Lynn Underwood

Great resource

This DEWALT handbook deals with Residential construction codes which are derived from the 2015 International Code. The book is divided in sections: Construction, HVAC, Plumbing, and Electrical. Basically everything you would expect.

I think the target market might be professionals in the construction trade but I have to tell you that this is a fabulous tool for DIYer. Hubby and I have had various permits on our windows for over a year now and we've been referencing the International Code as we've muddled along. The IC is available online, by the way, but I happen to prefer having a book to lug around. And I also have to say that the images in this book are very very helpful to me, giving me a good idea of what the final installation should look like.

To BackUp a bit... one of the stated purposes of this book is to help the reader focus on what's relevant. With the intention, the authors say, of having you pass inspection the first time. This, of course, would be of interest to the professional as well as we amateurs. And one thing that you'll learn is what the inspectors are going to look for. What the code addresses.

Now Local codes *will* frequently vary from the International Code, but in reading this book you should gain an understand of what inspectors will be evaluating.

In addition, we've found that the IC code is useful to us because it's very conservative --by which I mean that safety is a prime consideration. Where we live, for example, electrical standards follow the International Code. Plumbing standards are more lenient. So if we wanted to know what the 'best practices' were, this would be the resource to tell us. To give an example of how we used the International code, we just wired our basement, and by following the IC guidelines we passed our first inspection.

To give you another example of how this book could be useful I'll talk about what I just happily discovered in the Plumbing section. Topic: Hot Water Heaters.

We are just about to buy another hot water heater. An upgrade. The current installation is typical of what is probably an ancient design. The IC gave me some really interesting suggestions about how we can improve our rig.

We have a cut-off valve, of course, and a pan that the heater sits in. (This latter we installed the last time we replaced the heater.) This book gives you specifications for what kind of galvanized pan is optimal. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, this galvanized pan is meant to catch water from a leak -- like you might get if the bottom of your heater rusts out.) It also suggested that the heater should be slightly elevated and that the pan should drain into an 'indirect waste receptor'. I can tell you I've had tons of plumbers out here fixing this and that and none of them ever suggested this idea. And it's something that I find very attractive since I've always worried about not catching the leak in time to prevent damage. The pan gives you some time but obviously it won't hold the contents of the heater. A receptacle or drain would allow for a much longer period of time to realize there's a problem. And hopefully would eliminate any damage from the water that's leaking.

RECOMMEND. Standards and Ideas is why I give this book a hearty thumb's up. It's precisely the sort of resource I wanted. It educates me, gives me ideas, and hopefully saves me time and money, while making my family safer.

~ review copy
~3rd book of 2016… (mere)