According to RicodJour :
"We don't want to build to the minimum code. We want to build to the
medium code or even the maximum code." WTF? There is only one code.
It is the minimum acceptable construction. Referencing different codes
is at best misleading. Having a supposed expert spouting this stuff is
inexcusable.

And you took that to _literally_ mean that there's more than one
code?

Geeze.

Any contractor worth anything will be familiar with the concept, and
perhaps even with those words.

For example, many custom home builders prefer to exceed code on certain
things. Eg: go up a joist size or down a notch in joist spacing, because
some people find the springiness of "minimal code compliance" floors to
be objectionable and sometimes cracks ceramic floors. But it won't fall
down...

Some years ago, I remember reading a letter to the editor in FHB from
a contractor referring to the "plus two steps club" (or something like
that), of contractors who prefer to go up one or two increments from
code.

Code is _minimum_ acceptable to keep things from falling down. Sometimes
you prefer more. Sometimes you need more.

If you were to go to a contractor and parrot Holmes in saying "I want
X built to medium code", any contractor with half a brain will know what's
meant, and discuss with you what options there are, which ones may be
worth it and why, and how much it'll affect cost. In other words,
negotiate on how far you want to go.

If you are going to turn to TV for information on construction and home
improvement, stick with This Old House. They actually know what
they're talking about.

Yeah, on how to spend $500K to turn a $100K house into a $200K one.
On bathrooms that cost more to build than most people earn in their
lifetime. On materials that are ridiculously expensive, highly
impractical, or simply aren't obtainable where you live.

Heck, I _like_ Norm. But TOH has become so far out of "normal
experience", it's ridiculous.

Most of Holmes' shows are about where the previous contractors _don't_
meet code, or where they did, it didn't do the job. In _both_ cases the
work he does usually exceeds code - in the latter, code didn't work, so
he has to, don't he? In the former, it failed, and to-code might still
not work, and it gives an opportunity to expound on the elements of
doing it right.

Indeed, given many of the things he does, the "normal" thing would be to
bandaid - with a bandaid that doesn't necessarily work. Many episodes
show where builders/contractors have repeatedly come back and tried
cheap fixes, because the "right" one was too expensive. That didn't
work. In circumstances like that, doing it "minimally right" (eg:
excavating around the foundation, coating the foundation and replacing
the weeping tile) and doing it "possibly overkill, but _guaranteed_ to
work" (eg: same as "minimally", but add fancy drainage membranes) has so
little cost difference, you might as well do the overkill, and sleep
better at night.

If you've seen more recent episodes, you'll have seen more places where they
clearly say "this is way more than necessary". Perhaps one of the best
examples is where the plumber installed a plastic water supply system
with a single large manifold, and a valve + homerun for _each_ fixture.
It's explained that it's overkill. It's also explained why it works
better than "minimum acceptable". Someone watching it will wonder
"should I do that in X?", and ask the plumber. _That_ negotiation leads
to the homeowner being able to better understand and compromise on
quality versus cost.

I've built/done a lot of stuff around the house for decades. Decks,
sheds, plumbing, electrical, trim, insulation, walls etc. I was
pretty good at it (for an amateur ;-) even before I started watching
HOH. But I've learned a _lot_ on doing things right (or at least better)
on a couple of episodes of HOH. TOH is more of a "how _not_ to renovate".
--
Chris Lewis,

Age and Treachery will Triumph over Youth and Skill
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.