Editor, Times-Union: In recognition of Building Safety Month (May), presented by the International Code Council Foundation, I wanted to share some comments with your readers. Building Safety Month focuses on public awareness of how the codes help make buildings safer, and includes things like fire safety, disaster safety, backyard safety and more. As homes age, conditions change with safety issues and issues concerning home preservation. Some components become unsafe before they stop performing. Some just get outdated and can be updated for improved safety or for better preservation of the home. Unfortunately, homes don’t come with an owner’s manual. Not all products that have been installed in the past (or being installed today) are the next best thing to sliced bread. We don’t have to look too far back in the past at some of the products that were touted as such – asbestos, lead-based paint, formaldehyde wall insulation, arsenic in treated lumber for decks and playsets, early vintage vinyl siding that cracked and also faded into a completely different color, solid conductor aluminum wiring used in some homes over about an eight-year period, a major shingle manufacturer whose roofing shingles split in three years, early EIFS, etc. Problems come from poor installation, too. Some codes are added or changed due to product and/or installation failures in the field. This can take several years for these to get recognized and then more years for the codes to reflect a change. There are products and installation procedures that are under the examining light right now. The codes help set the table for the manufacturer's requirements to be followed. Homeowner and home inspector insurance industries are getting on board with some of these issues. Due to state budget restraints, fiscal impact, and the current economy, the current residential building codes likely will not be updated for at least another three years. This is usually a two-year process to do so. (We will have a new energy code though, due to stimulus funds from the ARRA). This leaves us still operating out of the 2003 IRC code book (and the Indiana amendments) which all went into effect on 9/11/05. So, this can leave a vulnerability to issues of safety and preservation of the home, especially for those who build or remodel just to the minimum codes, or who are uninformed of new issues. I have spoken with many fine building officials all around our state who head their building departments. All of them admit they do not have the time (budgets) to do a “hands and knees” inspection when a home is built. During the boom years just a few years back, one building department was sending out 6-8 inspectors every day, with each one performing 18-20 inspections per day. Obviously, this leaves oversights. All homes will have surprises, whether they are brand new or 130 years old, based on my inspections in 14 counties. Homeowners can spot a 10” hole in the roof from the ground, but it will take a hands and knees inspection to find the small gap in the flashing that is no wider than the thickness of a quarter, but allows in enough rain to create structural rot in four years. If you are buying a new or existing home, consider calling an independent inspector. If you are selling, consider having it inspected before you list a price. If you are an existing homeowner, consider having your home inspected every 3-5 years. Make sure your home is safe and sound. Calvin Bolt Warsaw, via e-mail
