Vertical stucco wall - InspectionNews

Wendell Swedberg · #1 (**permalink**) 12-21-2007, 12:29 PM

.........

John Arnold · #2 (**permalink**) 12-21-2007, 12:58 PM

Hi Wendell - Welcome to the mad-house.

Does the stucco stop at the top of the "band board" or pass behind it?
If it passes behind it, is the weep screed really at the bottom of the band board, or is it at the bottom of the stucco?

Jerry Peck · #3 (**permalink**) 12-21-2007, 05:56 PM

Questions:

- Is the "band board" wood or stucco?

- How are you sure that the stucco stops at the top of the band board if there are weeps below the band board (which would indicate that the stucco would have to continue down behind the band board - unless the band board was also stucco).

Weeps holes are only needed at the bottom termination of a vertical section, and it seems that the stucco actually must go behind the band board as there are weeps down there.

Jerry Peck · #4 (**permalink**) 12-22-2007, 09:05 PM

Wendell,

I don't see any weep screed anywhere, or any way to allow the water out, other than the water running down and out the bottom at the wood, rotting the wood because that is NOT EVEN CLOSE to a proper way to do that. You could get water on top of that bottom wood, rotting (decaying is the correct word) that wood facing, trim AND the wood framing above out.

Were you able to get a look at the bottom of the stucco at the top of the 1x trim? A photo perhaps?

Jerry Peck · #5 (**permalink**) 12-23-2007, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wendell Swedberg

How would you write this up in the report?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerry Peck

I don't see any weep screed anywhere, or any way to allow the water out, other than the water running down and out the bottom at the wood, rotting the wood because that is NOT EVEN CLOSE to a proper way to do that. You could get water on top of that bottom wood, rotting (decaying is the correct word) that wood facing, trim AND the wood framing above out.

Basically something similar to that. Let your client know what you should have found, what you did not find, and what the consequences of not having it are.

Jerry Peck · #6 (**permalink**) 12-23-2007, 12:32 PM

Wendell,

I'm curious ... what rooms are up there, with those high horizontal windows? Hopefully *not* sleeping rooms.

Also, only one looks to be operable, does that one window meet the minimum 4% natural ventilation requirement?

John Arnold · #7 (**permalink**) 12-23-2007, 02:01 PM

If the window sill height is over 44 inches from the floor, there is a problem with escape and emergency rescue requirements. If those are the only windows in the bedrooms. Plus, the minimum opening height of the windows is 24 inches.

John Arnold · #8 (**permalink**) 12-23-2007, 03:30 PM

Fire-fighters need to get in - "emergency rescue". The IRC doesn't differentiate between first and second floor in this regard, anyway. R310 EMERGENCY ESCAPE AND RESCUE says "basements with habitable rooms and every sleeping room ..."

Jerry Peck · #9 (**permalink**) 12-23-2007, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wendell Swedberg

I understand your quote of the code , however, these are second story windows, not first floor. How does the quoted code apply to these windows?

Wendell,

Windows used for EERO above the first floor, and even first floor EERO which are not directly accessible from grade (i.e., the firefighter cannot stand on the ground and climb in) actually must be larger to accommodate the ladder, which now takes up part of the window opening the firefighter needs to either enter or rescue through.

The same minimum dimensions apply - 44" maximum sill height, 24" minimum opening height, 20" minimum opening width, 5.7 sq ft minimum opening size ... except if directly accessible from grade, then the 5.7 sq ft minimum opening size may be reduced to 5.0 sq ft opening size.

John Arnold · #10 (**permalink**) 12-23-2007, 05:51 PM

Only one window meeting the requirements is needed per bedroom.

Jerry Peck · #11 (**permalink**) 12-23-2007, 07:08 PM

Wendell,

I've added bold and larger size text to the most critical part of what John said.

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Arnold

Only one window meeting the requirements is needed per bedroom.

Adding to that, though, for my clients, I always explained that the code is only a minimum standard, not a 'good' standard - just the absolute minimum crappiest one is legally allowed to build, and that having *ONLY ONE* window as the EERO in the bedroom is not a 'good' standard, if there is a fire you will want *ANY* window in the bedroom to be your way out.