More Information

Code Compliance & Construction Defects are not Mutually Exclusive

General Information
Regarding The Building Envelope
& Building Codes

Correlation does not imply causation

The Envelope & The Code

The Building Code is Specific to Life Safety –
The primary purpose of the building code is to ensure the safety of occupants in buildings. Therefore, the building code requirements primarily focus on life safety, fire safety, and structural safety. The building code does not  address other concerns such as durability or quality. Those issues are within the scope of the building envelope.

What does the building code accomplish?

Building code standards

The Building Code is the absolute minimum standard of care for Construction to receive a certificate of occupancy

It is essential to understand that the building code sets the absolute minimum standard of care for construction. Building owners and contractors should strive to exceed the minimum code requirements to provide a better quality building envelope that will perform well over time. The code is just the baseline requirement to ensure that a building can be occupied safely.

The Building Code has nothing to do with Quality Control.

The building code is not a quality control mechanism; it is a regulatory framework that establishes minimum requirements for construction. Quality control is the responsibility of the contractor or builder and is achieved through effective management of the construction process, such as material selection, installation, a proper quality control program, and internal process controls.

An inspection does not inspect for quality or construction defects

Know the difference

Understanding the inspection

An inspection does not inspect for quality or construction defects. Inspections are designed only for verifying that the building components and systems comply with the minimum requirements of the building code. Inspectors are not responsible for identifying quality issues or construction defects that may affect the performance of the building envelope.

Passing an inspection is no guarantee there was not a Code Violation nor a Construction Defect

Code Violations don’t necessarily cause envelope failure: but poor quality does absolutely.

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Breaking down code violations

Code Compliance & Defects are not mutually exclusive

While code violations can compromise the performance of the building envelope, it is not always the case. Inspections are based on a sampling of the construction, and there may be defects.

The big takeaways

  • Even if every inspection is passed, there may still be issues with the building envelope that compromise its performance.
  • The Building Inspector does not inspect to compare the field work to the construction drawings.
A project can pass every inspection and still leak like a sieve. Passing inspections does not guarantee that the building envelope will perform as intended.
The building envelope is a complex system that requires careful design, material selection, installation, and quality control.
The building inspector's job is to verify that the construction complies with the minimum requirements of the building code.
The responsibility falls on the contractor or builder to ensure that the construction complies with the design drawings.

“Every construction defect is caused by a process failure; either in design or execution”

Ariston specializes in the investigation, resolution and prevention of construction related defects and ensuing damage. 

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