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emergency escape and garage

T-Bird

Registered User
Joined
May 7, 2013
Messages
95
Location
Seattle
I am told in Chapter 3 it is stated that emergency escape from a basement cannot pass through a garage, but I am having trouble locating where this section occurs, can someone help me find this?

I was told to look in section 302.1 but this section covers exterior walls.
 
Which year edition??!

And you are talking bedroom window or door ?

I know bedroom cannot open to a garage
 
Which year edition??!

And you are talking bedroomwindow or door ?
This house is being permitted under the 2015 code.
Which year edition??!

And you are talking bedroom window or door ?

I know bedroom cannot open to a garage

This house is being permitted under the 2015 code. I am talking about using the garage as a means to provide emergency escape from a basement that is surrounded by crawlspace, so it has no exterior wall. The plan reviewer says the IRC explicitly states this cannot happen. I am trying to find where in the code it says you cannot use the gargage for emergency escape. The plan reviewer is not available this week, or I'd ask him.
 
There are no bedrooms or habital spaces in this basement, but it exceeds the 200 s.f. exemption.
 
2015 IRC

R302.5.1 Opening protection.
Openings from a private garage directly into a room used for sleeping purposes shall not be permitted. Other openings between the garage and residence shall be equipped with solid wood doors not less than 1-3/8 inches (35 mm) in thickness, solid or honeycomb-core steel doors not less than 1-3/8 inches (35 mm) thick, or 20-minute fire-rated doors, equipped with a self-closing device.

R310.1 Emergency escape and rescue opening required.
Basements, habitable attics and every sleeping room shall have not less than one operable emergency escape and rescue opening. Where basements contain one or more sleeping rooms, an emergency escape and rescue opening shall be required in each sleeping room. Emergency escape and rescue openings shall open directly into a public way, or to a yard or court that opens to a public way.

R311.1 Means of egress.
Dwellings shall be provided with a means of egress in accordance with this section. The means of egress shall provide a continuous and unobstructed path of vertical and horizontal egress travel from all portions of the dwelling to the required egress door without requiring travel through a garage.The required egress door shall open directly into a public way or to a yard or court that opens to a public way.
 
2012 IRC
R310.1 Emergency escape and rescue required.
Basements, habitable attics and every sleeping room shall have at least one operable emergency escape and rescue opening.

That is in addition to the access to the basement.
What is in the basement? If you have mechanical or plumbing equipment then you create a possible place for flammable fumes to accumulate below the home and be ignited by any ignition source i.e. spark
 
2015 IRC

R302.5.1 Opening protection.
Openings from a private garage directly into a room used for sleeping purposes shall not be permitted. Other openings between the garage and residence shall be equipped with solid wood doors not less than 1-3/8 inches (35 mm) in thickness, solid or honeycomb-core steel doors not less than 1-3/8 inches (35 mm) thick, or 20-minute fire-rated doors, equipped with a self-closing device.

R310.1 Emergency escape and rescue opening required.
Basements, habitable attics and every sleeping room shall have not less than one operable emergency escape and rescue opening. Where basements contain one or more sleeping rooms, an emergency escape and rescue opening shall be required in each sleeping room. Emergency escape and rescue openings shall open directly into a public way, or to a yard or court that opens to a public way.

R311.1 Means of egress.
Dwellings shall be provided with a means of egress in accordance with this section. The means of egress shall provide a continuous and unobstructed path of vertical and horizontal egress travel from all portions of the dwelling to the required egress door without requiring travel through a garage.The required egress door shall open directly into a public way or to a yard or court that opens to a public way.

Are not means of egress and emergency escape two separate issues? I have a means of egress from the home, namely the front door at main level. But the basements only needs emergency escape which can be a door or a window. Where in the code does it state a garage door or window cannot be used for emergency escape from a basement?
 
2012 IRC
R310.1 Emergency escape and rescue required.
Basements, habitable attics and every sleeping room shall have at least one operable emergency escape and rescue opening.

That is in addition to the access to the basement.
What is in the basement? If you have mechanical or plumbing equipment then you create a possible place for flammable fumes to accumulate below the home and be ignited by any ignition source i.e. spark
 

Attachments

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Are not means of egress and emergency escape two separate issues? I have a means of egress from the home, namely the front door at main level. But the basements only needs emergency escape which can be a door or a window. Where in the code does it state a garage door or window cannot be used for emergency escape from a basement?



311.1
 
You need an exit from the basement

Since it is not a bedroom

The plan reviewer said I need an emergency escape, I said its the garage door. He said it cannot be in the garage.
Where in the code does it say emergency escape cannot be in the garage? Is it 311.1 Means of Egress? Are they the same?
Means of egress is a door, emergency escape can be a door or a window.
 
Sorry appears I misspoke


R310.1 Emergency escape and rescue required.
Basements, habitable attics and every sleeping room shall have at least one operable emergency escape and rescue opening.



What MT said
 
I think T-Bird has a point.

The basement needs a means of egress per IRC 311.1, that could be up the stairs and out the front door. The basement also needs a single emergency escape and rescue opening per IRC 310.1 (assuming that there are no sleeping rooms). I don't see any prohibition on the emergency escape and rescue opening being accessed via a garage. But, I do see in IRC 310.3 that if that opening is a door that it is permitted to be a side-hinged or slider, it doesn't say anything about vertically operating doors. Also, you'd have to comply with the operational constraints in IRC 310.1.1 and the door size requirements in IRC 310.3.1. If it is an existing basement you can look at IRC 310.6 for relief.
 
I think T-Bird has a point.

The basement needs a means of egress per IRC 311.1, that could be up the stairs and out the front door. The basement also needs a single emergency escape and rescue opening per IRC 310.1 (assuming that there are no sleeping rooms). I don't see any prohibition on the emergency escape and rescue opening being accessed via a garage. But, I do see in IRC 310.3 that if that opening is a door that it is permitted to be a side-hinged or slider, it doesn't say anything about vertically operating doors. Also, you'd have to comply with the operational constraints in IRC 310.1.1 and the door size requirements in IRC 310.3.1. If it is an existing basement you can look at IRC 310.6 for relief.





Dwellings shall be provided with a means of egress in accordance with this section. The means of egress shall provide a continuous and unobstructed path of vertical and horizontal egress travel from all portions of the dwelling to the required egress door """"". without requiring travel through a garage. """" The required egress door shall open directly into a public way or to a yard or court that opens to a public way.
 
Dwellings shall be provided with a means of egress in accordance with this section. The means of egress shall provide a continuous and unobstructed path of vertical and horizontal egress travel from all portions of the dwelling to the required egress door """"". without requiring travel through a garage. """" The required egress door shall open directly into a public way or to a yard or court that opens to a public way.

I think that's the point. The means of egress is up the stairs and out the front door (assuming that exists) and that route would not be permitted to be through a garage. The Emergency Escape and Rescue Opening requirement is completely separate and does not constitute a Means of Egress. Just as an escape window in a bedroom does not meet the requirements for a Means of Egress (IRC Section 311). The Emergency Escape and Rescue Opening is governed by IRC Section 310 and does not need to meet Section 311, assuming there is an actual means of egress that does comply with Section 311.
 
Dwellings shall be provided with a means of egress in accordance with this section. The means of egress shall provide a continuous and unobstructed path of vertical and horizontal egress travel from all portions of the dwelling to the required egress door """"". without requiring travel through a garage. """" The required egress door shall open directly into a public way or to a yard or court that opens to a public way.

I have a stair (vertical egress travel) from the basement to the main floor that leads (unobstructed) to the egress door.
I have an emergency escape from the basement (the garage door) which leads (unobstucted) to the public way.
Are they not two separate issues, since they are presented in two separate sections?
Where in the code does it state emergency escape cannot be provided in a garage?
What if I said emergency escape is provide through the garage window? A window is not an egress door? Two separate issues I say.
 
I have a stair (vertical egress travel) from the basement to the main floor that leads (unobstructed) to the egress door.
I have an emergency escape from the basement (the garage door) which leads (unobstucted) to the public way.
Are they not two separate issues, since they are presented in two separate sections?
Where in the code does it state emergency escape cannot be provided in a garage?
What if I said emergency escape is provide through the garage window? A window is not an egress door? Two separate issues I say.

""I have a stair (vertical egress travel) from the basement to the main floor that leads (unobstructed) to the egress door.""


Where is that in the PDF??
 
""I have a stair (vertical egress travel) from the basement to the main floor that leads (unobstructed) to the egress door.""


Where is that in the PDF??
 

Attachments

  • A4.jpg
    A4.jpg
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I have clouded the stair. It leads to the main floor where the front door (means of egress) is located.
 
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