A local town has an ordinance requiring inspections for every change in residential tenancy. An inspector failed my two family because the back doors did not have a dead bolt lock. Is this a building code requirement? My girlfriend says its a safety issue like a smoke detector. I say its another example of the government sticking its nose where it don’t belong.
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Replies
This probably falls under the maintaince or property codes and might not be in the building code.
This is the same way that some places handles smokes.
The building code will grandfather in a old house that does not have smokes.
But the property codes might require battery smokes at change of occupancy.
To be even more confusion. Building inspectors are typically the title of people the enforce building codes.
"I say its another example of the government sticking its nose where it don't belong."
But building codes inspector are often the ones that enforce property codes.
The BTK killer was a building code inspector.
William the Geezer, the sequel to Billy the Kid - Shoe
What is your location? It may be required for a DP rating.
John
Deadbolts make sense, since standard door sets are easy to defeat, but then again, a strong kick could probably defeat a dead bolt if it's only into a wooden frame. What I find hard to live with is the requirement that a deadbolt can't have a key lock inside -- it must be a lever for fire escape purposes. If your door has any glass in it, the deadbolt without a key lock inside might as well not even be there. I would be interested in knowing statistics on people perishing in house fires from not being able to unlock an inside keyed deadbolt versus burglars breaking door glass and entering the home. Sort of like the requirement for anti-siphon sill cocks because stupid someone, somewhere must have left his connected garden hose in a pool of stagnant, mosquito ridden water just as the city's water system failed and sucked that water into the house, killing his family the next day. Never read that in the paper. So now they leak and spray everywhere when you turn them off. Just like I haven't yet installed the anti-tip lock for my stove because I don't ever intend to stand on the open oven door to get to the cabinet above it. Try getting the stove out to clean behind it after installing that jewel. I got rid of my combination carbon monoxide/natural gas detector because it was so sensitive, it'd go off when someone, maybe me, used the basement toilet for a number two. "Honey, why is that alarm going off down where you are?" Most house gas explosions I've read about are from being vacant or from neglect anyway. And my personal gas is only objectionable, not likely to blow up the house -- at least not yet. Hair dryers now have built in GFCIs, like you'd use them in the shower. If your bathroom sink outlet doesn't already have a GFCI, your home probably still has a 60 amp fused service, which means the hair dryer will blow a fuse unless you changed the 15 amp fuses to 30 amps each to keep them from blowing, which means you probably were intended to die anyway. Then I went out last fall to get a new propane bottle for my grill without having been told that someone decided to standardize quick disconnect couplings without telling me about it or putting it the paper. After about six stops, my Ace Hardware (love them) still had a bottle with my older coupling. Have to change that hose in a few months when the snow goes away. I'm currently in the process of stocking up on incandescent light bulbs for my house, buying only a few at a time in order to avoid suspicion, but I think I'll have enough to weather the soon to be ill-fated mandate for CFLs, at least until I have to retreat with my wife to our Canadian cabin (location unlisted) to also weather the undoing of our country. I believe that most people who are branded as paranoid aren't actually -- somebody is actually out to get them. Now, where were we? Deadbolts?
Edited 2/12/2009 10:17 pm ET by BARMIL
Edited 2/12/2009 10:20 pm ET by BARMIL
Holy smoke, hit enter every five or so lines please, makes it much more readable.For those who have fought for it Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.
Not to throw cold water on what is an excellent rant, but a municipal water system near us was regularly finding herbicide residues in their pipes from people using Roundup herbicide sprays on their garden hoses that backpressure then fed into the lines.
I'd also think twice about retreating up here to the Free North. Don't forget by your standards we're just about commies.
"Don't forget by your standards we're just about commies."
And there's even a guy ... goes by 'Hussein' ;o)Jeff
"Don't forget by your standards we're just about commies."
And there's even a guy ... goes by 'Hussein' ;o)
I almost spit my coffee at my screen I laughed when I read this!
Thanks Jeff
I needed the laugh. Money and work are real tight right now so any laugh is appreciated!
"What I find hard to live with is the requirement that a deadbolt can't have a key lock inside -- it must be a lever for fire escape purposes"
A few years ago, my wife and I were staying with some friends. They had to go to work, and we slept in. We later discovered that they had keyed deadbolts on the inside of their doors, and we coudn't get out of the house. They never thought about it - just routine for them. Sure was a surprise to us. We wound up calling one of them, who told us where we could find a spare key inside the house.
It sure is a strange feeling being locked inside a house on a nice sunny day - and that made up our minds that we'd never do that in any house we built.
Deadbolts and locks only keep honest people honest!
I had a double cylinder lock on a basement door but I hung the key on the wall, far enough inside so you couldn't reach it from the window. In retrospect I figured out, they could just break out enough of the window to climb in. In reality, if a bad guy is willing to break some glass, he is coming in.
Back when I was framing Mc mansion precursers, they ( the dipwads) would cut the vinyl siding and punch the sheerock out , reach in and unlock the door. We went to plywood sheathing around doors after the tools inside got swiped 2x.
But in reality, no home is safe from break in..Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
They kill Prophets, for Profits.
Yep. Just think how fast you can cut a hole with a cordless circular saw and cordless recip. Shoot, there's probably even an outlet nearby to plug in the corded types!Just explain to the neighbors that you were hired to install a pet door. <G>
If I were a responsible person and had people vivsiting, I'd think that I'd let them know that the inside bolt required a key, maybe keep it in the deadbolt while they were visiting us. Since I don't have that, under penallty of law, it's a moot point. Lord knows, there are enough laws out there for whch I can go to jail. Now HR 45 (currently in the Congress) says that if I own a gun and fail to inform Big Brother that I've changed my address, I can go to prison. What's happening to this country? Why are Article 4 of the Constitution, as well as amendments 2, 4, 8, and 10 being threatened by this bill? Sorry for the change in subject, but this really upsets me.
I always wondered about that, seeing new homes built, if you couldn't just enter them with a sharp utility knife. I guess you can.
There is a small general store down the road from us in the middle of nowhere. When it first opened there was a concerted effort by drunks returning from town looking for cigarettes, and later by local habitual petty criminals to break in.
The store's windows and doors were protected by metal grills which were bent but not breached during the attacks. The final successful raid, which cleaned the place out, was effected through the roof using a cordless recipricating saw and a box knife.
Love it. I guess cordless Sawzalls need to be regulated and licensed. Maybe they should be added to HR 45 so that they can't be sold unlicensed at building trade shows.
Or linked to GPS so they can be disabled if they are used in an area not covered by a valid building permit. Or use facial recognition technology linked to criminal databases to activate. The possibilities are endless.
... or just a big dog or two in the store at night.
Of course a store owner with a shotgun would be a fair match for a drunk with a sawzall.
I think it's housing code, not building.
Don't know where you live but here the building code requires a deadbolt, certain length screws to secure it, and the blocking at the studs to resist prying. It also says the interior must have a knob, not key, so you can easily exit in the case of fire.
I leave it up to you to decide whether this is unwarranted government interference. I'd be more inclined to agree with you if houses were built by their occupants, but without such standards buyers and more importantly renters would be at the mercy of unscrupulous builders and landlords.
Rick:
Ask the inspector what code requires deadbolts.
In most jurisdictions, the inspector is required to present the code and cite the section but if you ask nicely, many inspectors will provide the info so you can understand it.
Codes are written for the health, safety, and welfare of the inhabitants so I would argue that it is not aggregious for inspectors to check for railings, electrical hazzards, (Maybe deadbolts but that is a little bit of a stretch) etc. on rentals but they do it and generate extra revenue for the jurisdiction so that they can pay for stuff that they cant collect money for. Sucks but be thankful that you can afford to pay for it.
It might be a local requirement.
I do know that a double cylinder deadbolt is no longer code in many places. I think its because if there's a fire, people won't be able to get out of the house quickly if the deadbolt is locked and there's no key in the lock.
But it kind of negates the effectiveness of a deadbolt, especially if there's any amount of glass in the door. With a single cylinder, all a crook needs to do is break the glass, reach in, and turn the deadbolt latch.
>>Is this a building code requirement? << Not in my state. Where do you live? How about putting a little info in your profile? Regardless, you are gonna have to do it - give a guy a little paycheck and a little power and guess what?
>> My girlfriend says its a safety issue like a smoke detector. << Yea right... and my DW is afraid of the dark but won't admit it. Those nightlights all around our house are so the cat can see to get to the litter box :-). If the bad guys want to get in, they will. Break a window or just kick down the door. OK - a dead bolt with the strike fastened with long screws will keep the puny bad guy out of that door.... if he doesn't have a sledge hammer ;-) To me, locks are for when you are not home, and only keep honest people honest.
>> I say its another example of the government sticking its nose where it don't belong. << I agree.
In California, it's required by Civil Code Section 1941.3. Since we don't know where you are, they may or may not apply in your location. It's likely there are similar requirements in other states or locales.
In think it's required in Texas in apartments, but all that is required is a single sided deadbolt with a thumbturn on the inside. That's so that the occupant can lock themselves in at night and not worry about someone coming in with a stolen key.
"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
You have a rental property without deadbolts? That's a big risk of lawsuit should anyone break in because "you did not provide reasonable security for your tenant".
A deadbolt costs $30 and 45 minutes' labor. Just do it. While you're at it, buy a second set of keyed entry and deadbolt so when you have a vacancy you can just swap out the hardware instead of paying a locksmith to re-key the locks.