We had our first major inspection on Friday. So far, the city has inspected our foundation, our "groundworks" and the temporary power pole. This is the first time they've inspected the house itself, namely framing, mechanical, electrical and plumbing. We failed for some of the most ridiculous stuff ever.
Number 1, we don't have the fireplace installed yet. I assumed we needed drywall in first. But no, they want it done before drywall. So of course, I hadn't ordered it in time. I actually had yet another conversation with the city checking on the approval status of a potential installer. This time, the company in question has applied, but doesn't have a master gasfitter on staff, so they aren't approved. I also got a lecture about putting a company on my building permit application without already having a fireplace installer under contract. We needed the house framed before they could come out to give us a quote, but we need to have them under contract before we're allowed to break ground? Well, we shouldn't have had a fireplace on the plans if we hadn't decided who we were buying it from. We should have deleted it from the plans and added it later? So, I've bought the fireplace from the company that told me to leave their store. But it's coming this week. It wasn't in when the inspector came.
Number 2, he refused to go up to the second floor because we only had a railing on one side of the stairs. He claimed it was a safety risk.
Number 3, despite the engineered drawings showing how the house is built, the inspector wants extra framing in the corners, preventing us from having insulation in the corners.
Number 4, we didn't have the stamped drawings from the city on site. They were in my car, but I was in Toronto, so MrDinks couldn't find them. He had given BIL the garage drawings instead.
Number 5, we need documentation from the Canadian Association of Building Materials about some composite decking. Apparently Ryan put on the drawings that our green roof will have composite decking on it. It's called a green roof because the city won't allow us to have a deck up there. I suspect that the reference to the composite decking was on there because Ryan copied and pasted something from a different project. And because of that, the city wants us to provide some documentation. In order to get this document, we have to have a subscription to some government database. The city has access to it, and could easily look up whatever they need. But they won't. And we can't get it unless we're a big developer. Or pay a big developer to get it for us. So we have to have the drawings changed to show that we're not putting a deck on the surface we're not allowed to use as a deck anyway.
Number 6, we need resilient channels in our bedroom walls. WTF? It turns out we're in the AVPA (Airport Vicinity Protection Area). An apparently top secret zone the city has declared that basically means we're under the flight path. Someone did a contour map showing the areas that would be the loudest. And then someone else drew lines on the city streets surrounding the contours. We're outside the contour area. and inside the city street lines. That means that we are legally required to have soundproofing in the exterior walls where someone might be sleeping. And the city inspectors, for their own convenience, have decided that means resilient channels. MrDinks called the city and asked if we still need them given that we have the rigid foam insulation on the outside, which provides more sound deadening than the channels. Sure, we just need to provide a report from an acoustical engineer certifying that our walls are at least as sound proof as they would be if we had resilient channels. Nevermind, the channels are cheaper and faster than hiring an engineer.
However, they need to go on after the insulation and vapour barrier, just before drywall. But the inspector wants to see them on before we're allowed to insulate and vapour barrier. So, we essentially need to install them, pass inspection, and then remove them to finish the house.
In further ridiculousness, apparently nobody at the city noticed that we were planning to put exterior insulation around the house. And now that MrDinks has mentioned it to the inspection department, they have asked for an engineer's calculation of the thermal properties of our insulation system. When he told me this, I assumed they thought we were doing the exterior insulation INSTEAD of the usual insulation, not in addition to. But apparently there's some concern about the exterior insulation being more than 30% of the thickness of the interior insulation. So MrDinks did the math himself and sent it in. We're waiting to hear back on whether we still need an engineer to stamp that math, or if it's simple enough for even a city employee to understand it. Regardless, in the research on this, MrDinks has realized that all the stucco houses that the city planning department loves are completely breaking this regulation, because they have foam outside, and don't have the proper ratio of interior to exterior insulation.
Number 1, we don't have the fireplace installed yet. I assumed we needed drywall in first. But no, they want it done before drywall. So of course, I hadn't ordered it in time. I actually had yet another conversation with the city checking on the approval status of a potential installer. This time, the company in question has applied, but doesn't have a master gasfitter on staff, so they aren't approved. I also got a lecture about putting a company on my building permit application without already having a fireplace installer under contract. We needed the house framed before they could come out to give us a quote, but we need to have them under contract before we're allowed to break ground? Well, we shouldn't have had a fireplace on the plans if we hadn't decided who we were buying it from. We should have deleted it from the plans and added it later? So, I've bought the fireplace from the company that told me to leave their store. But it's coming this week. It wasn't in when the inspector came.
Number 2, he refused to go up to the second floor because we only had a railing on one side of the stairs. He claimed it was a safety risk.
Number 3, despite the engineered drawings showing how the house is built, the inspector wants extra framing in the corners, preventing us from having insulation in the corners.
Number 4, we didn't have the stamped drawings from the city on site. They were in my car, but I was in Toronto, so MrDinks couldn't find them. He had given BIL the garage drawings instead.
Number 5, we need documentation from the Canadian Association of Building Materials about some composite decking. Apparently Ryan put on the drawings that our green roof will have composite decking on it. It's called a green roof because the city won't allow us to have a deck up there. I suspect that the reference to the composite decking was on there because Ryan copied and pasted something from a different project. And because of that, the city wants us to provide some documentation. In order to get this document, we have to have a subscription to some government database. The city has access to it, and could easily look up whatever they need. But they won't. And we can't get it unless we're a big developer. Or pay a big developer to get it for us. So we have to have the drawings changed to show that we're not putting a deck on the surface we're not allowed to use as a deck anyway.
Number 6, we need resilient channels in our bedroom walls. WTF? It turns out we're in the AVPA (Airport Vicinity Protection Area). An apparently top secret zone the city has declared that basically means we're under the flight path. Someone did a contour map showing the areas that would be the loudest. And then someone else drew lines on the city streets surrounding the contours. We're outside the contour area. and inside the city street lines. That means that we are legally required to have soundproofing in the exterior walls where someone might be sleeping. And the city inspectors, for their own convenience, have decided that means resilient channels. MrDinks called the city and asked if we still need them given that we have the rigid foam insulation on the outside, which provides more sound deadening than the channels. Sure, we just need to provide a report from an acoustical engineer certifying that our walls are at least as sound proof as they would be if we had resilient channels. Nevermind, the channels are cheaper and faster than hiring an engineer.
However, they need to go on after the insulation and vapour barrier, just before drywall. But the inspector wants to see them on before we're allowed to insulate and vapour barrier. So, we essentially need to install them, pass inspection, and then remove them to finish the house.
In further ridiculousness, apparently nobody at the city noticed that we were planning to put exterior insulation around the house. And now that MrDinks has mentioned it to the inspection department, they have asked for an engineer's calculation of the thermal properties of our insulation system. When he told me this, I assumed they thought we were doing the exterior insulation INSTEAD of the usual insulation, not in addition to. But apparently there's some concern about the exterior insulation being more than 30% of the thickness of the interior insulation. So MrDinks did the math himself and sent it in. We're waiting to hear back on whether we still need an engineer to stamp that math, or if it's simple enough for even a city employee to understand it. Regardless, in the research on this, MrDinks has realized that all the stucco houses that the city planning department loves are completely breaking this regulation, because they have foam outside, and don't have the proper ratio of interior to exterior insulation.
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