Death By Code

Death by Code
I came across this article by Jeffrey S. Sargent (read below) and thought it was interesting. There are numerous building codes in our country. While some states allow for local jurisdiction to amend codes, some states have statewide codes. As a home inspector in Hilton Head (and surrounding areas), South Carolina, I see variations in building codes from one town to the next. When political and economic concerns get involved, safety and common sense can fall to the wayside. Add local interpretation of adopted codes, and areas where code officials have little power, and you may have a mix for tragedy, such as the story told by Jeffrey, which resulted in death as a result of a local jurisdiction amending the codes. While this may be extreme, I hope it calls forth some interesting and productive discussions on code enforcement and code adoptions.

A Cautionary Tale

IAEI January-February 2015

by Jeffrey S. Sargent

I had dinner recently with a good friend and colleague, and our conversation drifted to the topic of 2014 National Electrical Code^® adoption. I told him adoptions were going well, but that some jurisdictions had passed or were contemplating amendments reducing the level of safety afforded by the NEC. The only “technical” support for these amendments, in most cases, were anecdotal accounts of operational problems and overstated financial concerns.

This led my friend to share an experience he had while working as the chief electrical inspector of a mid-sized city. He’s no longer employed by that community, but it was clear that the impact of what happened had not faded.

He told me he’d been at his office early on a Monday morning, and that he’d just closed out the last inspection report from the previous week when his phone rang. The caller explained he was interested in learning about the background of a city-specific amendment to the NEC. The amendment had exempted receptacles installed in garages and on the outside of homes from the requirement that they be provided with ground-fault circuit-interrupter (GFCI) protection. The inspector explained the exception was on the books prior to him assuming the chief inspector’s job and had been added in response to negative feedback on the requirement that had been received by a member of the city council from local homeowners. The council member was in the homebuilding business.

Anyone who has served responsibly in the public sector understands the governmental chain of command, and in this case the inspector did what he believed was right by not disparaging those who were elected by the citizens of that city. He also knew that, had he been in the chief’s position at the time the amendment was proposed, he would have made every possible attempt to dissuade the council from reducing the level of safety established in a national consensus code. As it was, the amendment stood, and he had no desire to attempt to reverse a decision of the city council.

The gentleman on the other end of the line began calmly explaining the reason for his call. His family had recently moved into a new home in the city, and during the previous weekend they held a cook-out at their home. At the time, electrically heated outdoor grills were a new and easy way to cook outdoors—just plug in and cook. This family’s grill was flawed, however. The man’s young son had come in contact with the grill—which was plugged into an outdoor receptacle that lacked GFCI protection—at the same moment he was in contact with ground, and received a severe shock. He died en route to the hospital.

The electrical inspector was speechless. There were no words he could offer to justify why the amendment existed. He knew the amendment was wrong, but now he knew just how wrong: based on what the caller was saying, the amendment might be complicit in the death of a child. A lawsuit was filed against the city, and an out-of-court settlement was reached. The amendment was subsequently repealed.

Deeply disturbed by what had happened, the inspector vowed he would never again work in a jurisdiction where convenience and financial considerations were placed above safety. He never again wanted to be in the position of having to explain to a grieving parent the shallow reason why a fundamental safety feature had been amended out of a national consensus code for safe electrical installations.

End of article.

Thanks for reading my Blog.

John M. Wickline, President
JW Home Inspections, Inc.
JWInspect.com 

 

Why is My Roof So Ugly?

How to Clean Moss and Algae from your Asphalt Roof Shingles

     By John M. Wickline, President

JW Home Inspections, Inc.

Algae and moss on roof surfaces are just plain ugly and detract from the curb appeal of a home. Some stains are simply just cosmetic concerns, but some stains, if left unattended, can lead to serious damages. No matter, you will likely want to eliminate these unsightly visitors on your roof. As a Home Inspector in Hilton Head, Bluffton, Sun City, and Okatie, SC, I see quite a few roofs with these ugly attachments.

What could be causing the stains?

            Often discoloration is nothing more than shingle erosion on the roof shingles. Roof shingles that are older (approximately 12 to 15 years old) may start to lose surface granules from the shingles, resulting in a dark or black appearance on the shingles. It may be time for a new roof. Hopefully your are not going to have to deal with this problem. Now let’s move on to less expensive conditions that may be the culprit.

            As a Home Inspector in the Hilton Head and Bluffton South Carolina areas, algae is the most common cause of discolorations that I observe. Algae, (sometimes mistakenly referred to as mold or mildew), often starts off as small black stains and spreads out over time. It is a cosmetic concern and not harmful to anything other than the appearance (that all important curb appeal). See Figure 1 for example:

Figure 1 Algae on shingles  JW Home Inspections, Inc.

                Inspecting homes in the Hilton Head and surrounding areas, I also find moss and lichens growing on roof surfaces. Soft green and velvety patches of moss, and lichens can both cause damages to roof surfacing (shingles and some other types of roof surfacing materials). Such growths often occur on roofs that are shaded by large trees overhanging and shading the roofs (common in Hilton Head). This is an excellent reason for keeping tree branches trimmed back from the roof, as well as blowing off the debris on roof surfaces. Such growths can actually lead to shingle erosion, as well as curling and cracking of shingles. Also some moss or lichen growths may be dense enough that they form water dams, and allow water to wick underneath the shingles, causing damages. See figure 2 for an example of moss, and figure 3 for an example of lichens.

Figure 2  Moss on shingles  JW Home Inspections, Inc.

Figure 3  Lichens on roof  JW Home Inspections, Inc.

OK, thanks for that information. Now what do I do about these ugly growths?

            Glad you asked. If (and only if) you are comfortable walking a roof and take necessary precautions (ladder safety, harness as necessary, proper shoes, protective clothing and gear, etc.), then you may want to consider cleaning the roof surfaces yourself. If not, please hire a professional. Basically the procedure commonly used is to cover with plastic any plants or objects below the roof line (such as heat pump condensing units, plants, etc.) that may be harmed by a bleach solution. The bleach solution (50/50 solution of bleach and water) is sprayed with a garden sprayer onto the roof surfaces and allowed to set for approximately 20 minutes, and then rinse off with a garden hose (power washers can remove granules from the shingles and cause damage). You may have to get tough with some deposits by using a soft bristle brush on them, without scrubbing too hard. You may also have to spray the solution again and let is set for 30 minutes and rinse. Some staining may remain but will likely wear away with time and exposure to sun and rain. 

OK, but how do I prevent these nasty growths from occurring or revisiting?

            Please remain calm. There are effective preventive measures you (or a hired professional) can take. Zinc strips, (see figure 4) can be applied at hips and ridges to prevent or minimize these growths. Copper strips can also be applied (they will make your wallet seem lighter though). Both zinc and copper strips work by having rain fall on them, and small particles of the metals run onto the roof surfaces, thus protecting them like magic. OK, so I am not going to explain the physics behind this mystery, but it’s good to have a mystery in life now and again. If performing this magic act yourself, be sure to follow instructions that come with your strips (please note that I can’t help you in your strip search, you are on your own with that one). Also, as I mentioned before, keep the roof clean and remove tree branches (if possible) to allow more sunlight on the roof. 

Figure 4  Zinc strips

            It really is a job for a professional, since they have the experience and specialized equipment to do the job safely. However, if you insist on doing it yourself, keep safety in mind. It is definitely not worth falling of a roof, so only attempt this if you take all safety precautions. All it takes is one inattentive moment or one small slip, and you will be quickly introduced to Mr. Ground. He is a hard one, and very unforgiving, you can be sure. For information on ladder safety, you can visit the following link: InterNACHI’s article on ladder safety.

             

Once you get the lichen cleaned from your roof, you will be lichen the looks of your roof more and more. Sorry for that one.

Again, thanks for reading. 

John M. Wickline, President

JW Home Inspections, Inc.

Serving the Hilton Head, Sun City, Okatie and Bluffton areas in SC

Since 1998