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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Fletcher, NC
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    28,032

    Default If houses were bought like cars and vice versa

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    Jerry Peck
    Construction/Litigation/Code Consultant - Retired
    www.AskCodeMan.com

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Santa Rosa, CA
    Posts
    3,154

    Default Re: If houses were bought like cars and vice versa

    Jerry,

    That was humorous, and I understand the point. I, however, have concerns about many of the "engineered" homes that are being built today.

    These systems are designed to function without human interference. The problem is that humans interfere.

    For example:

    I have been reading about unvented attics. Essentially relying on the walls as a vapor barrier and prevent moisture from migrating from the living space up into the attic.

    The problem is that a homeowner is going to do something like poke a hole in the ceiling to add a recessed light fixture or hang a fern from a plant hanger, thereby creating a moisture problem.

    Or, a homeowner (or contractor) is going to punch a hole through a "Strong-Wall" in order to install carriage lights at the front of the garage. Better yet, two holes for two lights, one on either side of the garage vehicle door opening.

    The high R value of spray foam insulation is great, but roof leaks may not become apparent until significant structural damage has been done.

    Most of us have learned that we cannot "hot-rod" our modern cars. Cannot chop the roof off of a sedan in order to create a convertible. But, most of us want to hot-rod our homes and, I suspect, the vast majority of remodel contractors out there are not sufficiently educated about this engineering to understand how to deal with these systems.

    I mean, I regularly run into improperly wired multiwire branch circuits that were modified by general contractors as well as electricians. MWBCs have been around for a hundred years!

    The engineered stuff will work nicely in office buildings, apartments, condominiums, etc. But, I believe we are going to continue to see a lot of problems in these newer single-family homes, partly because engineering cannot take into account the unforeseen... Us.

    Department of Redundancy Department
    Supreme Emperor of Hyperbole
    http://www.FullCircleInspect.com/

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Fletcher, NC
    Posts
    28,032

    Default Re: If houses were bought like cars and vice versa

    Gunnar,

    I know what you are saying, but there is another aspect that needs to be considered: the space in an unvented sealed attic is conditioned space.

    The air (temperature and humidity) basically acclimates to a similar temperature and humidity of the conditioned space below.

    Originally, unvented attic space was referred to as "semi-conditioned space", it is now simply "conditioned space".

    Last edited by Jerry Peck; 12-01-2021 at 06:12 AM. Reason: "invented" attic space should have been "unvented" attic space
    Jerry Peck
    Construction/Litigation/Code Consultant - Retired
    www.AskCodeMan.com

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2021
    Location
    Rhode island
    Posts
    2

    Default Re: If houses were bought like cars and vice versa

    It may be an interesting topic for my essay. A lot of thoughts related to this topic. It will be good to combine these ideas with some ideas on paperwriter.com/questions and write an interestign essay based on thoughts of different people.


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