What to Fix!
- All electrical outlets within 6 foot of water, ie, kitchen, bath, exterior
and garage outlets need to be GFCI (Ground fault circuit interrupter).
- Current UBC and Municipal code requires a smoke detector in every sleeping
room as well as halls leading to living areas.
- Decks and stairs more than 36" above level below may be required to have
railings installed. All stairways must have hand rails.
- Building safety require that every bedroom must have emergency egress,
ie, bottom of window must not be more than 48" above the floor. A permanent
step in front of an existing window may be permitted to meet the 48" max.
height requirement.
- Gas furnace and hot water heaters must be on a platform minimum 18" above
floor if located in garage.
- Attached garage must be separated from living area by a 1 hour fire retention
wall, ceiling and door. (1 3/8" thick with self closing boomer hinge).
Wall and ceiling must have min. ½" sheetrock, fire-taped on the
on the garage side.
- Ceiling height, existing properties: a dwelling will not be eligible
for HUD/FHA insurance if more than 10% of the habitable dwelling consists
for ceiling heights of less than 7 foot.
- Furnace rooms that open into bathrooms or bedrooms must be sheet-rocked
and taped. Furnaces beneath stairways are not acceptable.
- FHA/HUD requires that buyers sign the Lead Based Paint FHA Mortgagee
letter 92-24 prior to entering into an agreement to purchase on all homes
built prior to 1978.
- No exterior wood can be closer than 6" above the dirt surrounding the
house. No wood to dirt contact along the bottom of the siding.
- All weather wood foundations: The moisture barrier must be intact. If
any sign of dampness or moisture is found in crawl space, inspectors will
call for one or more remedies including a sump pump (properly existing
the home), gutters, adding soil to insure a proper slope and drainage or
even as extensive as digging up the perimeter of the home, installing bituthane
membrane, waterproof, seal and back filling the exterior.
Attic and Crawl space inspections:
Alaska Housing Finance Corporation requires an appraiser to inspect both attic
and crawl space areas. Failure of the appraiser to gain access or to inspect
either area will be noted in the appraisal and may necessitate an engineer
or building inspector to inspect and report on those areas. The inspection
is to determine the insulation thickness and evidence of vapor barrier. Lack
of vapor barrier in this area is generally unacceptable. Vent will be viewed
to determine if blocked. The roof sheathing and rafters should not show evidence
of dampness.