Does anybody know if there is a resource for code changes over the years? I’m specifically looking for decks. I know we are not code inspectors and can and should recommend unsafe conditions repaired regardless just curious.
My main question was when notching was required for deck beams. Per 2015 IRC notching with bolts or resting directly on post with approved metal connectors is the prescribed way.
Does anybody know if beams relying on fasteners alone was allowed if ever. I see tons of older decks with just bolts and even 3 or 4 nails securing beams to posts without any bearing on post.
Has this ever been allowed as a general practice or per codes? I have been calling it out.
For the NEC, I use the free access, and manually flip through the PDF year by year until I find the change. I’d love a system where I could enter a code citation and see the history, plus the comments and justification.
(I often have to provide documentation relative to “was it legal at the time it was built”).
But as a HI I’m free to call out code correct but unsafe. Code is a guide, not a rulebook, for a HI.
It should not matter… if we have learned that since some time in the past… the practice was incorrect or not as reliable and or not as safe, you can always point it out and recommend a correction to improve safety. Recommend… per today’s safety standards. People will live in the house in 2022, not in 1950. There is a reason why it should rest on top of a post and not just be bolted down, and it’s not just to make it pretty.
As Russell stated you can view the codes. However, check with the states that’s you inspect in to see that they don’t have their own edition of the codes. In New Jersey we have a NJ edition of all the I codes and they vary from the original quite a bit. We also have our own SOP that we have to follow instead of using the one from Internachi. All in all, we are not code inspectors. Due your due diligence. Good luck.
Chris, building codes for the most part are a collection of best practices based on past failures in mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire, and structural. They protect your personal health and safety plus preserve the structural integrity of the building. Every three years new codes incorporate issues that have developed since the last code was published and address new products and procedures.
Back when I was in charge of 15 to 20 construction inspectors and engineers I stressed they should read the standard specifications (basically the building codes for highways and bridges) and understand why each construction specification was written. The best construction inspectors and engineers I worked with were comfortable working in the grey zone, because different contractors, different building locations, different suppliers and different weather conditions may require different solution to a problem. BUT they always preserved the intent of the specification to ensure a quality product was produced. Individuals that worked under me that lived in a black & white world made life hell for themselves, the contractor and myself.
So my best advice is read the building codes and if you can afford them get the set that includes the code commentary that helps explain why the codes were needed, which helps you apply them properly. So if you see a deck ledger nailed to a house, regardless when it was built, that is a safety item that should be called out. Not because it doesn’t meet current building codes, but because you understand why the code was written. Nails are weak in withdraw and exposure to weather causes the nails to rust, which severely weakens their shear capacity.