Egress window for open loft

[retire09]

If a sleeping space is on an open loft, is an egresss window required?

Egress windows are required for sleeping rooms but is an open loft a room or part of the space below?

 

[mjesse]

If the loft is only accessible from inside a sleeping room, a single egress window in the room (not loft) is permissible.

If the loft is a sleeping area on its own (above a family room) I might argue for an egress window in the loft.

mj

 

[mark handler]

Yes.......

 

[globe trekker]

retire09,

1) How is the room/space defined on the plans? 2) What is the definition of a sleeping room by the AHJ?

.

 

[retire09]

This is an existing cabin in Alaska. No plan.

It is a one room open plan with a kitchen in one corner a bathroom in the other and a small loft above.The loft is about 1/2 the size of the ground floor.

The only interior walls are around the bathroom.

The loft is accessed by stairs and has a guard rail long the edge.

A single smoke/CO detector services the entire cabin.

There is a window on the loft level but it does not meet egress requirements.

 

[cboboggs]

I would say egress window required.

 

[mjesse]

I would say yes, egress window required.

But, you say existing cabin. Was it compliant when it was built?

 

[fatboy]

And in what context are you looking at it now? If it were new construction, or a change of use of the space, I would say yes, egress window required.

 

[ICE]

Does the space qualify as a room with minimum dimensions for size and ceiling height?

R304.1 Minimum area. Every dwelling unit shall have at least

one habitable room that shall have not less than 120 square feet

(11 m2) of gross floor area.

R304.2 Other rooms. Other habitable rooms shall have a floor

area of not less than 70 square feet (6.5 m2).

Exception: Kitchens.

R304.3 Minimum dimensions. Habitable rooms shall not be

less than 7 feet (2134 mm) in any horizontal dimension.

R304.4 Height effect on room area. Portions of a room with a

sloping ceiling measuring less than 5 feet (1524 mm) or a furred

ceiling measuring less than 7 feet (2134 mm) from the finished

floor to the finished ceiling shall not be considered as contributing

to the minimum required habitable area for that room.

R305.1 Minimum height. Habitable space, hallways, bathrooms,

toilet rooms, laundry rooms and portions of basements

containing these spaces shall have a ceiling height of not less

than 7 feet (2134 mm).

1. For rooms with sloped ceilings, at least 50 percent of

the required floor area of the room must have a ceiling

height of at least 7 feet (2134 mm) and no portion of

the required floor area may have a ceiling height of

less than 5 feet (1524 mm).

 

[retire09]

This is a building that is being moved into the city and the loft is intended to be used for sleeping. I beleive the space may just barley meet the minimum size for a legal room size and height.

My thoughts are that it has no walls or door separating it into a sleeping "room", has stairs for access and an open guard rail to jump over for emergency egress back to the floor below and out the front door. One definition of a room is: a space separated from other spaces by walls or partitions.

Otherthan the stairs; how is this different from sleeping in the space below?

 

[cda]

No if you go down the stairs and out the front door

Window or door directly to outside

 

[ICE]

If it qualifies as a room then it needs an EERO.

This is no different than a fully enclosed bedroom on a second floor with stairs to the first floor. The absence of a wall is no help in getting out since you must still go down the stairs and exit through another space.

 

[retire09]

I beleive what qualifies a space to be a room are the walls enclosing the space.

Would you require a smoke detector for this loft/sleeping room in addition to the one that is near the ceiling over the open space below? They would be a few feet apart and covering the exact same air space/room. The space below is a kitchen, dining room and living room would each require a light controlled by a switch?

 

[mark handler]

I beleive what qualifies a space to be a room are the walls enclosing the space.Would you require a smoke detector for this loft/sleeping room in addition to the one that is near the ceiling over the open space below? They would be a few feet apart and covering the exact same air space/room. The space below is a kitchen, dining room and living room would each require a light controlled by a switch?

A SD must be provided on each level, but If it is a true loft, a SD on the ceiling in the volume space will work for both.

 

[cda]

If it qualifies as a room then it needs an EERO.This is no different than a fully enclosed bedroom on a second floor with stairs to the first floor. The absence of a wall is no help in getting out since you must still go down the stairs and exit through another space.

It is in the same room as all the other stuff except the bathroom

efficancy

 

[hlfireinspector]

Is this a " Park Model " cabin ? I have a few of those in a Jellystone Park. Not regulated by IRC. Regulated like a camper.

 

[mark handler]

Loft?...

 

[retire09]

Very similar to the picture only even more open to the area below and all the same ceiling height.

 

[globe trekker]

All sleeping rooms must have an EERO, and the structure must have a minimum

of one compliant egress door. Instead of having an EERO in the loft area, and

since the entire cabin is an open plan, can you install a minimum of one EERO

downstairs? I would be ok with having a compliant EERO and egress door

downstairs, ..preferably at opposite ends of the structure from each other.

.

 

[jar546]

Looks like a lot of votes for EERO

I am in that camp too. What's the big deal? Like Nike says, Just do it. (or make them do it)

 

[cda]

All sleeping rooms must have an EERO, and the structure must have a minimumof one compliant egress door. Instead of having an EERO in the loft area, and

since the entire cabin is an open plan, can you install a minimum of one EERO

downstairs? I would be ok with having a compliant EERO and egress door

downstairs, ..preferably at opposite ends of the structure from each other.

.

If you walk down the stairs from the loft open to the same room and out the front door why is a window needed

Would everyone require a window if there was a bed on the bottom?

Efficiency. Like motel 6

 

[fatboy]

The same reason you need the EERO when you still walk out of that same room, but now it has a wall, instead of a guard, separating you from the required egress door. JMHO

 

[retire09]

If you have a door directly to the outside from the room an egress window is not required.

The door is the one and only required egress from the room.

The requirement is for an egress opening; not specifically a window.

This is turning into an interesting discussion with lots of opinions but lacking code language for support. JMHO

 

[fatboy]

It is going to depend on what you consider the "sleeping room' space. Is it the entire space, because the is only a guard and stairs separating you from the required egress door? Or, are you condidering the guard/stairs to be a separation creating a separate room thus requiring the window? Also, could this be considered a "habitable attic"?

To many if's for me, put an EERO in the loft.

From R310.1, and Chapter 2 attic and habitable definitions.