(A) Walls or partitions or supporting members, sills, joists, rafters or other structural members shall not excessively list, lean or buckle and shall not be rotted, deteriorated or damaged, and shall not have holes or cracks which might admit rodents. Ceilings shall conform to the following.
(1) There shall be no joists or beams which are decayed, broken, sagging or improperly supported at the ends.
(2) Maximum spacing for ceiling joists, providing they show signs of sagging and being weak, shall comply with the requirements of the State Building Code.
(3) Maximum spans for ceiling joists, providing they show signs of being weak or overloaded, shall comply with the requirements of the State Building Code.
(4) There shall be no holes or excessive cracks which permit air and dust to penetrate rooms.
(5) There shall be no loose plaster, boards, gypsum wallboard or other ceiling finish.
(6) There shall be no cardboard, newspaper, highly combustible or improper ceiling finish; all ceiling materials shall be of the same or similar quality and material.
(7) Ceiling joists and beams shall be structurally sound and not likely to cause structural weakness in the future.
(B) Floors or roofs shall have adequate supporting members and strength to be reasonably safe for the purpose used. Floors shall conform to the following.
(1) There shall be no decayed, termite-damaged, fire-damaged, broken, overloaded or sagging sills.
(2) Sills shall be properly supported and reasonably level.
(3) Joists and beams shall not be overloaded, sagging or broken and shall be structurally sound and not likely to cause structural weakness in the future.
(4) Maximum spans for floor joist, beams and sills, providing they show signs of being weak or overloaded, shall comply with the requirements of the State Building Code.
(5) Flooring shall be weather-tight without holes or excessive cracks which permit air to penetrate rooms.
(6) Flooring shall be reasonably smooth and not decayed, fire damaged or worn through.
(7) There shall be no loose flooring.
(8) Floors shall be reasonably level.
(9) Floor covering or finishing shall be reasonably smooth, weather-tight and not worn through.
(C) Foundations, foundation walls, piers or other foundation supports shall not be deteriorated or damaged so as to dangerously reduce their intended load bearing characteristics. Foundations shall conform to the following.
(1) Beneath the building there shall be firm ground, which is reasonably dry, properly drained and no water running under the building.
(2) There shall be sound footings, adequate bearing.
(3) There shall be sound piers, no loose mortar or masonry.
(4) There shall be no piers in which the plumb-line from the top center falls outside the middle one-third of the pier base.
(5) There shall be no isolated solid masonry piers exceeding in height ten times the least dimension of the pier.
(6) There shall be no wood stiff-knee piers.
(7) There shall be masonry underpinning on all dwelling units with ventilation as required by the State Building Code.
(D) Steps, stairs, landings, porches or other parts or appurtenances shall be maintained in a condition that they will not fail or collapse.
(1) Porches shall conform to the following.
(a) The floor, ceiling and roof shall be equal to requirements set forth in this section, except sills, joists and floors need not be level if providing drainage of floors; floors need not be weather-tight; the ceiling height may be seven feet; and the attic need not be vented.
(b) Every porch, terrace or entrance platform 30 inches or more above the adjacent finished grade shall be equipped with railings or guards not less than 36 inches high, unless other effective barriers provide adequate safety. Guard opening limitations shall conform to the requirements of the State Building Code.
(c) If post and railings are provided, they shall be structurally sound and not likely to cause structural weakness in the future.
(2) Stairs and steps shall conform to the following.
(a) Stairs and steps shall be free of holes, grooves and cracks large enough to constitute accident hazards.
(b) Stairwells and flights of stairs more than four risers high shall have rails not less than two feet six inches measured vertically from the nose of the treads to the top of the rail.
(c) Every rail shall be firmly fastened and maintained in good condition.
(d) No flight of stairs shall be settled more than one inch out of its intended position or pulled away from supporting or adjacent structures.
(e) Supports shall not sag and shall be structurally sound and not likely to cause structural weakness in the future.
(f) Every stair riser shall be reasonably uniform in height, and treads shall be sound and securely fastened in position and strong enough to bear a concentrated load of at least 300 pounds without danger of breaking through.
(E) Adequate facilities for egress in case of fire or panic shall be provided.
(F) Interior walls and ceilings of all rooms, closets and hallways shall be finished of suitable materials, which will, by use of reasonable household methods, promote sanitation and cleanliness, and shall be maintained in such a manner so as to enable the occupants to maintain reasonable privacy between various spaces. Interior walls shall conform to the following.
(1) Interior finish shall be free of holes and excessive cracks which permit air to penetrate rooms and, if painted or papered, shall be free of chips or excessive peeling.
(2) There shall be no walls in which the plumb-line from the top center of studs falls outside the base plate at any point along the wall.
(3) There shall be no loose plaster, loose boards or other loose wall materials.
(4) There shall be no cardboard, newspaper or highly combustible or improper wall finish; all wall materials shall be of the same or similar quality and material.
(5) Maximum spacing for studding, providing they show signs of being weak or overloaded, shall comply with the requirements of the State Building Code.
(6) Studs shall be structurally sound and not likely to cause structural weakness in the future.
(7) There shall be no broken or cracked studs or other structural members.
(G) The roof, flashings, exterior walls, basement walls, floors, and all doors and windows exposed to the weather shall be constructed and maintained so as to be weather and watertight. Roofs shall conform to the following:
(1) There shall be no rafters which are decayed, broken or improperly supported at the ends.
(2) No rafters shall be seriously damaged by fire.
(3) Rafters shall be properly braced and tied four feet on center maximum.
(4) The attic shall be ventilated as required by the State Building Code.
(5) Sheathing shall not be loose and shall be structurally sound and not likely to cause structural weakness in the future.
(6) There shall be no loose roof covering, no holes, and no leaks causing damage to the structure or rooms.
(7) There shall be a minimum of Class C roof covering.
(8) There shall be proper flashing at walls or chimneys.
(H) There shall be no chimneys or parts thereof which are in danger of falling, or in a condition or location as to constitute a fire hazard.
(I) There shall be no use of the ground for floors, or wood floors on the ground.
(J) Exterior walls shall conform to the following:
(1) There shall be no wall in which the plumb-line from the top center of studs falls outside the base plate at any point along the wall.
(2) Maximum spacing for studding, providing they show signs of being weak or overloaded, shall comply with the requirements of the State Building Code.
(3) Studs shall be structurally sound and not likely to cause structural weakness in the future.
(4) There shall be no broken or cracked structural members.
(5) All siding shall be weather-tight, with no holes or excessive cracks or decayed boards, or siding material which permit air to penetrate rooms.
(6) There shall be no loose siding.
(7) There shall be no deterioration because of lack of preventive maintenance consisting of painting, waterproofing and repair.
(Ord. 2008-02, passed 5-13-2008)