Foundation/crawl space vents (opener, drain, mold, steel)

[cltman]

Does anyone have any experience with foundation/crawl space vents which at or below grade level ( of the exterior surface) I am aware that vent walls and vent wells to help prevent water intrusion into the crawl psace through the vents. But does that really help ? Do we have to regrade the exterior landspace so that the vents are above grade level ?

[lukepoke]

Originally Posted by cltman

Does anyone have any experience with foundation/crawl space vents which at or below grade level ( of the exterior surface) I am aware that vent walls and vent wells to help prevent water intrusion into the crawl psace through the vents. But does that really help ? Do we have to regrade the exterior landspace so that the vents are above grade level ?

Crawl space vents should always be above grade level, or you will get water filtering into them, especially if downspots drain nearby. I've seen builders place galvanized steel hemispheres in front of the vents so that they can be below grade but water still tends to get into them, especially during hard rains.

[cltman]

Originally Posted by lukepoke

Crawl space vents should always be above grade level, or you will get water filtering into them, especially if downspots drain nearby. I've seen builders place galvanized steel hemispheres in front of the vents so that they can be below grade but water still tends to get into them, especially during hard rains.

Thanks for the response, so I assume then, that it would be reasonable to ask builder to regrade the exterior so that the vents are above grade level

[cltman]

Originally Posted by cltman

Thanks for the response, so I assume then, that it would be reasonable to ask builder to regrade the exterior so that the vents are above grade level

Also why do builders construct it this way ( vents below grade level), Is this a miscalculation of the foundation wall heights or is the land grading done incorrectly ? Is there a building code to address this ?

[Noahma]

there are building codes that address this, it would be in the final grading of the lot. When excavating for a foundation. if they overdig, they have to pour the concrete that much taller. You cannot backfill and place concrete on distrubed soil due to the settling of it. I would definatly have the builder regrade the lot to have positive drainage. If i remember the IRC states that it should be 20% grading for the first 10', and no less than 2% thereafter. I know here in Colorado specificaly the Boulder and Westminster area, you cannot have any siding / masonry any lower than 6" from grade. I would assume any opening into the building would fall under the same conditions. I dont have my IRC or UBC (International building code) and (universal building code) handy to look up the exact code, but I do belive there is codes for this. You can call your local building department to confirm.

[cltman]

Originally Posted by Noahma

there are building codes that address this, it would be in the final grading of the lot. When excavating for a foundation. if they overdig, they have to pour the concrete that much taller. You cannot backfill and place concrete on distrubed soil due to the settling of it. I would definatly have the builder regrade the lot to have positive drainage. If i remember the IRC states that it should be 20% grading for the first 10', and no less than 2% thereafter. I know here in Colorado specificaly the Boulder and Westminster area, you cannot have any siding / masonry any lower than 6" from grade. I would assume any opening into the building would fall under the same conditions. I dont have my IRC or UBC (International building code) and (universal building code) handy to look up the exact code, but I do belive there is codes for this. You can call your local building department to confirm.

Thanks for your response, I looked up the local building code regarding the foundation vents: It states that vent dams shall be provided when the bottom of the foundation is less than 4inches above the finished exterior grade.
Given this do I have a chance with the builder to have them regrade ? As a layman I still feel that the vent dams/wells will not prevent water entry through the vent during heavy rain. Any thoughts on how I should approach this to have the builder regrade ?

R408.1.2 Foundation vent location. One foundation vent shall be within 3 feet (914mm) of
each corner of the building. To prevent rainwater entry when the crawl space is built on a
sloped site, the uphill foundation walls may be constructed without wall vent openings. Vent
dams shall be provided when the bottom of the foundation vent opening is less than 4 inches
above the finished exterior grade.

[Noahma]

If it does not meet code, they have to bring it up to code for you. If they refuse, let them know you will let the buidling department know of the code violation. They can be fined pretty heavly by the state for not following the local building codes.

[schla]

noahma: what if the code violation was put in by the former owner of the house? what recourse does the current owner have for code violations like this? If I go to the county plannign folks and report a violation, they're just going to tell me to fix it...

[SoHoVe]

Originally Posted by schla

noahma: what if the code violation was put in by the former owner of the house? what recourse does the current owner have for code violations like this? If I go to the county plannign folks and report a violation, they're just going to tell me to fix it...

Someone correct me if I am wrong...on a resale it would really be the home inspectors job to call these things out so that the would be buyer could negotiate repairs or compensation prior to purchase. Once you sign the contract the responsibilty is ALL yours unless you can prove you that the house was knowingly misrepresented. Most homeowners really don't have much knowledge about the inner workings of their homes (let alone codes). Most sellers (and homeowners in general) tend to assume that if they are not actively noticing problems that none exist. This is why a home inspection is usually required prior to closing...it can prove to be an eye opener for everyone involved and often times sellers are alerted to problems they truthfully were not aware of prior to the inspection.

[schla]

home inspection and termite missed this one. the area to inspect was inaccessible due to design. there is no access to the area where the mold was found. trapped airspace with no ventilation due to either the architects or the builder or both for not getting it before construction...