At its Public Comment Hearings in Atlantic City, N.J., the International Code Council (ICC) voted to adopt the AAMA/NPEA/NSA 2100-12, Specification for Sunrooms, into the 2015 International Residential Code (IRC). Representatives from the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) and the National Sunroom Association (NSA), as well as a number of other supporters, were on hand at the code hearings to testify on its merits as a code referenced document.

The adoption of the reference standard means the IRC will now have five distinct categories of sunrooms for the purpose of uniformly applying the code’s requirements to patio covers, sun porches, sunrooms, solariums and conservatories that have been a very popular choice for homeowners who want to add recreational space to their homes by enclosing a porch, deck or patio area. The five categories range from a simple roof-only patio cover all the way to a year-round, fully-conditioned sunroom that is left open to the house.

“AAMA has enjoyed a long standing relationship with NSA and NPEA in the development of this widely accepted industry specification,” says Ken Brenden, AAMA’s technical director. “The document was originally published in 2002. Having it referenced in the IRC speaks to the respect this document has received, as well as the integrity of the associations that developed it.”

Although the AAMA/NPEA/NSA 2100-12 document will not appear in the IRC until the publication of the 2015 code is finalized, the industry plans to begin referencing the sunroom categories in permit applications to familiarize contractors and building officials with the forthcoming sunroom requirements.

“We’re very pleased to know that it was the building officials themselves that voted to adopt the Specification for Sunrooms because AAMA and NSA have worked very hard to achieve consensus within our industry to define the five sunroom categories and their corresponding performance requirements,” says Dan Walker, NSA’s technical director. “The new reference to the specification will make permit review and inspection of the various types of sunrooms a much smoother process because it makes clear what portions of the code apply to the five sunroom categories.

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