Work platform needed by furnace in attic
Q. Now that I'm selling my home, the buyer's home inspector cited my furnace because it has no work platform. This heater has been in place for nearly 20 years and has passed previous inspections by the gas company. I'm getting too old to go up into the attic to fix it myself, so I'm faced with the expense of hiring someone to build a platform. Is this some new code requirement, or is the home inspector just being picky?
A. The home inspector is pointing out a safety requirement that has been in effect for decades. Although previous inspections failed to disclose the platform violation, it was inevitable that someone would eventually notice it.
According to code, a work platform, at least 30 inches deep, is required along the control side of any furnace that is installed in an attic so that workers can stand next to the furnace. The intent of this code is to provide optimum working conditions for anyone servicing your heater, to prevent errors in workmanship.
Without a platform, heating contractors would have to balance their knees on the edges of ceiling joists, while attempting to perform critical repairs and adjustments on a gas-burning fixture. Prolonged discomfort in this precarious posture could impair a contractor's concentration and precision. Resultant mechanical errors could have serious safety-related consequences.
To provide a platform, all you need is some wood planks nailed to the joists in front of the furnace. If the unit is not located near the attic access, a catwalk from the access to the platform is also required. Finally, be sure there is a light fixture near the furnace, with a switch at the attic access. This is also required.
Q. My home is nearly 65 years old, and some of the things reported in a recent home inspection seem a bit picky, given the age of the building. The item that bothers me most involves the door at the top of the basement stairs. This door swings over the top steps, and the inspector says this is unsafe. As long as I've lived here, no one has ever been hurt on these steps. So what's the big risk?
A. When a door is installed at the top of a stairway, it is required to swing away from the stairs, unless there is a landing. The home inspector's job is to point out violations of this kind, not because an injury accident is likely to happen, but because it possibly could.
The reason for this door requirement is simple. Suppose person No. 1 is coming up the stairs from the basement. At the same time, person No. 2, in the hallway, decides to go down to the basement. At the very moment when person No. 1 reaches the top of the stairs, person No. 2 opens the door into the face of person No. 1. Suddenly, person No. 1 becomes a rapidly descending mishap.
To avoid regrettable occurrences of this kind, the building code prohibits doors from swinging over the tops of stairways. This does not mean you are required to make repairs, but buyers and sellers should be aware when such conditions exist. Whether repairs are made at this time is a subject for negotiation.
• To write to Barry Stone, visit him on the web at www.housedetective.com, or write AMG, 1776 Jami Lee Court, Suite 218, San Luis Obispo, CA 94301.
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