I’m working on home addition that consists of 500 sf of living space and a 500 sf garage, which shares one wall. They are on a raised, stemwall foundation that (according to plans) calls for 960 sq inches foundation venting.
A typical 8×14 vent has an NFVA rating of ~85, which works out to about 11-12 vents. The project is in the Southern California mountains, and with all of the massive fires in recent years, the building code now cites ember-resistant vent screens. (The county-approved plans, however, have not spec’d these as yet.) The two manufacturers that I have found that make such vents are Brandguard and VulcanVents- an 8×14 Brandguard vent has an NFVA rating of 25, which works out to be ~40 vents, each one costing ~$25! (A comparable VulcanVent costs ~$50, has a rating of 62, which results in 16 vents)
It seems my project is an unwitting victim of a building code in transition with the supporting product line lagging behind. Anyone face a similar quandry, or have suggestions?
Replies
Maybe talk to the inspector and tell him what your up against. In my experience they like to be asked questions, reinforces their belief that they know more than you do, which in my case is true.