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The following are Phil’s brief notes from the Residential Code Advisory Committee meeting held in the Training Room at the BBS offices in Reynoldsburg on Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008.
1.
After the approval of a small handful of new residential Building Officials, the
subject of establishing a new certification for Residential Mechanical Inspectors was brought up. OBOA had been asked to poll their members to see if anyone would make use of this possible new certification. About 26 responses were received from the email poll, split nearly 50/50 between those who felt that the certification would not be useful and those that supported the establishment of this certification. On behalf of OBOA President Bruce Wholf who was unable to attend the meeting, Vice President Phil Seyboldt addressed the Committee to explain the opinion of the OBOA board that was set forth at the last meeting on April 18th. That opinion was that the certification should be established as an optional certification; that Residential Building Inspectors should continue to perform those inspections; that Commercial Mechanical Inspectors should be permitted to utilize their knowledge and experience by being grandfathered as a Residential Mechanical Inspector upon making the necessary application and paying the $30 fee; that individuals wishing to be approved as residential mechanical inspectors (that are not currently certified) should have 3-years of experience in that field and pass the residential mechanical test module. After further discussion on the matter, the RCAC passed a motion to accept OBOA’s recommendations in their entirety.
2. During the Committee’s discussion of energy codes, a nationwide survey that had been taken by the Homebuilders Association and Better Homes and Gardens Magazine regarding housing design and energy consumption was distributed and discussed. It yielded some interesting facts. I was not surprised to learn that the American consumer wants to have his cake and eat it, too.
Here is a sampling of the survey results from nearly 2,300 respondents:
51% said that they would pay from $5,000 to $11,000 more up front for a new house if they could save on their utility bills. 16% would pay more than $11,000.
A high level of insulation, Energy Star windows and energy-saving equipment were among the top ten features looked for in a new house.
57% of respondents wanted the builders to give them green options, explain what they are, include the costs of the options, and then let them decide which to include.
It’s not Generations X and Y that are clamoring for the green options, but the Baby-Boomer generation. They want to leave a legacy and they have the money to do it.
Besides green attributes, respondents craved outdoor features, including access to the outdoors from the kitchen.
40% said that the outdoor areas were nearly as important as the indoor ones.
28% of all homes built in 2007 included 3 or more bathrooms, and 38% included 4 or more bedrooms.
51% wanted ceilings to be at least 8-feet high, with others requesting 9 and 10 foot ceilings. 51% of new houses had a fireplace.
70% of new home buyers said that what excites them the most about buying a new house is a new kitchen. The kitchen is not just a room – it is an experience. The most important kitchen features were a walk-in pantry, an island work station, a built-in microwave, water filtration and special-use storage.
Respondents indicated that high-tech features that will soon be standard are a security system, an energy management system and lighting controls. Women indicated that they cannot get a good night’s sleep without one or more of these features.
The average size home built in 2007 was 2,512 square feet, compared to 1,660 in 1973. 57% of new dwellings were two stories or more, compared with 23% in 1980.
Within the next ten years, certain rooms in homes of less than 3,000 square feet will become obsolete, including the living room.
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