I have to get CEU credits to renew my contractor’s license every couple of
years. I found one Saturday class that got me all 6 hours in one sitting.
However it was on the Residential International Building Code. My contractors’
license is for excavation. Triple checked that this class would work. I took
it expressly because I knew next to nothing about the subject. Thought it
would be less boring.
Ok get in my seat and the first thing they gave was a quiz. I knew nothing
about any of the questions. Things like which seismic zones are we in and in
what is the wind speed used for structural calculations. Things like that.
How many inches minimum between a toilet bowl and a wall...
So it turned it in without marking anything. Then checked out the syllabus.
It spoke to a quiz that will be administered at the end of the course and that
I needed at least 70%. Gheeze.... wrong class, wrong class. Then it spoke to
the book, it was an open book class. There is a 3 inch thick $150 book that
contains the code. Similar to the NEC book. Don’t have the book. But I am
not the only one sweating, almost nobody had the book.
I asked a woman that was facilitating the sign ups about the fact that I don’t
have a book and I know nothing about IRBC. She said to just relax and take
notes. She was sure I would be fine.
Instructor starts in. Really entertaining old timer that has been doing this
for 50 years. Then he pauses a moment and says:
“You will have a test at the end of the course today. The first question on
that test reads. . . “ he reads the question. It was about seismic zones for
this area. Then he says: “The answer will be A, Seismic zone D” And then
proceeds with the lecture, periodically pausing to give us all 25 questions and
answers.
Then with 25 minutes left to go in the 6 hour mandatory block they hand out the
exam. Turns out 24 of the 25 questions all have A as the correct answer. And
answer #8 would have been A except for recent code change in the amount of
natural light a bedroom must have (or perhaps it was ventilation) as a
percentage of floor space. It was 8% .
Then when everyone was done in about 3 minutes, he asked us to self correct,
grade and hand them in.
It was fun, and I know now that if your top of foundation is more than 8 inches
above the earth you do not have to have a pressure treated mud sill. And that
the head room above stairs must be 6’ 8” or more. Ledger boards for decks must
be bolted to the rim joist or foundation of the house and your attic vent must
be one square foot for every 150 square feet of ceiling areas. Good stuff!!
Next time I am gonna do a different subject. Perhaps renew my electrical
(specialty, solar) contractors license...
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