Originally Posted By: roconnor This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Hey folks,
Gerry is unavailable to post the QOD this weekend, and asked me to post them for the members. This one should be a little sticky ... 
(P.S. I will let it run through tomorrow night since it's being posted late today)
-- Robert O'Connor, PE
Eagle Engineering ?
Eagle Eye Inspections ?
NACHI Education Committee
I am absolutely amazed sometimes by how much thought goes into doing things wrong
Originally Posted By: roconnor This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
The references are CodeCheck and the IRC (Sections R404.1.6, R319.1, and R401.3) as a guide to "industry construction standards"
Wood siding manufacturers also recommend the 6" clearance to grade. In addition see the American Wood Council (AWC) ?Details for Conventional Wood Frame Construction? and the discussion of wood siding on Page 11 ? good reference to have anyway, and available at http://www.awc.org/Publications/WCD/index.html
Some think the IRC requires 8" clear from wood siding to grade ... but that is the required clearance from typically untreated wood sill plates to grade in areas subject to decay per IRC R319.1 ? with wood siding and sheathing (errr ? heathing ? lol) permitted to extend down below the sill plate.
-- Robert O'Connor, PE
Eagle Engineering ?
Eagle Eye Inspections ?
NACHI Education Committee
I am absolutely amazed sometimes by how much thought goes into doing things wrong
Originally Posted By: roconnor This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
If I saw 7"clear and a 6" drop in 6 feet I wouldn’t write it up as a defect. Better clearance and pitch is always better, but if that was say new construction there would probably be a fight getting the builder to come back to regrade the site.
– Robert O’Connor, PE
Eagle Engineering ?
Eagle Eye Inspections ?
NACHI Education Committee
I am absolutely amazed sometimes by how much thought goes into doing things wrong
Originally Posted By: roconnor This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
All builders have to do is ensure the foundations are higher than the surrounding site, and use the excess soil from excavation to grade things away from the building. Pretty simple concept …
In any case I am glad to see most got the minimum recommended grading correct. But I caught a number of you with the 8" siding clearance option ... as that really applies to untreated sill plate clearance in decay prone areas ...
-- Robert O'Connor, PE
Eagle Engineering ?
Eagle Eye Inspections ?
NACHI Education Committee
I am absolutely amazed sometimes by how much thought goes into doing things wrong
Originally Posted By: roconnor This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
I keep a line level on a piece of string attached to a 40d spike in my bag of tricks … just in case the visual observations indicate it might be questionable and I want to back that up …
– Robert O’Connor, PE
Eagle Engineering ?
Eagle Eye Inspections ?
NACHI Education Committee
I am absolutely amazed sometimes by how much thought goes into doing things wrong
Originally Posted By: tallen This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
I hate to say it, but in my area we have a lot of 1" in 10’ grading, if that.
I will say, it only rains about 7" a year here, but to rely on soil perc and hard surface areas to drain your moisture is pretty hard to swallow.
However, if I was a stickler  I always mention it, but to be honest, it works, around here anyway.
-- I have put the past behind me,
where , however, it now sits, making rude remarks.
