Deck Inspection and Plan Review | St John | July 23, 2020

Description

Description:

Previously not specifically addressed in the code, residential decks have seen tremendous attention in the last few IRC editions. Generally thought of as simple structures and often constructed by ill-prepared homeowners or new contractors, the truth of their nuances are now clearly revealed in the recent standards. This course starts with a common under-detailed plan submission and walks through all aspects of the load path from the decking to the foundation. Useful for plan reviewers, inspectors, and contractors and taught by a former deck builder turned inspector who contributed to the creation of nearly all the new provisions. Abandon the guesswork of deck code compliance relied on in past years, and get up to speed on how the IRC now provides for these common structures.

Objectives: Upon completion of this course, attendees will understand the limits of prescriptive design for decks, learn the information that should be asked for during plan review, be more confident to review and inspect residential decks according to the latest code provisions

Instructor: Glen Mathewson, MCP

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY

Glenn began his construction career in 1996 in the trenches, starting as a laborer and carpenter’s apprentice at the age of 19. Learning quickly from quality mentors he progressed to framing homes as a subcontractor and later operating his own remodeling and deck-construction company. In 2005, Glenn packed up his tools and became a building, plumbing, and mechanical inspector for the City of Westminster, Colorado. For the next 13 years, he grew in responsibilities at the City in roles as inspector and plan reviewer, and he earned his Master Code Professional Certification from ICC. In 2007 he taught his first building code class, Building Codes for Building Decks, for a local lumberyard, and this began his 10-year steady development in writing, teaching, and consulting, while still working full-time for the City.

Glenn has authored over 70 technical articles in publications such as “Professional Deck Builder”, “The Journal of Light Construction”, “Fine Homebuilding”, and “The Building Safety Journal”, as well as the International Code Council’s book, Deck Construction Based on the 2009 International Residential Code. In 2011, he took the role as Technical Advisor to the North American Deck and Railing Association (NADRA), where he assists the association with code related initiatives and the development of the Master Deck Professional, Codes and Standards Certification. He represented the decking industry in the ICC code development process for the creation of many of the deck provisions first published in the 2015 IRC and again for the 2021 IRC. He is a professional speaker and educator in residential codes, with audiences ranging from contractors to building officials at both public and private events.

In 2012 he began exploring the use of technology to make codes more accessible and understandable. At the end of that year, he opened www.BuildingCodeCollege.com, an emerging, ICC-approved Preferred Provider, online school, with the goal of creating a platform to offer his and other instructors’ education. For the next 6 years, while still working as an inspector and advisor, he worked on developing online classes and an online reputation for quality code education that dives into the “intent and purpose” of the code provisions.

In Spring of 2018, Glenn took the big leap, and after 13 years with the City of Westminster while for 10 years simultaneously feeding his passion for educating, he left the City to pursue full-time commitment to code education through BuildingCodeCollege.com. Drawing on his experience as a tradesman, contractor, consultant and building inspector, he is able to review, discuss, and teach the standards of construction with a true understanding of the realities involved with applying them in the field.