Codes and Standards

  • Double Check Everything

    Double check everything; it's a simple rule and easy to forget. And it only takes one little slip to cost a contractor a chunk of cash.

     
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    Before+After: Less Is More

    The Eubanks wanted a brighter room, a new kitchen, and a living space that flowed well. Fleming immediately saw all of that fitting into an addition to the back of the living room -- one that measured just 155 square feet.

     
  • Lookout for code violations

    A recent Minnesota Court of Appeals ruling reminds remodelers to be on the lookout for code violations and extra work, even in the middle of a job.

     
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    Using proper fasteners and connectors may preserve wood better

    By Stephani L. Miller. Fasteners used with ACQ-, CBA-, or CA-treated lumber have been reported to corrode and fail at a faster rate than when used with CCA-treated lumber.Most treated-wood producers using the next-gen preservatives point out that their recommendations for fasteners and connectors...

     
  • Skylights must meet safety codes in hurricane-prone regions

    These standards require skylights to undergo test procedures that are slightly different from those required for other fenestrations, and which are also different from Miami-Dade's procedures.

     
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    New zoning for Energy Star map

    Remodelers who are particularly environmentally conscious may have already noticed that, starting at the end of August, the criteria for Energy Star-certified windows, doors, and skylights changed.The Northern zone is still the largest, dipping down into Arizona, and the Southern zone has shrunk...

     
  • Core values: shared systems of belief

    At the first meeting, president Bruce Johnson, his brother Greg, vice president, and the company's employees set out to define the company's core values by listing 14 of them. Long term, he hopes the core values meetings boost referral rates by making Lee Kimball Kitchens "a truly exceptional...

     
  • Two useful International Codes for Remodelers

    Updated editions of the International Code Council's International Codes are now available. Of the 14 codes, two should prove to be most useful for remodelers: the International Existing Building Code and the International Residential Code.

     
  • NAHB Opposes New Building Code

    The NAHB has urged its members to oppose a new National Fire Protection Agency model building code, reviving a debate between the two associations over stair tread and riser standards. The NFPA 5000, issued in August 2002, requires a minimum tread depth of 11 inches and a maximum riser height of 7...

     
  • Erosion Fines Get Serious

    In 1992, the EPA instituted an erosion regulation -- under the authority of the Clean Water Act -- that holds developers, site owners, and contractors on construction sites larger than one acre responsible for the development and implementation of an erosion control plan for that site. The paper...