An under-floor crawl space contains discarded wood forms, scrap construction lumber and buried stumps on its grade. Under 2021 IRC R408.5, which action is required before occupancy or use?
- ATreat every discarded item as a non-code housekeeping preference
- BLeave the discarded construction materials on blocks
- Clear the grade of vegetation and organic material and remove the wood forms and construction materials
- DCover all the debris with a vapor retarder and leave it in place
Where to look it up
https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/3836/Lennox/3042182/2021_International_Residential_Code.pdf
Why C is correct
R408.5 requires under-floor grade to be cleared of vegetation and organic material and requires removal of concrete wood forms and construction materials before occupancy or use. The discarded forms, lumber and stumps in the question require removal; stacking or covering them is not removal. This does not establish that every permitted wood construction component in soil violates the code, or guarantee future insect attack. The question concerns the debris rule rather than a universal certificate-enforcement procedure. See printed p.4-45. Source: https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/3836/Lennox/3042182/2021_International_Residential_Code.pdf