a few various questions part 2

Hello all, thanks very much for the answers I received to my other questions. I have some others that I would like to ask. Again, these might be too simple to deserve their own threads so I figure I would just ask them as a group. I know that the answers to some (or all) of these are readily available in the Nachi training. Some I might be asking because I have heard several conflicting answers.

A: I was infprmed that during a four point inspection the inspector is not required to remove the dead front of the service panel. Rather, the inspector is just required to photograph the labels and breakers with the dead front on. This does not sound correct to me but I want to ask anyway.

B: When testing a garage door do you trip the photo electric eye & perform a resistance test by lifting on the closing door gently & test the emergency manual release handle? Are there any other tests that you perform on the garage door? 2x4 test?

C: what is the starting height at which a deck requires a railing? Also does that railing get taller if the deck is taller than a certain height?

D: what is the maximum allowable space between balusters on an outdoor deck guardrail? Also, is that the same for indoor horizontal guard rails?

E: if an exterior door swings out over a landing what are the required dimensions of that landing?

F: if you are inspecting a home and find asbestos siding, what is the proper procedure in regards to reporting and also potentially notifying the EPA?

G: if you lift up the toilet tank lid and you find something illegal like a brick of cocaine or something of that nature do you pretend you never saw it or address it and potentially become involved in some nasty situation?

H: what is the proper way to test a smoke detector? Is there a test we perform on carbon monoxide detectors? must smoke detectors be present in every room?

I: when measuring the slope of soil away from a foundation are we looking for 6 inches of drop per 10 feet or 1 inch of drop per six feet?

Michael… this is your ONE source for all questions “Decks”. It is the source document that deck codes are derived from… http://www.awc.org/publications/DCA/DCA6/DCA6-12.pdf

Also… go to the AWC website and sign-up for their FREE (many of them) webinars. They have many every year and are quite informative.

http://www.awc.org/helpoutreach/seminars/awrd-sem.php

See answers above.

Not sure but I believe all of these questions are addressed in your standard Nachi required courses… If you don’t remove a dead front of the distribution panel how were you intending to determine that everything is in order… Perhaps by some divine method that you are not sharing… Anything else you are not sharing?
Most of the questions are addressed in standard building codes that are well documented. I think the out swing door onto a deck or landing is addressed in various instruction methods available to you via the free Internachi courses.
Do your homework and then use these forums as a means of clarifying things. That is if you are indeed being genuine with us here, which I am still not convinced you are.

I agree with everything you say but the answer to G.

So why would one ever remove the lid of a toilet tank… Perhaps to adjust the toilet valve or check to see if the handle was attached properly to the chain…? That is generally within the realm and responsibility of a plumber. If it were running or not flushing properly that could be ascertained by flushing it and of course while you have the sink running to verify if there is adequate water pressure in the lines.

Hi Rick, I agree with you that many of these items are covered by the courses I am currently taking through Nachi’s educational curriculum. the reason I am asking them is because I have come across other sources of information which diverge from what I have learned through Nachi. I am just trying to find out the reason behind why there would be two different answers for questions that seems could only have one answer. for example, I had someone tell me today that it is not required to remove the dead front from a service panel. up until now I have always been under the impression that there would be no way to determine what the heck is happening in the panel unless you remove the dead front. However it was told to me with certainty by someone who has done many inspections that the dead front does not need to be removed when doing four point inspections. So,I thought just to get a general consensus I would ask that question. I have a 90 certainty that the panel needs to be removed however the question is worth asking anyway from my point of view.

in regards to the question of the landing dimensions of a door that swings out over a landing, what I have learned from this website is that the dimensions need to be 36 inches by 36 inches. However, it was explained to me repeatedly that need that needs to be 42 inches. this is an area that would seem to be fairly black and white yet when a seasoned inspector tells you the anything less than 42 inches needs to be written up yet all of the documentation that I can find on this website points to a 36 inch depth I figure it might help to ask for consensus rather than just go on not knowing.

I would feel like an ***** calling out something on an inspection if it was perfectly fine to begin with. All I am doing here is trying to establish a baseline for my knowledge so that I can begin with solid basics.

Michael,

Never feel like an *** for calling anything out, right or wrong you make the call. period.

If your in this business for any length of time your findings will be questioned more than you think. I always err to the side of being safe rather than sorry.

I believe an out swing door would generally be 36" wide as a means of entry or egress. The minimum dimensions would need to be the width of the door in the event
there were a guard rail or step in the path of entry. That being said the width dimension should be a minimum of 42- 48" in the event one of the treads of any stairs were incorporated into the landing.
You state you are being told by someone otherwise. I say consider the source as it might be an opinion you are getting. These issues are not subjective in nature. Try practicing on Reporthost.com where you will find a great many narratives that will address some of these questions in a more specific manner. It’s free for the first fifteen reports and unlimited to practice.

NEVER rely on software preloaded comments for your determining if something is an issue. All software uses National standards for their reference. LOCAL will always trump National! You may well be experiencing the influence of local requirements vs national.

I remove the lid on every WC. I find issues that would never be known until a plumber is NEEDED… before the plumber is needed!

For example, this would seem to point to a 36" depth incorporating the top step.

Yes minimum dimension(s). So here is a scenario. You have rails and guard railing installed at the landing because it’s over 30" above the floor below. Let’s assume its a garage. You are carrying groceries up and opening a 36" door into yourself on the stairs and you have no room to place things down on the landing. In this case a larger landing platform would be a consideration and yes 36" is all that is required but is it practical and safe…? A 48"x48" landing would be what I would consider minimum with stair tread width not necessarily needing to be that wide. If the door in your diagram were 36" wide it would be impractical to open.

Just want to clarify something. The standard is actually just under 4" for a horizontal rail and larger for guards on stairs.

At 4" for an opening, a 4" sphere would be able to pass through which would not meet the standard.

For railing heights and guardrails on decks it depends on the height of the deck above grade level:
Under 24" does not require a hand or guard rail.
Over 24" but under 72" requires a 36" high handrail.
Over 72" requires a 42" guardrail.
Stairs are required to have a handrail if over three rises. The railing needs to be between 32" and 36" high.

I lift the lid to see the date the toilet was manufactured in comparison with the house. It tells me if the bathroom was previously renovated and also the condition of the tank components. Sometimes I see some with a shoe string as a component. :slight_smile:

That would be only applicable to Jurisdictions that have adopted the 2012 code. Most localities around here are still under the 2009 code, which is worded different.
The spacing is the same, but railing heights, how many risers and railings appear to be different. :slight_smile:

A toilet tank is a great indicator of water quality, especially with rural systems. The homeowner always forgets to scrub/clean the iron stains out of the tanks :slight_smile:
I’ll post some pics L8R

This must be a Canadian thing. In the US, It’s => 30" above grade for required 36" high guard (residential), 42" high for commercial / multi-family. Doesn’t matter how high above grade if over 30" for guard height.