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I've done battle a few time for friends after getting inspection reports...
Each time the report was misleading the the Chief Building Official even put it in writing.
In a nutshell... a dwelling is required to meet "Code" at the time of construction so long as it remains in good repair without alterations.
Inspector called all the bedroom windows and another time a large, as in 12' wide picture window that went from floor to ceiling with expansive view of SF...
First home was built in 1922 and the windows were original and the second in 1956...
Problems often come up because a 1950 home does not and is not the same as a 2013 home...
Sounds like the OP did everything right and has the documentation for backup.
In our home we had a great bedroom with skylights in a sloped side of the ceiling/roof intended for a view of, well, the view. The top of the skylight touched our heads and went down from there...to give an idea of accessibility. There were other contemporary windows in the walls that slide open leaving an open space of maybe 18"x12".
Well, before we bought, the home inspector said the room was not a bedroom without windows where one could escape in the event of fire.
The owner told us the building inspector had said the same when he came to approve.
They hadn't noticed the very obvious pull bar on the skylights. At the top, about forehead height. Just pull it and the window tilts in. Great for cleaning and escaping onto the roof in the event of fire.
I've done battle a few time for friends after getting inspection reports...
Each time the report was misleading the the Chief Building Official even put it in writing.
In a nutshell... a dwelling is required to meet "Code" at the time of construction so long as it remains in good repair without alterations.
Inspector called all the bedroom windows and another time a large, as in 12' wide picture window that went from floor to ceiling with expansive view of SF...
First home was built in 1922 and the windows were original and the second in 1956...
Problems often come up because a 1950 home does not and is not the same as a 2013 home...
Sounds like the OP did everything right and has the documentation for backup.
Curious what they found wrong with your windows, especially the sort of glass wall with the fabulous view. And what happened? Did you have to make any changes?
I fixed everything the roofers said needed to be fixed - but their list was drastically smaller than what the inspector thought was necessary. Those buyers dropped out. The next set dropped out when they saw that buyers' inspection report.
What? The next set of buyers should be paying for their own inspection; they shouldn't have had access to the previous inspection report.
In our home we had a great bedroom with skylights in a sloped side of the ceiling/roof intended for a view of, well, the view. The top of the skylight touched our heads and went down from there...to give an idea of accessibility. There were other contemporary windows in the walls that slide open leaving an open space of maybe 18"x12".
Well, before we bought, the home inspector said the room was not a bedroom without windows where one could escape in the event of fire.
The owner told us the building inspector had said the same when he came to approve.
They hadn't noticed the very obvious pull bar on the skylights. At the top, about forehead height. Just pull it and the window tilts in. Great for cleaning and escaping onto the roof in the event of fire.
I had the same thing happen in the home I was selling. I had a full bedroom with a closet in my walk out finished basement. The bedroom had a large, oversized fire code escape window. A realtor who showed my home told her clients that we listed the home with too many bedrooms because we were required to have a full sized door in the room that led outside in order for it to be listed as a bedroom. She even wrote this in the feedback email. She gave the potential buyers totally wrong info, which is very frustrating when things like this happen repeatedly with these so called professionals.
In our home we had a great bedroom with skylights in a sloped side of the ceiling/roof intended for a view of, well, the view. The top of the skylight touched our heads and went down from there...to give an idea of accessibility. There were other contemporary windows in the walls that slide open leaving an open space of maybe 18"x12".
Well, before we bought, the home inspector said the room was not a bedroom without windows where one could escape in the event of fire.
The owner told us the building inspector had said the same when he came to approve.
They hadn't noticed the very obvious pull bar on the skylights. At the top, about forehead height. Just pull it and the window tilts in. Great for cleaning and escaping onto the roof in the event of fire.
Most areas use this standard: Residential Code Requirements
"Windows" are required to sit atop studs and must be set on edge. They must be 5.7 square feet and open to at least 20 X 24 inches.
The people who tell you to not use home inspectors and to always go with a contractor are giving bad advice. Contractor should be called after the home inspector has had a look.
Curious what they found wrong with your windows, especially the sort of glass wall with the fabulous view. And what happened? Did you have to make any changes?
Later Code required tempered or laminated glass if the window is within so many inches of the floor.
I've run into the same with 1950's tub and shower door enclosures... of course I would only install safety glass if replacing... to say an existing is a code VIOLATION when there was no such code when it was permitted is just wrong... in my opinion.
The problem with the bedroom windows in the 1920 home is the windows are 2" too narrow and do not meet the modern minimum code requirement of 10 Square feet of window or 10% of the floor area... which is typical for all older double hung windows.
On a separate note... I have a project right now the falls under one set of codes if the permit is issued by the end of this year or additional requirements if the permit is issued in 2014... note, even if the permit is issued in 2013... the work will be completed next year.
I have things kooky with my home from way way way back. I am fourth owner of my house. After Sandy home was damaged and I fixed a lot of the problems some as far back as 45 years. BTW I have water behind the siding that was identified in my 1999 inspection I never fixed. Does not come into house and I will fix it when I fix house.
Weirdest thing was I have a back extension with a crawl space with no way to access that filled with water and used un-pressured treated wood. I am sure owners 2, 3 and me had that noted in the home inspection.
Anyhow in November 2012 a very old lady shows up at my house driven by a 70 year old man. She wanted to see if her first house my next door neighbors house she bought in 1954 survived Sandy, Five feet of water but it survived. She then tells these amazing stories of 1954 Long Island and how her husband the Dentist was the second richest man in town.
So I ask her who was richest man in town back then. She goes why the owner of your house. Mr. Breakstone of Breakstone Cottage Cheese built the house in 1955. He did that extension in 1969 and sold it in the early 1970s. So I live in a 60x100 split and I pulled building records. Yep Mr. Breakstone. The story continues. Mr. Breakstones son wanted nothing to do with the cottage cheese business. When he was in HS in 1969 he was a hippie who was the talk of town and he made wild outfits. Mr Breakstone cut him out of the will and said you are on your own. The kid started selling his designs and started becoming a hit and became a millionaire.
She pointed to my daughters room and said it all started in that room in 1969. My 12 daughter loves designing stuff and in that very room 33 years later.
Anyhow Mr. Breakstone it apprears had a lot of stuff going on in 1969 and did not oversee the extension that shifted in Sandy.
Not all home improvements or design flaws are negatives. I think my kitchen extension that mr. breakstone screwed up in 1969 is pretty interesting.
Most areas use this standard: Residential Code Requirements
"Windows" are required to sit atop studs and must be set on edge. They must be 5.7 square feet and open to at least 20 X 24 inches.
The people who tell you to not use home inspectors and to always go with a contractor are giving bad advice. Contractor should be called after the home inspector has had a look.
And then regional modifications are the adopted. Had you been a trained inspector you would know this, and how the adoption process takes place. Also, a property only has too meet the code at the time of construction. An older home may, or may not have to meet this requirement.
Later Code required tempered or laminated glass if the window is within so many inches of the floor.
I've run into the same with 1950's tub and shower door enclosures... of course I would only install safety glass if replacing... to say an existing is a code VIOLATION when there was no such code when it was permitted is just wrong... in my opinion.
The problem with the bedroom windows in the 1920 home is the windows are 2" too narrow and do not meet the modern minimum code requirement of 10 Square feet of window or 10% of the floor area... which is typical for all older double hung windows.
On a separate note... I have a project right now the falls under one set of codes if the permit is issued by the end of this year or additional requirements if the permit is issued in 2014... note, even if the permit is issued in 2013... the work will be completed next year.
Does the home being historic and perhaps in a registered historic district not make a difference?
I have things kooky with my home from way way way back. I am fourth owner of my house. After Sandy home was damaged and I fixed a lot of the problems some as far back as 45 years. BTW I have water behind the siding that was identified in my 1999 inspection I never fixed. Does not come into house and I will fix it when I fix house.
Weirdest thing was I have a back extension with a crawl space with no way to access that filled with water and used un-pressured treated wood. I am sure owners 2, 3 and me had that noted in the home inspection.
Anyhow in November 2012 a very old lady shows up at my house driven by a 70 year old man. She wanted to see if her first house my next door neighbors house she bought in 1954 survived Sandy, Five feet of water but it survived. She then tells these amazing stories of 1954 Long Island and how her husband the Dentist was the second richest man in town.
So I ask her who was richest man in town back then. She goes why the owner of your house. Mr. Breakstone of Breakstone Cottage Cheese built the house in 1955. He did that extension in 1969 and sold it in the early 1970s. So I live in a 60x100 split and I pulled building records. Yep Mr. Breakstone. The story continues. Mr. Breakstones son wanted nothing to do with the cottage cheese business. When he was in HS in 1969 he was a hippie who was the talk of town and he made wild outfits. Mr Breakstone cut him out of the will and said you are on your own. The kid started selling his designs and started becoming a hit and became a millionaire.
She pointed to my daughters room and said it all started in that room in 1969. My 12 daughter loves designing stuff and in that very room 33 years later.
Anyhow Mr. Breakstone it apprears had a lot of stuff going on in 1969 and did not oversee the extension that shifted in Sandy.
Not all home improvements or design flaws are negatives. I think my kitchen extension that mr. breakstone screwed up in 1969 is pretty interesting.
What a great story!
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