Doing an elevation certificate for a client- this is his summer home(must be nice).
Unfortunately, the client got hung up and couldnt meet the crew to verify multi-level finish floors inside the house.
Waiting on a call back from the client- I had called him after i saw pictures of these vents. He said they are flood vents, but he says they is a rooom with beds, bathroom, etc. on that end of the house.
Any guess on what they are? Vapor/moisture vents between rock and frame? i am not seeing a crawlspace?
Please double check what I am saying here, but you don't get any "credit" for vents unless they operate, open and close, without human assistance.
I did not fully understand that until I attended a FEMA seminar a few years ago.
I have never seen vents like that before. Is there some type of air register possibly running along the interior wall?
They wouldn't have been ok'd as FEMA acceptable flood vents in anything I've dealt with. Appears to be too much wall per open space and it's not clear the vents are automatic.
Also the bottom of the vent has to be within one foot of grade inside and outside. The vents in the picture do not look like they are within one foot of grade.
you are right- " ...opening that allows the free passage of water automatically in both directions without human intervention (items A9.b-d)
i dont see this on this house
I was hoping some of the expert house construction guys might give some insight:-) ..
gentleman,
i appreciate the responses-
Jimmy- i like your idea of air registers- i dont think the client knows what he has.
still waiting on that call.
Might check with the local Building & Safety office to see if the space is permitted as habitable. Their mechanical engineer might shed some light on the puzzle.
I've seen people drywall over floodvents with no barrier at all between the back of the drywall and the open air. No flood vents for you! And, it sounds like a recipe for mold. In addition to perhaps not being true openings, they also don't appear to be <12" above adjacent grade, which wouldn't count, either. FEMA did change the rule, however, that they count if they are within 12" of the interior floor, so you may need to check that.
One more thought. Why are you calling it a crawl space? It looks like a diagram 3 to me.
Ranger,
i appreciate the response - I have determined it to be a diagram 3 - the owner indicated to me that those were floodvents, something i generally associate with an enclosed area or crawlspace. stil not sure what type of vent they are- havent been able to talk back to the owner. there is definitely no crawlspace.
thanks again.
Wow! just talked with the builder. He told me they were flood vents- inside had been drywalled over and finshed into a room! Havent seen this before. There were no other vents for the flow to continue.
I think some comment on the Certificate is in order?
Unfortunately, that's real common to see here in Florida. As soon as the last building inspection is completed, and the CO is given, the sub-BFE levels are finished, flood vents covered ... In many cases I think that's the plan from the start.
I read an article in the paper a few years back that the locals were cracking down on this and planned to re-inspect houses that were built with sub-BFE enclosures. Not only is it an illegal remodel without permits and "living area" that is not counted for taxes, but it also puts the county's NFIP membership at risk.