If there is anything most county inspectors are interested in with new construction, it is that the house is meeting all the fireblocking requirements.
As fire grows and gets hotter, it excites air molecules causing them to move faster and faster, which in turn increases the air pressure. That increasing volume of air is trying to get out of its container any way it can.
In new construction, the passage of air between floors, or through cavities, is impeded as much as possible with materials and foams and caulks, all designed to seal holes and gaps. An unimpeded fire inside a wall can expand quickly to the floor above, or room next door, or in a townhouse to the house next door, and so blocking is put in place insofar as possible. The term "fireblocking" may be something of a misnomer in wood construction, as a fire likely won't be "blocked" for long, but a great attempt is made to slow the progression of a fire.
And this is no small deal! There are International Residency Code (IRC) requirements to be met, and International Building Code (IBC) requirements, and International Residential Mechanical Code requirements, and International Fuel Gas Code requirements, and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) draft, smoke and fireblocking requirements, and the materials must meet the ASTM E 136 Noncombustible Materials requirements. YOU GET THE IDEA!
So on a pre-drywall inspection I always look around to make sure there are no missed holes or gaps.
In this house I found one!
This is where the fireplace flue in the family room below passes through a chase in the master bedroom to exit above through the roof.
And here, where it passes through the master bedroom floor, I noticed that the sealant was poorly placed, had come loose, and was even missing on a small section.
So I mentioned it to my clients. Of course. This is NOT a small mention.
AND THIS HOUSE WAS INSPECTED BY THE COUNTY AND PASSED EVERY CRITERIA.
My recommendation: a pre-drywall inspection can come up with a lot of issues. Often the builders feign ignorance or disagree completely with a finding during an inspection. Some state they will not do anything identified by a home inspector unless the corresponding "codes" are cited. Home inspectors have NO code juice. Nobody is impressed with the builder who states a house is built "strictly to code." The code is a MINIMUM standard. Why tout a house that is kept at the floor of quality? And county inspectors do not spend the kind of time in a house that a home inspector spends. Home inspections are objective and honest. And home inspectors are not there to criticize. The house is the house. A home inspector merely observes and reports.
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