Standard Q&A Flashcards
1
Q
- Guards or rails are required if the floor of an exterior deck is more than
______ above grade?
A
24 to 30 inches
2
Q
2. The stair tread depth is typically how much more than the run so that it sticks out (nose)?
A
1 inch
3
Q
- A pressure or temperature relief valve on a hot water tank should have an
extension to?
A
The main disconnect
4
Q
- Railings around the top of open stairwells should be?
A
at least 48 inches high
5
Q
- Repointing has to do with the repair of?
A
mortar joints
6
Q
- Coliform could be found when an inspector takes a sample of the homes?
A
Water
7
Q
- What could be used to determine if a microwave oven functions?
A
an electromagnetic field meter
8
Q
- A puddle on a flat roof, 20’x20’x1” deep weighs?
A
2080 pounds
9
Q
- All electrical wires should clear flat roofs by?
A
at least 14 feet
10
Q
- Which material has the highest R-value?
A
Polyurethane foam which is a closed-cell foam is the highest-R-value
insulation material available, at up to R6 per inch
11
Q
- Fill in the blanks: There is a voltage drop _____ two points and current
passing _____ a wire?
A
across
through
12
Q
- A yellow flame on a gas furnace indicates?
A
normal operation
13
Q
- Once your home inspection report is generated, it becomes public
information?
A
False
14
Q
- An inspector should be influenced by the _____ of the home?
A
condition
15
Q
- The exterior floor drain at the bottom of walkout basement stairs should
NOT have?
A
a trap
16
Q
- Asbestos is NOT usually found?
A
inside plumbing supply lines
17
Q
- Plumb in construction means?
A
perfectly vertical
18
Q
- Deck boards should be installed?
A
crown down
19
Q
- Name a type of wood destroying insect?
A
carpenter bee
20
Q
- What is a possible negative impact of improperly adding insulation to an
attic?
A
obstructing the soffit vents
21
Q
- A home inspection is supposed to be visual and?
A
non-invasive
22
Q
- What is the minimum headroom in a stairway?
A
6 feet 8 inches
23
Q
- On a set of stairs, the rise is always bigger than the run?
A
False
24
Q
- Glass doors on a fireplace reduce the amount of warm household air that
gets wasted up the chimney?
A
True
25
25. If a stairway has more than 6 treads (US), lighting is required at the?
Top
26
26. GFCI circuitry constantly checks for a difference in current between the?
hot and neutral
27
27. Toilets are the most likely plumbing fixture to cause?
sump pump cloggin
28
Which of the following piles is not designed to carry a vertical load, but rather to resist lateral pressure such as holding back soil in a large excavation?
a)Sheet pile
b)Bearing pile
c)Friction pile
d)Concrete pile
a)Sheet pile
29
29. Which is the best conductor of electricity?
copper
30
30. Basement water proofing systems often?
use vitreous fluid
31
31. Radon causes?
lung cancer
32
32. Sagging joists may be the result of?
over spanning joists
33
33. Which one of the following is NOT a wood destroying insect?
roaches
34
34. A fireplace hearth should stick out at least how many inches?
4
35
35. What is "OSB" an acronym for?
oriented strand board
36
36. One type of roof shingle problem is?
alligatoring
37
37. How many swipes of the hand should it take to turn off all the breakers in
a service panel with no main disconnect?
there must be a main disconnect
38
38. A good rule of thumb is that there should be a downspout for every how
many feet of gutter?
11
39
39. When inspecting an air conditioner, the suction line (larger tube) should
feel?
Warm
40
40. The horizontal seam between two panel siding boards should have?
Z flashing
41
41. Uncovered openings (missing blanks or breakers) in the electrical service
panel should be?
corrected, they are a safety hazard
42
44. Concave, V, raked, and extruded are all types of?
roof vents
43
45. Siding flashing alongside windows is called?
J molding
44
56. Bathroom outlets and switches must be a minimum of _________ away
from bathtubs and showers?
3 feet away
45
62. How much clearance should be provided in front of the electric service
panel?
12 inches
46
63. Radiator covers often reduce a radiator's efficiency?
True
47
66. The biggest enemy of asphalt shingles is?
Sunlight and heat
48
67. Tudor is a description of a type of?
Brick
49
68. A flashing kick out at the bottom edge of the roof or wall joint is used to
help keep water from getting behind the stucco or siding?
True
50
73. Typically, joists are connected to wood beams using?
4 six penny nails
51
77. Water pressure ______ with the height of the fixture
Decreases
52
79. Electrical outlets and switches should be a minimum of 3 feet away from?
Bathtubs and showers
53
83. Which woods are both termite and rot resistant?
redwood and wolmanized
54
85. Stachybotrys, a type of fungus, is also known as?
green mold
55
86. A down fall a gable roof has?
they can be ripped off with very high winds (ex. hurricane)
56
88. Two types of automatic garage door drives are?
chain and screw
57
89. The reason slates fall from a roof is?
the flashing fails
58
90. The most common problem associated with ceramic tile flooring is?
tile bubbles
59
93. Which is likely to be a NON-load bearing wall?
the wall runs parallel to the ceiling joints
60
96. A chimney top should be at least how high?
3 feet above the roof and 10 feet higher than anything within 2 feet
61
101. What is the advantage of using Oriented strand board?
OSB is less expensive, which can reduce overall building costs. Oriented strand
board also offers a more uniform and consistent construction, resulting in greater
stability. Because it consists primarily of wood scraps, OSB is also considered more ecofriendly
than plywood.
62
103. Radon is a type of ?
gas
63
108. How many inches above a kitchen counter top should wall cabinets
hang?
at least 15 inches
64
111. Regardless of the type of joist support used, the end of a wood joist must
rest on something at least?
5-7 inches wide
65
112. A plumbing drain line should run downhill at a slope of?
1/4 inch per feet
66
115. Deck joists can lift out of their hangers at the rim/band if too many
people are at the cantilievered section of a deck. Therefore deck joists that
cantilever out past the deck posts, should never overhang the girder they
rests on by more than?
2 feet
67
124. What is the minimum thickness for solid wood door between a garage
and living space?
as thick as the firewall is
68
129. Typically, joists are connected to wood beams using?
hangers
69
130. In general, beams transfer loads from the joists to the?
walls and columns
70
133. Landings must be at least how far before an entrance door?
3 feet by 3 feet
71
137. If you have excess shingle overhang, rain water will do what at the
gutter?
overshoot
72
139. A missing or undersized lintel can put pressure on the?
windows
73
140. Rusting lintels are found over the top of?
windows
74
146. What is the minimum size access opening allowed for a crawl space?
36 inches by 36 inches
75
150. In general, electrical outlets should be within how many feet of each
other.
5 feet
76
152. There should be no heating/cooling returns in?
bathrooms
77
153. What is a possible negative impact of improperly adding insulation to an
attic?
obstructing the soffit vents
78
154. The stair tread depth is typically ___ more than the run so that it sticks
out (nose)?
1 inch
79
155. Weep holes in masonry veneer should be?
below grade
80
156. Vinyl siding nails should not be driven in all the way so that the siding
is loose? True? or False?
True
81
159. Exterior plumbing stack vents should be at least 3 feet above operable
doors and windows?
True
82
165. Piers made of hollow concrete block should be installed with the hollow
channels?
Horizontal
83
167. The horizontal board that connects two rafters on opposite sides of a
ridge board is a?
collar tie
84
168. What does it cost to cover the floor of a recreation room 20 feet by 35 feet
if the linoleum is $2.65 a square yard?
$206.11
85
169. How many acres are in a rectangular field with a frontage of 565 yards
and a depth of 420 yards? (43,560 sq. Ft. = 1 acre)
49.03 acres
86
170. The base length of a truss is 45 feet and the height of it is 8 feet. What is
the size of the area enclosed by the truss?
180 sq ft
87
171. A legal description, when drawn out, is a parallelogram. The road
frontage of the property is 100 lineal feet and the distance from the road to
the back line of the property is 245 feet. What is the area of the legal
description?
24,500 sq ft
88
172. Farmer A constructs a 70-foot high Harvestor silo. The radius of the
concrete footing for the silo is 15 feet. Farmer B constructs a 90-foot high
Rochester concrete stave silo. The diameter of the silo is 35 feet. Farmer C
constructs a 65-foot high stave silo. Its concrete footing has a circumference of
70 feet. What ground area does each of these silos cover?
A. 706.86 sq ft
B. 962.11 sq ft
C. 389.93 sq ft
89
173. Mr. Smith owns a grocery store. In order to handle all of his new
business, he has to build an addition onto his current store. The addition
measures 40 feet wide by 30 feet long. The height of the addition is 12 feet.
How many cubic feet of volume are in the addition?
14,400 cu ft
90
174. A contractor orders the following for framing a garage:
40 studs, 2" x 4 “x 8'
6 sills, 2" x 4" x 20'
6 plates, 2" x 4" x 20'
26 rafters, 2" x 4" x 14'
65 pc. 1"x 6" x 22' for sheathing.
With a per board foot cost of $2.50, what is the total cost of this order?
$3,327.50
91
175. As an assessor, you obtain the following cost information from a local
contractor:
Item Cost
Drywall .40 per sq. ft.
Insulation .38 per sq. ft.
Plywood .42 per sq. ft.
Carpet Padding .25 per sq. yd.
Carpet 10.99 per sq. yd.
Linoleum 8.99 per sq. yd.
Paneling 1.50 per sq. ft.
Paint 10.00 per gallon
Nails .59 per lb.
Mr. Brown plans to finish off his basement and he finds that he needs the
following:
Needs 595 sq. ft of drywall, 595 sq. ft of insulation, 300 sq. ft. of paneling, 2
gallons of paint, 10½ lbs. of nails, 4 sq. yds of plywood, 810 sq. ft. of carpet
and padding and 10 sq. yds. of linoleum.
What is the total cost of the required materials?
$2,056.92
92
176. How many sheets of metal, each 1/32" thick, are there in a pile 12 7/8"
high?
412
93
177. How many flooring boards, each 3 1/5" wide are there in the width of a
corridor 5'5" wide?
20 5/16 or 20.3125
94
178. Which furniture selection would best meet the client’s needs for an openplan
office layout, when they have asked you to design an office space for a
short term lease on one floor of an office?
A. A panel-hung furniture system.
B. Semi-free-standing furniture.
C. Free-standing furniture with movable panels
D. Design modifications made to existing furniture.
C
95
179. In office buildings with sprinkler systems, in which building (suite)
access control devices are designed to unlock during an emergency, what
additional feature for the control device is required by code?
A. It must tie into the base building fire alarm system to cause the door to
unlock if an alarm is sent to the fire alarm panel.
B. There must be a pull station near the door that has the access control
device.
C. There must be a fire hose cabinet next to the door that has the access
control device.
D. A telephone that automatically connects to the fire department must be
located next to the access control device.
A
96
180. Which information should you gather first in order to design a home
with a passive solar heating system?
A. Climate zone in which the project will be constructed.
B. Orientation of the site to the sun.
C. Area of glazing required to achieve desired temperatures.
D. Quantity of thermal mass needed to store solar heat.
A
97
```
181. What is the importance of CAL 133 (TB 133) in the specification of
furniture?
A. Finish.
B. Fabric.
C. Cushions.
D. Entire assembly.
```
D
98
182. When considering a suspended ceiling for a facility in an area with
seismic requirements, what is the MOST important factor?
A. Correct design of support elements
B. Required clip attachments at the wall intersections
C. Requirement of clips at ceiling and grid panels
D. Installation of heavy duty tiles
A
99
```
183. What MUST be considered in life-cycle cost analyses over and above the
maintenance cost?
A. Tax credits.
B. Productivity.
C. Aesthetics.
D. Downtime.
```
D
100
184. What combination of exceptions to code allows you to reduce the width of
an exit corridor?
A. Handrails that meet accessibility requirements, doors that do not project
more than 7 inches when fully open, wall trim that is less than 1/2 inch thick.
B. Handrails that meet accessibility requirements, lighting fixtures that do
not project more than 8 inches, decorative chair rails and panel moldings
projecting no more than 4 inches
C. Lighting fixtures mounted at 80 inches above finished floor, doors
projecting no more than 12 inches when fully open, hand rails that meet
accessibility requirements.
D. Lighting fixtures projecting no more than 4 inches [100 mm] wainscot or
other millwork below 42 inches above finished floor projecting no more than 4
1/2 inches, wall mounted fire extinguisher.
A
101
185. A project to remodel a residential kitchen has reached the point of
relocating materials. The client decides to enlarge the kitchen by extending it
six feet into the back yard. Which document MUST be obtained prior to
construction?
A. Building permit.
B. Certificate of occupancy.
C. Septic inspection report.
D. Demolition report.
A
102
```
186. Which interior design service is specific to the contract administration
phase of a project?
A. Review consultant contracts.
B. Develop budget.
C. Review shop drawings.
D. Provide installation details.
```
C
103
```
188. A contractor estimates the following direct costs on a job?
Materials $20,000
Materials’ sales tax 6%
Labor $10,000
Overhead markup 50% of labor costs
Contingencies $1,000
Profit markup 10% of total costs
Assume that all costs to be considered are shown above.
The total bid on the project should be between:
(a) $36,000 and $38,000
(b) $38,000 and $40,000
(c) $40,000 and $42,000
(d) $42,000 and $44,000
```
C
104
189. The retainage is paid the contractor?
a. ) at the midway point of the project.
b. ) when the project is substantially completed.
c. ) when the project is finished.
d. ) when the lien period has expired and no lien has been filed.
D
105
```
190. A periodic payment or cost reimbursement made to the contractor
during the construction period is a?
(a) retention release.
(b) progress payment.
(c) borrowed fund.
(d) final payment.
```
B
106
191. The Occupational Safety and Health Act requires which employers to
have an emergency action plan in place for their employees?
a.) All employers.
b.) Only employers with 10 or more employees.
c.) Only employers doing business with the federal government.
d.) Only employers doing business with hazardous materials.
B
107
192. The last step in finishing a smooth concrete slab is to?
a. ) trowel the surface.
b. ) float the surface
c. ) screed (strike off) the surface.
d. ) vibrate the surface.
A
108
```
193. A building slab will be 25' x 90' x 8". How many cubic yards of concrete
will be needed?
a.) 27 cubic yards.
b.) 56 cubic yards.
c.) 167 cubic yards.
d.) 180 cubic yards.
```
B
109
```
194. A rectangular building with a gable roof will be 80' x 36'. The rafters will
be spaced 32" on center.
How many total rafters will be needed?
a.) 30
b.) 31
c.) 60
d.) 62
```
D
110
```
195. When using a crane to lift a wood timber, the guide rope should be
attached to the?
a.) hoisting rope.
b.) hook.
c.) wood timber.
d.) jib.
```
C
111
198. Hardwood strip flooring should be installed?
a.) perpendicular (i.e., at a right angle) to the flooring joists.
b.) parallel with the flooring joists.
c.) diagonal to the flooring joists.
d.) first perpendicular to the flooring joists, then parallel with the flooring
joists.
A
112
199. If a freshly mixed mortar batch for a brick wall is too stiff to work, the
mason should?
a.) throw out the mortar and mix a new batch.
b.) add more water to the mortar batch.
c.) add more cement to the mortar batch.
d.) heat the mortar batch.
B
113
```
201. The National Building Code requires new houses with pitched roofs to
have a net free-roof vent area equal to?
A) 1/500 of the insulated ceiling area
B) 1/300 of the insulated ceiling area
C) 1/150 of the insulated ceiling area
```
B
114
```
202. Circle all of the materials that act as both an air barrier (if sealed) and a
vapor barrier?
A) 1” rigid board extruded polystyrene
B) wood
C) pressure-treated wood
D) 1” rigid board polyurethane
```
A & D
115
203. A moisture barrier restricts or slows moisture flow; it doesn’t completely
stop it.
A) true
B) false
True
116
206. To air seal joints or cracks in the building envelope, use backing
materials whenever the space to be air sealed is wider than?
A) 6 mm
B) 5 mm
C) 8 mm
D) 4 mm
B
117
```
207. The area of a room that is 10 feet wide, by 12 feet long, by 8 feet high is:
A) 850 square feet
B) 90 square feet
C) 120 square feet
D) 98 square feet
```
C
118
```
212. The volume of a room that is 10 feet wide, by 12 feet long, by 8 feet high
is?
A) 960 square feet
B) 160 cubic feet
C) 98 cubic feet
D) 820 cubic feet
```
A
119
213. What is the meaning of Absolute humidity?
A) total amount of moisture in the air
B) total amount of moisture that the air can hold at a given temperature
C) percentage of moisture in air compared to what it can hold at a given
temperature
A
120
214. What is the meaning of Relative humidity is?
A) total amount of moisture in the air
B) total amount of moisture that the air can hold at a given temperature
C) percentage of moisture in air compared to what it can hold at a given
temperature
B
121
215. Convection is a major source of heat loss where thermal bridging occurs?
A) true
B) false
False
122
216. Converting to a sealed combustion furnace will likely result in higher
indoor humidity?
A) true
B) false
B
123
217. A house most likely to experience with indoor air quality problems is the
one with?
A) high air change rate and a limited amount of moisture generation
B) high air change rate and a high amount of moisture generation
C) low air change rate and a high amount of moisture generation
C
124
218. What are the main differences between platform framing and balloon
framing from an energy retrofit viewpoint?
A) more difficult to seal and insulate platform framing
B) platform framing has more air leakage and more energy retrofit potential
C) balloon framing has more air leakage and more energy retrofit potential
C
125
219. What is the meaning of the term, Wind-washing?
A) air flowing across the exterior of a house
B) air flowing from the outside, through the insulation, cooling the inner
surface
C) air flowing through the attic from gable vent to gable vent, or from soffit
vent to ridge vent
B
126
220. What would be the special installation considerations for energy
efficiency if the New vinyl, double-glazed casement windows will be installed
inside the existing casing of double-hung, weighted single-glazed windows?
A) seal trim around existing casing
B) install J-channel on exterior to prevent sill from rotting
C) seal between new window and existing casing
D) install expanding foam between new window and existing casing
C
127
221. What are some considerations when spraying a stone foundation on the inside with polyurethane foam and what to be aware of?
A) polyurethane foam should not be sprayed on a stone foundation because of
shifting and cracking.
B) the polyurethane foam must be fully covered with a fire barrier
C) polyurethane foam is highly flammable and should not be used on interior
installation
D) moisture may seep through the stone foundation and destroy the adhesion
between the foam and the foundation
B
128
222. When inspecting an older home, you observe that there is caulk at the
edges of the wooden storm windows to reduce air leakage. What are the
effects of this?
A) they have done a good job of reducing heat loss from the window
B) This will cause the sills to rot because moisture will be trapped in the
space between the windows
C) This will protect the sills from rotting because it prevents rain from
entering from the outside
A
129
223. What would be the correct description of a Knee wall?
A) short-height wooden wall on top of a foundation wall
B) short-height wall in a half-storey attic or one-and-a-half storey house
C) short-height wall below a bay window
B
130
224. When one is air sealing a house, gaskets often need to be installed in
wall plugs and wall switches located on partition walls?
A) true
B) false
B
131
225. Check the situation most likely to cause a safety hazard?
A) backdrafting gas furnace in an open basement
B) backdrafting wood fire
C) start-up spillage from an oil furnace
D) continuous spillage from a gas boiler
D
132
226. Water moving through a brick foundation from the soil is an example of?
A) gravity
B) capillary action
C) none of the above
B
133
227. When heat has to flow between two materials by conduction, they must
be in contact with one another?
A) true
B) false
True
134
228. What is it called when warm air in the house rises and ex-filtrates
through holes in the upper parts of the house, while cold outside air enters
through the lower part of the house?
A) stack effect
B) wind effect
C) flue effect
A
135
229. The stack effect increases when the difference in temperature between
the interior and exterior of the house increases?
A) true
B) false
A true
136
230. What is meant by the term Relative humidity?
A) decreases with a decrease in air temperature if no water vapor is removed
from or added to the air
B) increases with a decrease in air temperature if no water vapor is removed
from or added to the air
C) unaffected by temperature
B
137
231. Air will not flow from the inside of the house to the outside of the house
if the air pressure on each side of the building envelope is equal?
A) true
B) false
True
138
232. What is Condensation caused by?
A) cold surface sweating
B) air alongside the cold surface cooling to the point it can’t hold as much
water vapor
C) lack of air movement along the face of the cold surface
B
139
```
233. What will relative humidity do when the temperature is raised in a
home?
A) increase
B) decrease
C) stay the same
```
B) decrease
140
```
234. Given (pi) = 3.1416, the area of a circle (to the nearest inch) 3 feet in
diameter is?
A) 7square feet 10square inches
B) 9square feet 60square inches
C) 28square feet 39square inches
```
A
141
```
235. What is the volume of a circular room 14 feet in diameter with a 10-foot
ceiling?
A) 439.82 cubic feet
B) 1539.384 cubic feet
C) 6157.7536 cubic feet
```
B
142
236. When cold air is heated, it has the capacity to hold more water vapor?
A) true
B) false
True
143
237. Vapor in the inside air will move to the outside through the building
materials when the exterior air contains more water vapor than the interior
air?
A) true
B) false
B False
144
238. Is it possible that the stack effect in a house can reverse?
A) true
B) false
A true
145
239. Why may condensation occur on the bottom half of an outside storm
window and not on the rest of the window?
A) less insulation underneath the window
B) convection loop is operating in the enclosed air space between the window
and storm window
C) top half of the window has more solar heat gain than the bottom half
B
146
```
240. Insulation installed in an empty stud cavity reduces heat loss caused
from?
A) radiation
B) conduction
C) convection
```
B)Conduction
