USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Norwood > Norwood annual report 1957-1959 > Part 7
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(h) TIMBER CONNECTORS - Timber connector construction shall con- form in design and detail to the latest regulations of the Board of Stand- ards of the Department of Public Safety of the Commonwealth of Mas- sachusetts.
(i) STRAPING - Straping for ceilings shall be of at least 1x3 stock- double nailed and spaced 12" O.C. for wire lath and 16" O.C. for other types of lath.
(j) STRENGTH REQUIREMENTS TO GOVERN - Regardless of any other provision of this By-Law, all timbers supporting any type of load shall be of sufficient strength to support their loads in accordance with the re- quirements of Section 5 (e) of Article IV.
Section 7. Roofs
(a) GUTTERS AND DOWNSPOUTS - Any building or structure erected within eight feet of a street or traveled way shall be provided with suitable gutters and downspouts for conveying the water from the roof to the ground but in no case shall any downspout be so placed or maintained as to allow any water carried by it to flow upon or across the surface of a sidewalk.
(b) SNOW GUARDS - Where necessary for public safety, the roof of any building or structure which is within five feet of the line of any street or
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public way and which pitches or slopes toward such street or public way shall be provided with snow guards of sufficient number and size to prevent any snow or ice from sliding therefrom.
(c) SPECIAL USAGE REQUIREMENTS - No roof of a building shall be used for hanging clothes, or other household purpose unless there shall be provided a suitable guard rail, fence, parapet or other safeguard along the edges of the roof or that part of it restricted to such use. No roof of a build- ing or structure shall be used as a place of assembly unless it has been designed for that purpose and it is provided with proper exits and safety precautions.
(d) FLASHING - All projections and extensions of roofs, such as scuttles, dormers, chimneys, penthouses, etc. shall be properly flashed and counter- flashed.
Section 8. Garages
ATTACHED GARAGES Garages of 3rd class construction when attached to a dwelling shall have the wall adjacent to the dwelling and ceiling plastered on wire lath with at least two (2) coats of plaster. The remaining walls shall be plastered on wire lath or gypsum lath.
Garages attached to a dwelling with a breezeway between may have one door leading to the breezeway.
Garages attached directly to a dwelling may have one metal clad door and frame with a self-closing device attached, leading directly into the dwelling.
Garages in basements of dwellings may have one metal clad door and frame leading to a basement with a self-closing device; have ceilings plas- tered on wire lath; two coats, and walls of masonry at least 8" thick.
Floors of attached garages shall be at least 6" lower than door openings, or an 8" masonry step at door opening.
No garage in the basement of a dwelling shall have a stairway from the garage to the floor above.
Garages projecting into dwelling area shall have walls of masonry or if stud partitions, shall be plastered on wire lath two (2) coats, and shall have an 8" masonry step at door leading into house. Ceilings shall be plastered on wire lath.
Area limitation
No 3rd or 4th class garage shall have a floor area of more than 1000 square feet.
ARTICLE VI Light and Ventilation
Section 1. Rooms
(a) HABITABLE ROOMS - Every habitable room shall not be less than six feet wide in any part, shall contain not less than fifty square feet of clear floor area, shall have a clear height of not less than seven feet for at
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least fifty square feet of floor area and shall have one or more exterior win- dows furnishing both light and ventilation whose total sash area shall be not less than one tenth of the floor area served by them, but in no case less than nine square feet.
(b) BATHS AND TOILETS - Every bath or toilet in or connected with a dwelling or apartment shall have one or more exterior windows or skylights whose total ventilation area shall be not less than three square feet. Every other bath room and every room containing one or more water closets or urinals shall be ventilated by one or more exterior windows whose total ventilation area shall be not less than one-twentieth of the floor area; or by a vent shaft or equal area which extends to and through the roof or into a court; or by a ventilating skylight; or by an approved means of mechanical ventilation.
(c) PUBLIC INSTITUTIONAL AND BUSINESS ROOMS - Every room in a public or institutional building and every room in any building occupied as an office, store, restaurant, market, bakery, salesroom, laundry (other than one assessory to a dwelling) hotel or restaurant kitchen, factory, workshop, machine shop or boiler room shall be provided with one or more exterior win- dows or ventilating skylights, whose total ventilation area shall be not less than one-twentieth of the floor area served by them; or such rooms shall be provided with an approved means of mechanical ventilation.
(d) ROOMS BELOW GRADE - Every room which had a ceiling below grade or less than four feet above grade, and which is frequented by the pub- lic or in which persons are regularly employed or congregate, shall have windows as required for habitable rooms or shall be provided with an ap- proved means of mechanical ventilation.
Section 2. Stairways, Halls and Corridors
(a) All public stairways, halls and corridors, shall be kept properly light- ed and ventilated at all times to the satisfaction of the building inspector.
(b) APARTMENTS AND TENEMENT HOUSES - In every front hall and stairway of an apartment or tenement house used in common by two or more families above the second floor the owner shall furnish approved electric lighting to the satisfaction of the Building Inspector. Lights shall be located near the stairs and shall be kept burning every night throughout the year. Lights upon the entrance floor and upon floors above the entrance floor, shall be kept burning from sunset until sunrise.
Section 3. Mechanical Ventilation
Where mechanical ventilation is required or is permitted as an alternative both air supply and exhaust shall be provided. The system shall be designed and constructed in accordance with generally accepted good practice.
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ARTICLE VII Means of Egress
Section 1. Exits
(a) FROM FLOORS - In every building or structure hereafter erected, and in every existing building or structure altered or added to, there shall be at least two means of egress from every floor or portion of a floor, except that in a one story building covering not over 400 sq. ft. there need be but one means of egress; and in a dwelling not over two stories in height intended for and used as a single residence, there need be but one means of egress from the second floor.
(b) FROM ROOFS - Unless provided with some other means of egress to the roof, every permanent building having a flat roof, and being more than two stories or twenty-five feet in height, shall have in the roof a metal covered scuttle or trap door not less than two feet by three feet, with a stair or fixed ladder leading thereto from the top story.
(c) FROM BASEMENTS - Every cellar or basement shall have a direct means of egress from the basement level to the outside.
(d) LOCATIONS - Exit doorways shall be so located that no point in a floor area, room or space served by them is more than one hundred feet dis- tant from an exit doorway, measured along the line of travel.
Section 2. Stairways
(a) CONSTRUCTION - Required interior stairways shall be constructed of noncombustible materials throughout, except in buildings of third class construction, and in buildings of second class construction not exceeding three stories in height.
Stairs shall be suitably supported on stringers designed to sustain the loads specified in Section 2 (e) of Article IV.
In no case shall stringers for wooden stairs be space more than 18" on centers.
Except in dwellings, no closet or storage area shall be built under any stairs constructed in whole or in part of combustible material.
All stairways shall have level treads and landings.
(b) PROPORTIONS AND LAYOUT - The maximum unobstructed width of a stairway serving as a required exit shall be forty-two (42) inches; pro- vided, that in dwellings and multifamily houses such width may be thirty (30) inches.
Treads and risers of stairs shall be so proportioned that the product of the width of tread exclusive of nosing and the height of riser, in inches, shall not be less than 70 nor more than 75. Except for cellar stairs such stairs shall measure not less than 9" from face to face of risers nor more than 8" from top to top of treads.
Except for width of winders, treads and risers shall be of uniform width and height in each flight in any one story.
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If winders are used, the width of treads at 18 inches from the converging end shall be not less than the tread width on the straight stair run.
The length and width of landings shall be not less than the width of stairways in which they occur.
No flight of stairs shall have a vertical rise of more than 12 feet between floors or landings.
Main stairways shall have not less than 6' - 8 inches continuous clear headroom measured vertically from the front edge of the tread to a line parallel to the stair run.
(c) ENCLOSURES - In every building over two and one half stories in height and in every building two or more stories in height in which the area above the first floor is occupied as an apartment, and in which the ground floor is occupied for mercantile, business, manufacturing or storage purposes, there shall be at least one of the stairways enclosed by walls having a fire- resistance rating of not less than one hour.
Unless the stairs are of noncombustible construction, all stairs soffits in such stair wells shall be covered with cement plaster on metal lath. In buildings of first class; second class or mill construction, the enclosing walls shall be fire partitions.
Section 3. Statue Provisions
The construction and location of stairs, fire escapes and fire towers and the means of egress and construction thereof in any public building, place of assembly, mercantile, warehouse, storage, mill or manufacturing building or in any other building or structure coming under the jurisdiction of the Com- monwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Public Safety, shall be in ac- cordance with the provisions of Chapter 143 of the General Laws of said Commonwealth, as amended.
ARTICLE VIII Fire Prevention and Protection
Section 1. Fire Walls and Party Walls
(a) CONSTRUCTION - Fire walls and party walls shall be constructed of solid brick masonry laid in Portland cement mortar or cement lime mortar, or they shall be of reinforced concrete. If of brick they shall be not less than twelve inches thick and, in addition, for business and storage buildings ex- ceeding twenty feet in height they shall be four inches thicker than the requirements given in Section 3. (g) of Article VI for bearing walls. If of concrete they shall be not less than eight inches thick.
They shall start at the foundation and extend continuously through all stories to the roof. In buildings of first class construction, a fire wall may be supported at each floor level.
(b) PARAPETS - Parapets shall be provided on all fire walls and party walls unless the roof construction has a fire-resistance rating of at least two hours, in which case the walls shall be carried up tightly against the under-
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side of the roof. For fire walls such parapets shall be not less than twelve inches thick and carried at least three feet above the roof. For party walls they shall be not less than eight inches thick and carried at least two feet above the roof.
(c) OPENINGS - Except in sprinklered buildings, no openings in a fire- wall shall exceed 120 sq. ft. in area, with no dimension greater than 12' and the aggregate width of all openings at any level shall not exceed twenty-five percent of the length of the wall.
Every opening in a required fire wall shall be protected, on each side of the wall with an approved automatic fire door; provided, that when an open- ing in a fire wall serves as a horizontal exit the wall shall have no openings other than door openings not exceeding forty-eight square feet in area, and one of the automatic fire doors at each opening shall be replaced by a self- closing fire door.
Section 2. Fire Partitions.
(a) CONSTRUCTION - Fire partitions shall be constructed of solid brick masonry at least eight inches thick or they shall be of other construction having a fire-resistance rating of at least two hours. They shall be supported in each story on construction having a fire-resistance rating of not less than two hours; provided, that when they are also load bearing the supporting construction shall have a fire-resistance rating of not less than four hours in case the building is of first class construction and not less than three hours in case of other construction.
In buildings of other than first class construction fire partitions if re- quired in a story as a horizontal exit shall be continuous through all stories from the foundation to the roof.
(b) OPENINGS - Required fire partitions shall have no openings other than required door openings which shall be equipped with approved self- closing fire doors.
Section 3. Fire Retardant Ceilings
In any building exceeding one story, in height, which is used in the first story for commercial, mercantile or manufacturing purposes, and above the first story for offices or as a place of public assembly or habitation, all ceilings of the basement and first story shall have a fire-resistance rating of not less than one hour.
Section 4. Firestopping
(a) GENERAL REQUIREMENTS - Firestopping shall be provided in all classes of buildings and structures to cut off all concealed draft openings and to form effectual fire barriers, both horizontally and vertically.
(b) SECOND CLASS AND MILL CONSTRUCTION - In second class and mill construction, all masonry shall be carried its full wall thickness to the tops of all joists, girders, beams and rafters. All wood bearing partitions shall be firestopped at each floor level with masonry or other approved non-
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combustible materials, extending from the bearing member of a point at least 6" above the floor line.
(c) Nonbearing stud partitions shall be firestopped at the floor and ceiling of each story by a two inch shoe and cap the full width of the stud.
In third class construction all walls and partitions shall be firestopped at the floor level with a 2" wooden block or shoe. Stairway partitions shall be fire-stopped at the bottom of the outside stringers. Wood block to be full thickness of wall or partition.
(d) FURRED WALLS - When masonry walls are furred, the spaces be- tween the furrings shall be filled solidly at each floor and ceiling level with non-combustible materials and full thickness of the furring and five (5) inches in width above and below all joists or beams.
(e) HOLES AND OPENINGS - Care shall be taken to patch and fill solid with noncombustible material any holes cut through installed fire-stopping for the passage of pipes, wires, conduits or other service lines.
All openings around conduits, pipes or ducts shall be filled with non- combustible material or shall be closed off by close fitting noncombustible material at the floor and ceiling line or on each side of the wall or partition. Firestopping around bath tubs shall be to the satisfaction of the Building Inspector.
(f) INSPECTION OF FIRESTOPPING - No firestopping shall be cov- ered or concealed until inspected and approved by the building inspector as provided in Section 4 (i) of Article I.
(g) INSULATION - All insulation hereafter installed shall be of non- combustible materials. Blanket type insulation may be used if the material between fire-resistant paper is of noncombustible material.
Section 5. Roofing
(a) MATERIALS - The roof or roofs of every building or structure here- after erected shall be covered with a type of roofing which is rated as class "A", class "B" or class "C" under the latest test specifications of the minimum standards formulated by Board of Standards of the Department of Public Safety of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This requirement shall apply also to any addition or alteration to an existing building or structure and also to any repair or renewal of an existing roof which involves more than one-tenth of the roof surface.
(b) WITHIN FIRE LIMITS - Within the fire limits, all buildings or structures shall have their roofs covered with the equivalent of class "A" or class "B" materials except that buildings or structures exempted under Section 5 and 6 (e) of Article III may have their roofs covered with the equivalent of class "C" materials.
(c) OUTSIDE FIRE LIMITS - Outside the fire limits, all buildings or structures used for mercantile, factory or warehouse purposes and which exceed two and one-half stories or 35 feet in height or twenty-five hundred square feet in ground area shall have their roofs covered with the equivalent
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of class "A" or class "B" materials. Any other buildings or structures outside the fire limits may have their roofs covered with the equivalent of class "C" material.
(d) PROHIBITED OVER OTHER COMBUSTIBLE ROOFING - No new roofing shall be laid over existing wood shingles or other combustible roofing.
(e) INSULATION - The use of cork, fibre board or other approved insula- tion shall be permitted on top of a roof deck, provided such insulation is covered with an approved type of fire-resistance roof covering, applied directly thereto.
Section 6. Roof Structures
(a) PENTHOUSES, ETC. - Any penthouse or other construction with the exception of a roof sign, flag pole, or water tank, hereafter placed on the roof of a building shall be of the same type construction; its exterior wall surfaces, cornices, etc. shall be covered with noncombustible material and its roof surface shall be covered with the same class of material as required for the main roof of the building.
(b) DORMERS - Dormers shall be of the same type of construction as the roof on which they are placed. Their roofs shall be covered with the same class of roofing as prescribed for the main building.
(c) CORNICES - Cornices, including those on show windows, hereafter placed on the exterior of a building within the fire limits, shall be of non- combustible material.
(d) GUTTERS AND DOWNSPOUTS - Gutters and downspouts on all buildings, except those of third class construction occupied as dwellings, or private garages, shall be of noncombustible material.
Section 7. Shafts
(a) WHEN REQUIRED - Every series of openings above one another in two successive floors, or floors and roof, hereafter placed or constructed in a building, shall be so protected as to prevent fire in any story from communi- cating to any other story; provided that in buildings of mill construction there shall be no floor opening that is not protected. .
(b) ELEVATOR SHAFTS - Elevator shafts shall be constructed in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 143 of the General Laws as amended.
(c) OTHER SHAFTWAYS - Dumb waiter shafts, clothing chutes and other similar shaftways shall be constructed in such manner as to be fire- resisting throughout; if of other than first class construction, spaces between any wooden studs or furrings shall be filled solid with noncombustible material, in addition to which the inner surface shall be plastered throughout with cement plaster upon metal lath. All openings into such shafts shall be protected by metal or metal-covered doors or shutters. Where glass is used in such openings, it shall be wire glass. Sheet metal with locked joints may be substituted, in dwellings, for wire lath and plaster.
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Section 8. Sprinklers
All sprinkler installations required by this By-Law shall be made in strict conformity with the latest requirements of the Building Code and shall conform to the Minimum Standards formulated by Board of Standards of the Department of Public Safety of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Section 9. Sash and Doors
In any building used for manufacturing, storage or mill purposes all openings in walls nearer than ten feet to the line of an adjoining lot or nearer than twenty feet to any other building on the same lot shall be fitted with metal or metal-covered sash, doors and frames, and all glazing shall be of wire glass.
Section 10. Ducts of Warm Air Heating Systems
Ducts of warm air heating systems shall be constructed and installed in accordance with generally accepted good practice having due regard to proper clearances, provision of air temperature controls and other matters necessary to avoid overheating of combustible material under any conditions of operation.
ARTICLE IX Chimneys, Flues and Vents
Section 1. Smoke Pipes and Gas Vents
Every smoke pipe shall connect with a chimney or other approved flue.
No smoke pipe shall pass through any floor or ceiling.
Smoke pipes shall not pass through combustible walls or partitions unless they are guarded at the point of passage by:
(1) Double metal ventilated thimbles not less than twelve (12) inches larger in diameter than the pipe, or
(2) Double metal thimbles not less than eight (8) inches larger in dia- meter than the pipe, with the annular space filled with mineral or rock wool, or
(3) Metal or burned fire clay thimbles built in brickwork or other ap- proved fireproofing materials extending not less than eight (8) inches beyond all sides of the thimbles.
(4) Double metal thimble not less than 3" larger than smoke pipe and provided with a 16" square performated metal shield. No wood to be nearer than 2" from outer shell of thimble.
(5) Fresh Air Vents in Utility Rooms -
Fresh air vents shall be installed in all utility rooms in buildings without basements. Vents shall be of sufficient size to allow enough fresh air from outside of building to supply the needs of heating purposes. Vent shall be of sheet metal with hood at outside and fine mesh screen at bottom. Vent to be sealed at ceiling and extended down to level of air intake of heating apparatus.
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(6) KITCHEN VENTILATORS:
Kitchen ventilators shall vent to the outside of the building through metal ducts. If duct runs through roof it shall be provided with an approved hood.
(7) GAS APPLIANCES - Flues used in connection with gas heating or cooking appliances may be of transite or metalbestos or other approved pipe of sufficient size to properly vent said appliances.
This type of flue shall extend through the roof and be capped with an approved hood of the same material.
A clear space of 1/2" shall be maintained around this type of flue.
(8) STEEL SMOKESTACKS
Smoke stacks of steel may be used for factories or manufacturing plants where a separate building is maintained for the boiler room.
Steel smoke stacks shall have a suitable footing of concrete extending at least four feet (4) below grade and at least two feet above grade and shall be properly guyed to insure stability.
Section 2. Chimneys and Fireplaces
(a) CHIMNEY CONSTRUCTION - A chimney erected within or at- tached to a building or structure shall be constructed of brick, stone masonry or reinforced concrete and shall be supported upon concrete footings at least 8" thick and 4" wider on each side than the chimney or by self-supporting fire-proof construction. The bottom of the foundation for exterior chimneys shall be not less than 4' - 0" below the exterior grade. All chimneys shall ex- tend at least two (2) feet above the highest points at which they come in contact with the roof of the building and at least 2 feet higher than any ridge within 10 feet of such chimney. No chimney shall be corbeled more than twenty-five (25) per cent of its outside dimension in the direction of offset.
(b) FLUE LININGS - All chimneys shall be built with fire clay flue linings not less than 5%" thick covered with not less than 4" of masonry and shall be properly capped with brick, stone concrete or other noncombus- tible weatherproof material. Flue linings shall be built ahead of the con- struction of the chimney as it is carried up, carefully bedded one on the other in cement, lime or fire clay mortar, with close fitting joints left smooth on the inside.
Flue linings shall start from a point not less than 8" below the bottom of an intake flue or from the throat of a fireplace and shall extend the entire height of the chimney.
When two or more flues are contained in the same chimney, the joints of adjacent flue linings shall be staggered at least seven (7) inches, and at least every third flue shall be separated from the others by masonry not less than 4" thick bonded into the masonry walls of the chimney. -
(c) RETOPPING EXISTING CHIMNEYS - When an existing chimney is retopped, the damaged portion shall be removed to solid work and the new
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