Blogs

Caulk Talk, What’s your number?

Submitted by DonHester on Sun, 12/07/2014 - 13:37.

Caulk Talk, What’s your number? East Wenatchee Home Inspections

I love when I get the phone call “ Are you the Home Inspector who inspected the home at Blankity Blank place?” ... “Well yes, yes I am”.

So this is basically the phone call I received recently from a local plumber. The worst of it was I was not mentally prepared and caught a bit off guard. I hate when I not in the right frame of mind.

Frame of Mind

He starts off telling me he has been a plumber for 17 years (or was it 27 years, I cannot really remember other than it had a 7 and it was not just a 7) and he never has caulked toilets. He then went on to explain why caulking toilets was a bad idea. Here is where my brain fart comes in, he goes on to tell me it is not code and I do not know why this comes up.

I replied nicely why I thought it was a good idea and gave my reasons why. We actually ended up having a very nice conversation. But the whole time I was thinking to myself, I sure thought it was a code requirement, but at that very moment I had doubt so I did not press it.

As soon as we hang up I go to my codes books and look it up, sure enough it is code, like I had thought.

From the 2012 UPC- (Universal Plumbing Code which is what Washington uses)

402.2 Joints. Where a fixture comes in contact with the wall or floor, the joint between the fixture and the wall or floor shall be made watertight.

In lay terms typically “caulked”.

It is also in the 2012 IRC (Residential Code)

P2705.1 General.

The installation of fixtures shall conform to the following:

3. Where fixtures come in contact with walls and floors, the contact area shall be watertight.

“A plumbing fixture is an exchangeable device which can be connected to an existing plumbing system to deliver and drain away water but which is also configured to enable a particular use.”

Caulk them toilets

This is why so often when doing a home inspection and we require a “Qualified Whomever” to do the work it not necessarily a guarantee of anything. This was a minor issue and not a big deal but not correct.

Now in defense of all of the contractors out there is a ton of things to know and we all make mistakes and get to eat a little humble pie here and there, especially yours truly (I like to eat ;). But doing something for 7, 17 or 27 years and have it brought up and never go find out if it really is required or not is not an encouraging sign.

I have found that I often have to revisit information. I have to ensure that one, it was correct, and two that what was once there has not changed. This is a constant challenge.

There is so much to know for any of the trades let alone inspectors. But that is our task we have accepted when doing our appointed work and being professionals.

“We live on an island surrounded by a sea of ignorance. As our island of knowledge grows, so does the shore of our ignorance.”

John Archibald Wheeler

NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…

Your Wenatchee and Chelan Professional Real Estate, Home and Structural Pest Inspection Service

Instructor- Fundamentals of Home Inspection- Bellingham Technical College

www.ncwhomeinspections.com 509-670-9572

You can follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and on my website Blog.

DonHester's blog

Contact Information

Blogs

Caulk Talk, What’s your number?