Common Open Attic Construction Why did we ever allow it? How come it still is practiced? And not prevented?

Common Open Attic Construction

Why did we ever allow it?

How come it still is practiced?

And not prevented?

By Nick Markowitz Jr.

Fire investigator

Summer of 06 Monroeville Pa Cambridge Square Apartments and entire block of apartments built in 60’-70’ era totally destroyed Summer 04 City of Pittsburgh entire block of Chatham Apartments built in 60’s destroyed in Banksville area when a man with mental issues tried to remove a bees nest  on a gutter with an open flame. fall 06 just before thanks giving Morningside area 30’s era 7 row homes totally destroyed when a space heater malfunctions in one unit 1/5 Path Way in Hazelwood section of Pittsburgh 20’s era 12 homes totally destroyed.

The problem Common open attic construction where a roof is basically built over top of a box with no fire stopping in place. And up till the UCC codes went into effect in 06 these structures were still being and in some cases still are being allowed to be built. In the latest fire started by a 12 yr old boy in a vacant unit along Path Way which residents have pleaded with the city to tear down 16 people are now homeless and a 65 yr old life long resident is hospitalized fighting for his life. Worse thing of all many residents in the block of homes had difficulty obtaining fire insurance because of the open attic construction.

 

They will all now have to totally start all over again for no good reason other than greed

Of the people who built these structures because they could not be bothered to put up a simple 5/8” piece of dry wall , plaster or bricks or other fire stopping measure.

Why have fire codes not addressed this construction when it was found out how easily these row homes and apartments could be easily destroyed in one simple fire so many years ago why were building code officials all over the country not demanding this type of construction be banned and existing structures be repaired to prevent this tragedy.

Why is it still being allowed.

A customer of mine has purchased a Custom High End Condo in a High End Community in the North Hills of Pittsburgh and I was shocked at the cheap and shoddy construction My customer had to be on the job every day checking on work crews to make sure his unit was being built properly his unit has 5/8” drywall in his garage while everyone else got the illegal ½”  I feel sorry for any firefighter living in this community because the building inspector is  totally useless when it comes to making sure codes are complied with. In all the years I have done work in this community I have never once ever seen him or any one else ever come by and check any home or building that was under construction. When these structures start aging and things start going wrong there is going to be a spectacular number of multi alarm fires because the inspectors were asleep at the switch .It has already started there And the insurance rates in this community will go thru the roof.

But look at all the tax revenue there taking in now.

Unfortunately for every 1 good contractor out there it seems there is 3 bad ones I know I see it every day and I see the direct results in what we pay for insurance , tax dollars ,Human Lives and  every other cost because of the negligence that is going on in this state.

The UCC is slowly working its way in every where and many bad contractors have gotten out of the business all together as well as inspectors but there’s still a lot of work to be done.