Nolan Kienitz Posted December 31, 2010 Report Share Posted December 31, 2010 A fellow inspector friend of mine sent me the below text in a message earlier today along with the link to the BOAT (Building Officials of Texas) newsletter. Certainly makes one wonder. Quote The Dec ââ¬â¢10 Building Officials Association of Texas (B.O.A.T.) newsletter has an interesting article on ââ¬ÅWhat am I Required to Fix?â⬠Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inspector57 Posted December 31, 2010 Report Share Posted December 31, 2010 Short sighted, yes. But when viewed from the perspective of what items they are required to fix by the city, mostly correct. Misinformed, yes since the author obviously does not understand the concept of a home inspection but then the listing agent did not do their job to explain the process to their client. The correct answer to the question of "what items am I required to fix?" is more along the lines of "none of them, unless you want this deal to close." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neal Lewis Posted December 31, 2010 Report Share Posted December 31, 2010 None of these items are required, by code, to be corrected if they met the code requirements at the time of construction. What items should I correct if on the list, or what items should I correct before I see any list? In short, anything dealing with "life safety": Smoke detectors: Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI): This is the wall receptacle that has the push buttons on it, usually red and black. These should be installed to protect all kitchen counter surfaces, bathroom lavatory locations, bar sinks, garages, and any outside (not in eaves). These should have weatherproof covers, also. So if these two items weren't required by code in, say 1968, why are they enforced now? And was unfinished basement removed from the required locations for GFCI protection? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted December 31, 2010 Report Share Posted December 31, 2010 It just completely baffles me how someone who writes in a field so proximal to home inspection could still not understand one of it's most basic characteristics: it's not a code inspection. Marc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghentjr Posted December 31, 2010 Report Share Posted December 31, 2010 It just completely baffles me how someone who writes in a field so proximal to home inspection could still not understand one of it's most basic characteristics: it's not a code inspection. Marc Great observation. So why do sooooo many inspectors delve into the dark recesses of the code monsters lair? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Katen Posted December 31, 2010 Report Share Posted December 31, 2010 It just completely baffles me how someone who writes in a field so proximal to home inspection could still not understand one of it's most basic characteristics: it's not a code inspection. Marc Great observation. So why do sooooo many inspectors delve into the dark recesses of the code monsters lair? Because citing a code as a reference or as a source of an opinion has nothing to do with enforcing a code as a rule of law and because it would be silly not to delve into the most fundamental documents that define the thing we're supposed to be inspecting. Codes are not written only for the eyes of code inspectors. Architects, engineers, builders, & tradesmen need to have a good understanding of the building codes and they need to use codes, and even cite them, in their day-to-day working lives. Why would home inspectors turn a blind eye to codes or avoid admitting that we read and understand them? We expect any 4-toothed, belly-scratching, IQ-on-the-left-side-of-the-bell-curve deck installer to understand the codes and apply them to his work. Why shouldn't we hold ourselves to the same standard? - Jim Katen, Oregon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejager Posted December 31, 2010 Report Share Posted December 31, 2010 We expect any 4-toothed, belly-scratching, IQ-on-the-left-side-of-the-bell-curve deck installer .... Too funny! Have you been visiting up here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bain Posted December 31, 2010 Report Share Posted December 31, 2010 It just completely baffles me how someone who writes in a field so proximal to home inspection could still not understand one of it's most basic characteristics: it's not a code inspection. Marc Great observation. So why do sooooo many inspectors delve into the dark recesses of the code monsters lair? How do you know what's wrong, if you don't know what's right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Katen Posted December 31, 2010 Report Share Posted December 31, 2010 We expect any 4-toothed, belly-scratching, IQ-on-the-left-side-of-the-bell-curve deck installer .... Too funny! Have you been visiting up here? When discussing Canadian contractors, I add Molson-drinking . . . - Jim Katen, Oregon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben H Posted January 1, 2011 Report Share Posted January 1, 2011 We expect any 4-toothed, belly-scratching, IQ-on-the-left-side-of-the-bell-curve deck installer .... Too funny! Have you been visiting up here? When discussing Canadian contractors, I add Molson-drinking . . . - Jim Katen, Oregon LOL[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted January 1, 2011 Report Share Posted January 1, 2011 When discussing Canadian contractors, I add Molson-drinking . . . - Jim Katen, Oregon I do hereby profess to having been a Molson drinker when I attended school in NY. It's great stuff! [] Marc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtblum Posted January 1, 2011 Report Share Posted January 1, 2011 Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI): This is the wall receptacle that has the push buttons on it, usually red and black. These should be installed to protect all kitchen counter surfaces, bathroom lavatory locations, bar sinks, garages, and any outside (not in eaves). These should have weatherproof covers, also. What do they protect the countertops from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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