A small part of this article is about clad refers to and extends code
Most of this article is about house finishing trim and clad sorted out during years at the granite knee of life experience
Rushing doesn't suit these home building jobs either
Collectively, this litany is unique
FINISHING HOUSE TRIM AND CLAD
Polyvinyl chloride (a/k/a PVC) trim material shall be considered in lieu of wood, particularly for exterior casings and flatwork
A handrail sized and spaced to code
Shall be applied to a stair with 1 or more risers, except where entry from grade to interior is a single step
Which handrail shall be fastened securely to structure, solid-blocked if needed
Wallboard of not less than 5/8 linear inch Type-X or equivalent
Shall conform to not less than most recent ASTM C36 (a/k/a American Society for Testing and Materials, “Standard Specification for Gypsum Wallboard") 5/8 linear inch Type-X
Shall be applied
Interior and exterior to stairwells
To abutting walls and ceilings
To the stair passageway
Including beneath treads and risers
Including stringers exposed below
Including ceiling and all walls of a closet below and abutting a stairway
Including storage space below a stairway
Shall be applied interior to a garage where surfaces abut habitable space
Shall be rated by most recent ASTM C36 (a/k/a American Society for Testing and Materials, “Standard Specification for Gypsum Wallboard") as not less than 5/8 linear inch Type-X or equivalent and
Penetrations in such wallboard shall be sealed with fire-rated caulks and sealants
In not less than conformance to most recent E136 (a/k/a American Society for Testing and Materials, “Test Method for Behavior of Materials in a Vertical Tube Furnace at 750 degrees C")
In not less than conformance to most recent ASTM E814 (a/k/a American Society for Testing and Materials, “Standard Test Method for Fire Tests of Through-Penetration Fire Stops")
Wallboard
Shall be applied and finished in strong [read:as on a sunny day] natural light or
Shall be applied and finished in artificial illumination not less than 5 incandescent watts per square foot (i.e., approximately 40 lumens/ft.2) of contiguous surface area to be coated
Shall be only floated at corners
Shall receive not less than three coats of wallboard compound
Shall be sanded smooth between each coat of wallboard compound
Wallboard not less than 5/8 linear inch thick shall be applied to walls and ceilings
In a garage and
In a manual or machine work bench area, regardless of whatever other qualifications are required of that wallboard, e.g., X-type, moisture-resistant, etc.
Deck railings
Shall be fastened to posts to withstand not less than 250# force in any direction by using either one of 2 ways, among others
The railing shall be lapped over the post and face-fastened with not less than 2–#8 screws or 2–10d nails
Balusters (a/k/a pickets, spindles) shall be face-fastened to the posts at their in-line faces and then
Rails shall be fastened perpendicular to baluster butts preferably
With not less than #8 screws
Not greater than 6 linear inches on center on the vertical and
Not less than 2 screws on the perpendicular
Interior railings shall withstand not less than a 250# force in any direction
Interior wood trim
Shall be of
Same material and method throughout a house
Except for very modest variation, more likely in width and not decorative treatment, to distinguish a particular feature or element as a child’s alcove or formal space
Shall be, preferably, at casings, butt-jointed and not mitered
Shall be at baseboard
Pieced (not precut)
At corners
Inside, butted
Outside, mitered
Big as you can manage
Comment:While base cap commonly is unremarkable and often too small for the subordinate baseboard, note please there are plenty of wonderfully profiled base caps worth a look-see.
Interior wood trim to be painted
Shall be lightly coated twice with spray shellac to seal knots and other potential bleeders
Shall be caulked at trim joints and
The caulked seams shall be damp-wiped smooth and clean
Exterior wood trim to be painted and before fastening
Shall be lightly coated twice with spray shellac to seal knots and other potential bleeders
Shall be prime-coated not less than once on all sides, including butts, miters, bores, notches, etc.
Shall be finish-coated not less than once on all sides, including butts, miters, bores, notches, etc.
Plastic gutters, downspouts, and leaders shall not be applied
PVC trim may be considered in lieu of wood for exterior applications, particularly in re casings and flatwork
Vertical finish faceboards to bay window shall be
Not less than 4 linear inches wide
Shall be of a single board each
Lintels
Shall be sized correctly, as though applied without steel reinforcement
Lintelheight shall be not less than 1/6th of window or door width below
Ends shall overlap equally on each side of window or door shall be equal either to the full height of the lintelor half the height of the lintel
Mouldings –
Flutesshall preferentially be tapered and not stopped
Dentils
Shall be oriented only perpendicularly
Shall be applied only to Ionic, Doric, and Corinthian Orders
Columns of the Tuscan Order shall not be fluted
Classical Ordersmay
Collocate
Be artfully adapted
Be applied as decorative and not necessarily structural or apparently structural
Artfully associate Roman arch, vault, and column with Greek linteland post, or trebeation
Without pedestal, but with an entablature, and, specifically, at least a cornice
Shutters
Shall be in each width equal to half the width of the window (or door) with which the shutter is associated
Shall be hinged so as to function fully
Applied so as to function properly when closed
Shall be dogged simply (i.e., not S-dogs)
A cedar-linedcloset
Shall be lined only with Eastern Red Cedar planking
Shall be thoroughly sealed to air passage at all joints
Shall be fitted with exterior grade, single-swing doors bearing full weather stripping and sweep
Shall NOT be relied upon as an air source to abutting Mechanical Room or other air-use space
Comment: Note well that unfiltered breathing of cedar dust, as from sanding, can be hazardous to health.
In a bathroom
Especially a bathroom generally or commonly occupied by a lady
Absolutely in a Master Bath if at all possible
Absolutely in a Hers Bath if at all possible
In addition to the standard wall mirror above the lav(s)
Apply another mirror plane abutting the standard mirror and at right angle to it
Which added mirror plane shall as well be sited most beneficially in the reflection of natural light into the bathroom
Noting that in alcove applications, mirror may be added to abut each end of the standard mirror and at right angles to it
Interior doors
Shall involve 3 hinges of not less than 3 ½ linear inches
Except solid-core and better shall involve 3 hinges of not less than 4 linear inches
Exterior doors shall involve 3 hinges of not less than 4 linear inches
Wallboardfastened to ceiling
Where the ceiling structure is of roof truss bottom chords and
Especially in colder climes and
Without regard as to whether the attic above is vented or unvented
Shall be
Fastened to the bottom chords to within 18 linear inches of space perimeters
Not fastened to the bottom chords within 18 linear inches of space perimeters
Supported at its perimeters by clips
May require cornice trim to conceal ceiling creep evidenced at the perimeters by expanding and contracting joints between the seasons
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