# Habitable house



## Kearney.200 (Sep 23, 2010)

What utilitys need to be on in a house to make in habitable or uninhabitable?


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## vegas paul (Sep 23, 2010)

In our jurisdiction (yours may vary):

Water

Sewer

Heat/mechanical ventilation (regardless of utility source)

Electricity

...and Direct TV during football season!  (OK, I made that last one up)


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## Alias (Sep 23, 2010)

Kearney.200 said:
			
		

> What utilitys need to be on in a house to make in habitable or uninhabitable?


Generally speaking - water, sewer, heat, and electricity for habitability. Why?

Sue, in sunny CA


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## fatboy (Sep 23, 2010)

We've adopted the IPMC, so all the utilities must be connected.

Dish Network for me VP!


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## Kearney.200 (Sep 23, 2010)

Just wanted to  confirm what I thought


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## Alias (Sep 23, 2010)

fatboy said:
			
		

> We've adopted the IPMC, so all the utilities must be connected. Dish Network for me VP!


fatboy -

ditto for both here.

Sue, DISH please!


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## Kearney.200 (Sep 23, 2010)

Is that in the code somewhere or just City ORD.?


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## fatboy (Sep 23, 2010)

Have you adopted the IPMC?


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## Kearney.200 (Sep 23, 2010)

no 2000 IRC and '97 UBC


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## Yankee (Sep 23, 2010)

Cooking bathing and sleeping facilities, heat to 68, durable surfaces in wet areas, approved sewage disposal, weather-tight, life safety (stair rails, smoke alarms etc).

That's about it, I don't subscribe to the level some BO's consider acceptable. I don't think kitchen cabinetry, interior doors, or finished flooring are necessary. But I am probably on the "low" side.


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## fatboy (Sep 23, 2010)

Dang...not at office, but you might be in a tight spot.  I know when we were under the 97 UBC, we adopted the "dangerous buildings" can't remember the exact title, in order to have some sort of maintenance code. Out of curiosity I will check into it tomorrow.


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## peach (Sep 23, 2010)

Are we back to an Amish arguement?


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## fatboy (Sep 23, 2010)

probably..........


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## mtlogcabin (Sep 24, 2010)

R306.1 Toilet facilities.

Every dwelling unit shall be provided with a water closet, lavatory, and a bathtub or shower.

R306.2 Kitchen.

Each dwelling unit shall be provided with a kitchen area and every kitchen area shall be provided with a sink.

R306.3 Sewage disposal.

All plumbing fixtures shall be connected to a sanitary sewer or to an approved private sewage disposal system. What your state requires

R306.4 Water supply to fixtures.

All plumbing fixtures shall be connected to an approved water supply. What you will accept, Natural spring or cistren system? Kitchen sinks, lavatories, bathtubs, showers, bidets, laundry tubs and washing machine outlets shall be provided with hot and cold water.

R303.8 Required heating. Wood or gas stove

Required Cooking facility Wood or gas stove


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## Frank (Sep 24, 2010)

Under the green building ideal--NONE

All energy used will be collected onsite from renewable sources. 2008 ICC-700 NGBS 704.3

Rainwater will be collected and treated for primary uses and then recycled as gray water for secondary uses.  2008 ICC-700 NGBS 801.8, 802

Urine will be collected for recycling into fertilizer. 2008 ICC-700 NGBS 802.2  (This is starting to be done in Europe and is becoming more economical as traditional sources of phosphorus for fertilizer are becoming depleted)

Feces will be composted for use as soil amendment. 2008 ICC-700 NGBS 802.2


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## Pcinspector1 (Sep 24, 2010)

Heat - wood stove

Water - 25 cents buys several gallons at the city water filling station that you can fill the toilets and tub with.

Electricity - no need for it, kerosen lamps and candles will do, go to bed at 6:00pm

"Moved from Bugtussle to Beverly Hills"

Power was off last night, are you going to start the dangerous building process? Can I have a painted plywood floor and curtains for doors? And now you want a sprinkler system installed, I'm moving back to Bugtussle!

Franks, got it figured out!

Times are tough for some!


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## Alias (Sep 24, 2010)

fatboy said:
			
		

> Dang...not at office, but you might be in a tight spot.  I know when we were under the 97 UBC, we adopted the "dangerous buildings" can't remember the exact title, in order to have some sort of maintenance code. Out of curiosity I will check into it tomorrow.


97 Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings.  I switched from this one to the IPMC last code cycle because it hadn't been updated.

Sue, in sunny CA


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## mtlogcabin (Sep 24, 2010)

Sue

Bring back the ADB (it is for removing building) and use it as alast resort in conjunction with the IPMC when you can't get a property owner motivated to comply.


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## Kearney.200 (Sep 24, 2010)

not Amish but this type of person dose start with an A .

we do have ADB  like was said last resort.


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## fatboy (Sep 24, 2010)

The IPMC has plenty of ammo to get buildings removed, I just used it this past year to get my first city initiated tear down.


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## mtlogcabin (Sep 24, 2010)

The procedures outlined in the ABD are very specific and easy to follow. They are not subjective, they spell out the process to be followed by the BO and the owner should they wish to appeal. It also gives 18 examples of a "dangerous" building.

Sometimes we just don't need a "new" code when the ones we have are just fine.


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## fatboy (Sep 24, 2010)

Well.......I've said many times that as far as I'm concerned, we could have stayed on the 97 U-codes forever.


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## RJJ (Sep 25, 2010)

MT: I have to agree!


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## peach (Sep 25, 2010)

certainly the 97 unsafe building code was clear and concise..

Wood stove for heating:  IRC says heating facilities capable of maintaining a minimum room temp of 68,... and continues on that one or more portable space heaters shall not be used to achieve compliance with this section.  Wood stoves aren't necessarily "portable space heaters", but do require intervention to keep them stoked.

Stairway lighting: min 11 lux.. hard to achieve with candles.. but it's the AHJ call.


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