Code reqs. for finished ceiling required over furnace area?
Is a finished ceiling required over the boiler/furnace for one-family homes? There is a chance that the seller will allow his basement ceiling above the furnace area to be torn down for a thorough termite inspection. (The other 2/3rds of the basement has had extensive damage and beams/posts replaced so we are very wary.) We…
Is a finished ceiling required over the boiler/furnace for one-family homes?
There is a chance that the seller will allow his basement ceiling above the furnace area to be torn down for a thorough termite inspection. (The other 2/3rds of the basement has had extensive damage and beams/posts replaced so we are very wary.) We don’t intend to replace the ceiling right away, unless I find out that an inspector will cite it as a violation and not allow the house to close or something… I am a first time homebuyer so I am not sure who walks through now to look at stuff except the appraiser maybe?
My friend mentioned in passing that his mom’s house received a violation when they poked holes in the ceiling to thread some conduit and it has me thinking…
In addition, are there any mortgage stipulations that would require electrical violations, asbestos and termite issues to be resolved? The seller wants money in escrow to replace the ceiling in the event we cannot come to agreement with the damages if there is any… I am not liking this at all since any buyer would want the same verification…
Thanks!
You should definetly not buy this house without an engineers report on the structural integrity of this house. Also I would not put my money in escrow for the seller to replace his ceiling. I would require that they themselves bring in a termite inspector to check the house at their expense and pay for termite control if its necessary. Why should you be in the position of buying a house that you are not confident about its soundness. I would have the owner put money in escrow in the event that there is termite infestation at the time of the sale. Robert Farrell http://www.rbf-ltd.com
The fact is that the boiler needs to be enclosed in a fire rated room. This is usually acheived by a block wall surrounding the boiler and a sheet rock ceiling of 2 hour rating and a metal fire rated door. This is code in New York City. The fire department will ocassionally come to your building to request and inspection for fire safety. If there are violations it will be reported to the department of buildings eventually the violations have to be satisfied.In my building there was an oil burner blow back which ripped a hole in the sheet rock ceiling over the boiler. The enclosed room kept the considerable toxic soot from spreading through the rest of the house and the very real possibility of fire. So there is good sense in this code issue. I am an architect in Carroll Gardens and would encourage you to build safely for your own good and the protection of your property.
Robert Farrell-www.rbf-ltd.com
A finished ceiling is not required by code for a single family, although it will give you that extra bit of time you might need in case of a fire and is a smart thing to do.
It is required for a three family though.
Ok, I think you guys have help me clear it up. It seems by code a finished (maybe even rated gwb) ceiling is required above the boiler but there really isn’t any way to enforce that if an inspector doesn’t go in there, right?
Petebklyn, I also got clarification from the friend that their citation happened coz they were converting to a 3-family. Ours is a single-family house…
Has anyone seen termite treatment done from the top, ie, when floor boards were being replaced on the 1st floor so they don’t rip out the basement ceiling above the furnace?
not sure what you mean by ‘inspector’. If you are hiring an ‘inspector’ for condition of house then the report is yours and he does not give violations not prevent anything from closing.
The city has building inspectors – Is one coming in for some reason? (not usually the case except to clear old violations).
I can’t cite code but I understand that any ceiling that is underneath a space used (not necessarily occupied) by people has to be finished – not just sheet-rocked but even taped. The only place that needn’t be done is under a roof.