The last year brought a frenzy of code activity surrounding the consolidation of the three national model building codes into the new International Code. The International Codes have now been published and the code process is returning to its normal pace. The sunroom industry was caught up in the upheaval of major code changes and NSA has been instrumental in guiding the debate on codes that affect the construction of sunrooms. We won some and lost some, but we were able to gain recognition of sunrooms as a special class of construction requiring separate consideration.
Building officials are now willing to acknowledge that sunrooms aren t just room additions.
The debate will continue on specific code sections but it will fall into the normal three year code review cycle and the interpretation of the codes at the local level. The SBCI, BOCA and ICBO will have their respective annual meetings in the fall and will consider challenges to the proposals approved at the spring ICC hearings. The ICC approvals can be overturned at these hearings if a majority of the general membership object to the results of the spring hearings. The outcome of these meetings will determine if the three organizations can overcome their differences and retain their focus on supporting a single model building code. The NSA will have representatives at the annual meetings to represent the interests of the sunroom industry and to continue educating building officials on the unique requirements of sunrooms.