What would you say about the pictured foundation straps? (They were all like this. 6 year old home. Crawl space foundation.) I’ve already done the report…wondering about your thoughts.
They did not use the Proper Nails. Not rated for ACQ or regular nails. The rust prohibits a good look at the head. Should have a number 10 on them. I guess this could be different in canada but I beleive it crosses borders.
Not coated-dipped nails…bad, very bad…
The Straps are S H I T Too…
What I said:
“The fasteners used with the foundation straps in contact with pressure-treated wood do not appear to be stainless steel or hot-dipped galvanized, as required by today’s commonly accepted construction standards and as recommended by the manufacturers of pressure-treated lumber. Rapid corrosion of the fasteners may result which will reduce or eliminate altogether the capabilities of the foundation anchorage. Note that all the observed fasteners appeared as illustrated. We recommend an evaluation and service as deemed necessary by a licensed structural engineer or contractor. Note that a proper solution may involve installation of foundation bolts, which may be costly and affect your evaluation of the property.”
Hell, we didnt start strappin um down until about 5 years ago… Will cut nails work??:|.):|.):|.):|.):|.)
Hell, these have been used once, but better than the ones posted. ;)
Tell that to the Mecklenburg county inspectors…every time I call that out on phased inspections (among other things that make them look stupid) they tell the GC that I am being to technical. I tell the buyers to contact the inspectors supervisor and if need be contact the GC board and see if they change their tune.
Its also code by the way… I cited NC residential building code R 319.3.
Jeff, that house was in Mecklenburg County. The Palisades down on Lake Wylie. MC’s BO ought to be informed about this. I sent them an email with photo attachments. FYI.
I have learned that most of the building inspectors in Mecklenburg are a joke…unless you get on their bad side as a GC then they are PITA’s.
I have cited code, brought manufacturer documentation, etc…even met with them on site about several issues and they pretty much blow me off… several times I have told the homeowner in front of them to get the inspectors name and number along with their supervisor so they can subpoena them to court when issues arise… needless to say they don’t appreciate that.
Cabarrus isn’t much better… the ones I know personally feel that many times inspectors get picky about stuff… I’ve explained to them that there is more liability when I wear my H.I. has versus wearing my GC hat…as a GC I am in more control and have greater oversight on the project…as an H.I. its a game of trying to find safety, manufacturer and at time code issues…all for an average of $400.00.
Jeff, I sent the photos to Mecklenburg’s BO. His secretary replied with a “thank you” but I never heard a word from the BO. Maybe he is not in the office.
Yeah, don’t hold your breath… I wrote up a home for lack of hurricane ties and fireblocking…they ignored it and the builder went on with drywall and siding.
I have to go back next week to do a final…I have at least 3 pages of stuff that I will go back and check on…even though some of it I will no longer be able to access.
My experience is it comes down to the inspector and/or larger builders get away with all sorts of stuff while the smaller builders get nickel and dimed.
When I do rough-in inspections and find significant issues, I recommend to my clients that they contact the building department directly if they aren’t satisfied with the builder’s response. I give them the contact numbers for the AHJ. I tell them that the employees of the building dept. are public servants and that they should demand their involvement. I often furnish them with the applicable code so that they are well armed for a conversation with reluctant inspectors who would rather be at Wal-mart. I tell them that if all else fails, they have a right to file a formal complaint that requires a formal response.
Clients would do well to realize that Building Officials and Building Inspectors hold State licenses and that they answer to higher powers at the local and State level.
In my phased inspections I not only cite code but I also copy and paste the code within the report so that there is nothing ambiguous about it. I also provide printed out documentation from manufacturer as well as the ICC~ESR report that cover the item or procedure in question. If anything it may be over done however in doing so I shuts down any arguments and the only thing left for the builder or the building inspector to say is that I am being to technical or exhaustive in my inspection.
In some cases with my phased inspections the clients, while appreciating my thoroughness, get emotionally attached to the home to the point they disregard the importance of what is at hand, in other cases I have had them walk away from a home and contact me a few months later to when they find another home or builder.
In a few instances I have had the builder try to hold the client to the contract however I simply told them to contact the builder advising them that they will contact the building department and the state general contractor board to lodge a complaint against the builder…in every case the builder returned the clients money and both moved on.
The problem in North Carolina is that there were and are so many GC’s that simply took a seminar in learning how to pass the GC test and then they go out building all sorts of crap…but the same thing can be said with H.I.'s…they pass the GC test which allows them to take the H.I. exam…then they open up shop and play the lowball game in order to get a foot into the market. Of course right now we know what the market is like here in the Piedmont so that will weed most of them out…but I digress.
The only good thing about pass construction boom is that as homes get older we inspectors (who know what to look for) will be busy because of the lack of quality in the homes as they age. lol