I spent most of today traveling to Connecticut to do a Code Jeopardy presentation for 31 building inspectors there.  I’m pretty sure they thought I was crazy when I said that we were going to play a game, but they enjoyed it and learned something, and I was able to keep them awake even though they had just eaten a big slab of meatloaf.  If you want to learn about codes in a fun an interactive way, let me know and I’ll try to arrange Code Jeopardy for your group.

One of the highlights of the day was when we drove past the Lock Museum of America in Terryville, Connecticut.  I can’t believe I have NEVER been there!  Unfortunately the museum is closed for the winter, but I’m going to make it a priority next spring and I’ll share some photos of their collection here (with their permission, of course).

Anyway, it was a long day and I’m beat.  So I’m going to cheat and post something that I’d like your input on.  This comment was left by an architect on my FDAI resources page recently:

“Lori – I love your blog and have encouraged others in our firm to read it! Please keep up the great work!

FYI – Regarding Fire Door Inspections, regardless of the benefits of it, it is important to note that mere reference to NFPA 80 does not make inspections a REQUIREMENT (this seems inferred at the top of the IR FAQ document). I have verified in writing with ICC that while IBC 2009 references NFPA 80 it does not require fire door inspections (it only references NFPA 80 for “installation”, not “maintenance”. Meanwhile IFC 2009 does require the inspections.

Some of our clients are squeemish about the possible costs and paperwork of fire door inspections. So knowing that it is not a requirement has been a relief to them.”

Tell me what you think and I’ll chime in tomorrow after I’ve gotten my 5 hours of sleep.  :-\

By the way…there’s a scary but interesting discussion here about FDAI.  Check it out.

UPDATE:  I had posted a discussion related to this post on LinkedIn, and I asked the LinkedIn commenters if I could include their input on this blog post (see comments).  There’s a wealth of information there from some industry experts (thanks!).  The bottom line (IMO) is that ensuring that fire and egress doors are installed correctly is worth the nominal cost of having the initial inspection done.  Including this inspection as part of the specification requirements will reduce the cost of the inspection because it will be competitively bid, and the door assemblies will be installed correctly or corrected at no cost to the owner.  Compared to the cost of correcting the deficiencies at a later date when the inspection requirement is enforced, the price of an initial inspection during the warranty period is a bargain.

Here’s a link to some recommended FDAI language that could be included into a specification.

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