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IRC 2003
Required guards on open sides of stairways, raised floor areas, balconies and porches shall have intermediate rails or ornamental closures which do not allow passage of a sphere 4 inches in diameter. Exceptions: The triangular openings formed by the riser, tread and bottom rail of a guard at the open side of a stairway are permitted to be of such a size that a sphere 6 inches cannot pass through. Openings for required guards on the sides of stair treads shall not allow a sphere 4.375 inches to pass through. R312.2

Archive for August, 2008

THE WOES OF POOR WRITING

The weakness of the definition for cosmetic in the proposed Standard is caused by an attempt to define two definitions within the context of one.
Cosmetic - Related only to appearance or aesthetics, and not related to structural performance, operability, or water penetration

New Housing Law Creates New Opportunities

On July 31, the President signed into law H.R. 3221, the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, a sweeping, nearly 800-page housing law, unlike anything we’ve seen in a generation. Shrouded in controversy, the bill has a number of provisions which have been exhaustively debated and politicized in the media [...]

TPREIA Newsletter Posted

The monthly newsletter for TPREIA is is updated and posted in the right side bar. The date of the Greater Houston Chapter meeting is not correct on the newsletter, it is Tuesday August 26th.

Jonathan and I apologize don’t we Jonathan?

“YES”

Sorry for the error. Hope to see you there.

Are You Ready For Your Inspection?

So you have scheduled an inspection. Do you know what to do now? To get the most out of your inspection, there are some things you can do to get the best value.

TREC Commission Meeting Monday August 18th

Below is the TREC Commission Meeting Agenda that is to be held next Monday, August 18th, 2008 in Austin. As you can see from the topics shown in red, there are many topics that will be discussed that can have effects on Texas Inspectors. If you would like to and are [...]

TRCC Implements County Inspection Program

If you are in the home inspection or construction consulting industry you are probably aware of the upcoming changes that the Texas Residential Construction Commission (TRCC) is implementing regarding requirements for code inspections on residential structures built in Texas. Starting September 1, 2008, the law requires code inspections on all home construction and remodeling [...]

Fed Stands Still – Time to Make Your Move

The Federal Reserve held the line on Tuesday-leaving the Fed Funds Rate at 2.00% for the third straight meeting. The decision, however, was anything but cut-and-dry.
Earlier in the week, the Personal Consumption Expenditure data indicated that inflation climbed 0.8% overall in June, which is the highest inflation jump in 27 years. [...]

TREC Inspector Complaint Process

During a discussion with a fellow inspector the other day with regard to a complaint filed against them it came to my attention that the inspector in question did not really understand how the Texas Real Estate Commission carries out disciplinary actions against inspectors when a complaint is filed. Do you know the process [...]

Is ASHI Dead in Texas?

During a discussion with a fellow inspector today regarding the TREC Standards of Practice, (SOP), I was informed that ASHI and other such inspector trade organizations have been relegated as ineffective and unnecessary in regulation and growth of the inspection industry as a result of state licensing and the development of the SOP. (Actually [...]