Can porch deck be higher than the finished floor?

[Fishugly]

Though I would not normally consider building a deck higher than the finished floor, the area in question is protected from the elements enough that I have never seen rain or snow reach the doorway, other than a few flakes during one of the strongest blizzards I have seen in my 55 years of living in the area....a blizzard that also came from a direction that rarely happens.

Without trying to explain what is a rather unusual set of circumstances at this entry door, I'll just say that it would make my life considerably easier if I were to build the entry deck (wood) to the same height that the top of the threshold is.....which, is 1.5" above the finished floor of the house. Coincidentally, the house I'm currently living in has a wooden deck that is also 1.5" above the finished floor. So, as you walk into the house from the deck, you actually step down 1.5". It is very comfortable, coming and going....and, even though this entry doesn't offer as much protection from the elements as the above mentioned entry porch, I have not seen or experienced any issues after 35 years.

Although I could have missed it.......I have not seen anything in the code that explicitly prohibits what I want to do. Anyone know?

 

[SCBO1]

See IRC 2021 Section R311.3.1 for a required egress door and R311.3.2 @ other exterior doors.

 

[Fishugly]

See IRC 2021 Section R311.3.1 for a required egress door and R311.3.2 @ other exterior doors.

Thank you. I looked at that before posting. However, it still doesn't seem clear in my head. The way I read it is that the finished floor can not be lower than 1.5" from the top of the threshold. I don't see anything that says the deck outside the entry door can not be higher than the finished floor...or that the threshold must be higher than the deck. In other words, from what I'm seeing, what I want to do is allowable........even though it would normally seem a foolish idea (if said entry door was not protected as it is).

Thoughts...or corrections to my interpretations?

 

[Beniah Naylor]

311.2 is for the required egress door, which does not have to be the front door, it can be any door that meets the requirements of 311.2. As long as you have 1 1/2" or less from the top of the threshold to the top of the inside floor, you will comply for the required egress door per 311.3.1.

If you look at the exception to 311.3.1, it becomes clearer: generally, you are not allowed to have your floor more than a 1 1/2" lower than the threshold on either side of the door, but then the exception to 311.3.1 allows you to be 7 3/4" lower on the exterior side only. That infers that you can be up to 1 1/2" lower than the threshold on the inside.

Also note, if you have any other door out of the building that complies with 311.2, you can designate this door that you are working on as an "other exterior door" per 311.3.2, and your exterior deck can be as much as 7 3/4" above your inside floor per 311.3.2.

 

[Yikes]

Fishugly, is this deck door the only way to get in and out of the house?

 

[ICE]

your exterior deck can be as much as 7 3/4" above your inside floor per 311.3.2.

R311.3.2 Floor elevations at other exterior doors.
Doors other than the required egress door shall be provided with landings or floors not more than 73/4 inches below the top of the threshold.

A dumb bit of code. I've seen retrofit sliders with a threshold that sticks up >3". One would think that the marketplace could eliminate that design. I looked for a picture but alas, I can't find one. I remember an elderly lady complaining about it so I'm sure that I took a picture.

 

[Fishugly]

Fishugly, is this deck door the only way to get in and out of the house?

No. There are three other doors.

On another note, I have been pleasantly surprised at the responses here. Typically, when one asks a question on Internet forums....especially when it's something out of the norm...... there's at least one, and often times more posters that are more interested in pointing out how it should be done, or how dumb an idea is rather than answer the poster's question/s. At any rate, I appreciate you all here for not chastising, but rather offering helpful answers. It's a breath of fresh Internet air!

 

[Yikes]

No. There are three other doors.

On another note, I have been pleasantly surprised at the responses here. Typically, when one asks a question on Internet forums....especially when it's something out of the norm...... there's at least one, and often times more posters that are more interested in pointing out how it should be done, or how dumb an idea is rather than answer the poster's question/s. At any rate, I appreciate you all here for not chastising, but rather offering helpful answers. It's a breath of fresh Internet air!

OK, for sake of discussion, I'm going to assume that your 3 other exterior doors are already providing adequate means of egress to the exterior grade. (If your house is over 4000 Sf or 3+ stories, we'll want to look a little more closely just to make sure.)
That means the specific door in question is not required for means of egress, it is merely for convenience. Per post #4 and 6, it sounds like you will meet code.

I used to say there are no dumb questions, but we recently had someone asking the code forum what it costs to paint a living room of undetermined size... in Britain... we were as polite as possible, but not useful.

 

[Fishugly]

OK, for sake of discussion, I'm going to assume that your 3 other exterior doors are already providing adequate means of egress to the exterior grade. (If your house is over 4000 Sf or 3+ stories, we'll want to look a little more closely just to make sure.)
That means the specific door in question is not required for means of egress, it is merely for convenience. Per post #4 and 6, it sounds like you will meet code.

I used to say there are no dumb questions, but we recently had someone asking the code forum what it costs to paint a living room of undetermined size... in Britain... we were as polite as possible, but not useful.

Correct. The other 3 doors provide adequate means of egress. House is just under 1000 sq ft, on one level. Thanks!