News & Announcements

Preview of BC Building Code Changes taking effect in Fall 2012 - Update
This news flash is updated to reflect new information received at the April 7 joint Technical Meeting.

Last Fall the Housing and Construction Standards branch has announced a public review of proposed changes to the BC Building Code that include changes to window and door installation. At the January 6 2011 Technical Meeting Murray Frank of Constructive Home Solutions described what is known so far about the coming changes:

• The 2012 BC Building Code is expected to be published in the Spring of 2012 and to take effect October 2012. There will be a final public review period in the Summer or Fall of 2011.

• The new code will introduce much more stringent insulation and air tightness requirements. All new homes will be subject to a door fan test for air tightness. About half the air leakage in a new home is attributed to windows and window installation.

• More homes will be built with insulation outside the sheathing and this could affect window and door installation and anchoring methods and may require changes to the way jamb liners are installed in some regions.

• Part 9 will have new seismic design and shear wall requirements that could limit the size and placement of windows and doors in new home designs.

• For window and door installation, code requirements for a "second plane of protection" (rod and caulk the perimeter of the window or door at the interior surface) and clearance for drainage in the gap between the frame and the rough opening will discourage the use of foam insulation around the window or door perimeter.

Several additional items that may or may not be added to the code include:

• Rainscreen wall construction throughout the province

• Greater energy efficiency requirements for windows

The 2012 code is just one step in the government's goal to require new homes to consume no more energy than they can produce by 2020 ("net-zero energy" homes). The next two codes, in 2015 and 2020, are expected contain significantly more aggressive energy management provisions than we have seen to date.

Preview of BC Building Code Changes Coming in Fall 2011

Last Fall the Housing and Construction Standards branch has announced a public review of proposed changes to the BC Building Code for 2011 that include changes to window and door installation. At the January 6 2011 Technical Meeting Murray Frank of Constructive Home Solutions described what is known so far about the coming changes:

• The 2010 BC Building Code will be published in October 2011. There will be a final public review period in the Spring of this year.

• The new code will introduce much more stringent insulation and air tightness requirements. All new homes will be subject to a door fan test for air tightness. About half the air leakage in a new home is attributed to windows and window installation.

• More homes will be built with insulation outside the sheathing and this could affect window and door installation and anchoring methods and may require changes to the way jamb liners are installed in some regions.

• Part 9 will have new seismic design and shear wall requirements that could limit the size and placement of windows and doors in new home designs.

• For window and door installation, code requirements for a "second plane of protection" (rod and caulk the perimeter of the window or door at the interior surface) and clearance for drainage in the gap between the frame and the rough opening will discourage the use of foam insulation around the window or door perimeter.

Several additional items that may or may not be added to the code include:

• Rainscreen wall construction throughout the province

• Greater energy efficiency requirements for windows
  

The 2010 code is just one step in the government's goal to require new homes to consume no more energy than they can produce by 2020 ("net-zero energy" homes). The next two codes, in 2015 and 2020, are expected contain significantly more aggressive energy management provisions than we have seen to date.