebox or draft hood in the same room or space. 3. Rooms or spaces containing solid-fuel burning appliances, provided that return-air inlets are located not less than 10 feet (3048 mm) from the firebox of such appliances. M1602.3 Inlet opening protection. Outdoor air inlets shall be covered with screens having openings that are not less than 1/4-inch (6 mm) and not greater than 1/2-inch (12.7 mm). 2006 INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL CODE® 339 DUCT SYSTEMS

PS, Then there is the question of R-value for plywood.

Mike, I did look up the IRC sections on duct materials, which only says that they must meet smoke development and flame-spread testing standards, and does mention that gypsum is OK for use in a plenum. IRC definitely says that return air should not be taken from bathrooms, utility spaces, furnace rooms etc. I did not research this unit's instructions, but do know it was installed by the owner/builder and did not get code review. To me it looked like a "creative" adaptation. I have seen a few up/down flow units but this one looked to me like it should have been installed horizontally with a pan beneath it.

OK Brandon, Here's the spooky subject. I think it's treated plywood. Click to Enlarge 57.63 KB It is built below the floor level attached to this unit, which, by the way, has no secondary condensate line. It's return end is up, with a return grille on the wall above a monster jet tub. Click to Enlarge 46.86 KB

Every house shows me something I have never seen. This one showed me a plywood section of an air handling system. A box right past the supply end of the unit that has ducts mounted on three of its faces. Site-built ingenuity, no? Is there any way that plywood could pass muster on flame spread, smoke development, etc?

By any chance used brick? I'm told some old used brick never was fired for exposure to weather, from days when walls were "multi-wythe".

No.

No

I can tell from the original pics that the pickets are spaced too far.

To my eye there might be some mystery as to those connections on the house side, whether they are thru bolt or not and whether there is meat behind the ledger.

Newbie, By no means did I mean to imply that you were not literate enough to read the book, but wanted to share a story about real life, real time incompetence that Ihave witnessed. That should not surprise anyone either. In our state the AHJ can hire anyone, including in-laws and cousiins, to inspect, but if the John Public hires his own it must be a professional engineer. Most contractors, when faced with bad rulings, just grit their teeth and comply rather than fight City Hall. As you likely know most homeowners, especially on doors with glazing, will install dbl keyed locks after the inspector leaves because they are afraid of easy access by burglars. Often they leave the key there as a substitute thumb latch and pull the key if they leave the premises.[:-graduat[:-graduat

newbie, If you represent the AHJ I'm sure you are aware that codes interpretation is decided where rubber meets road, that is, by the local authority. I think your view is too narrow, and might not hold up under an appeal. At our county AHJ an inspector wrote up builders for phone jacks in the "wrong" locations and for doorbells that did not work. Another mis-interp he made was an obscure state amendment that led him to think a smoke alarm had to be in any room where there was a fireplace. One of his troubles was he could barely read a newspaper, let alone a code book.

R311.4.2 Door type and size. The required exit door shall be a side-hinged door not less than 3 feet (914 mm) in width and 6 feet 8 inches (2032 mm) in height. Other doors shall not be required to comply with these minimum dimensions. "Other doors" are not egress doors, ergo, double deadbolts are not prohibited for them. I always advise against them, but you can't cite them as violations unless they are on the one required exit.

"...1 egress door is required but that all egress doors shall be openable without a key... " Yes but only one is required for egress. Therefore only one is named egress. By the way, it has to be 3'0" to qualify as egress. Most doors besides el frente are 2'8" or twin 2'6".

This topic is well plowed ground over on the code forum. It is not technically a code violation but is an obvious common-sense violation. Tag it, flag it, and flog it.

I inspected one where prior owner had put wood shake/shingle siding on top of "drop" or beveled garage wood siding. No jamb/casing extentsion. Looked like a witches' hut in a deep dark wood. Yuk!

Codes yield to manufacturer when code language doesn't apply. If that's the exit door it might violate the exit requirements.

manufacturers' specs only. No codes I can think of.

I would have written it up as non compliant and let the buyer think about whether to correct. I would measure from the sill outer edge. When I look at a stairway framed in the rough I measure from the wall plate of the door opening (which is often yet to be cut away). As for Jim's concrete comment I agree. In GA the state code calls for two inches clearance between paved areas and any kind of wall cladding.

Looks to me like cheapskate owner was interested only in "curb appeal."

This must be one of Dick Cheney's "black sites" where "enhanced interrogation techniques" or EIT's were conducted.

I'm with you Scottpat! Poor design reaps its own harvest. Builders rarely think of access by actual people.

three risers under amended GA code would need guard, but also, under IRC, should have landing.