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Define "Landing" (Exterior Door Requirement)

Code is not requiring a "hard" surface for a landing. It requires it to be "solid" but no definition of solid. Water or mud would not be solid.

When I was a green inspector one of my first inspections their was a stairway with with grated steps. Going by the code I failed it thinking they are not solid. They attached thin plywood on top of the steps for me to pass it. To this day I'm not sure what is meant by "solid" in the code.

Stairways and landings are the only things that I can find in the code that are required to be "solid". Foundations, floors, buildings, roofs are not required to be "solid".
 
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Code is not requiring a "hard" surface for a landing. It requires it to be "solid" but no definition of solid. Water or mud would not be solid.
So if one were to inspect the house in question after a heavy rain, would you fail the landing because it was muddy? Or slippery in the mornings because of dew on the grass?
 
I think that "firm" might be a better word than "solid" in this application. Personally, when I look at mud, I would classify it as either a liquid or a solid depending how wet it is, also see post #19.

Would you be in favor of allowing gravel? The individual pieces of gravel are solid, but they aren't fused together, so are they still "solid"?

I like the word "stable" - maybe add a little language specifically about being stable in wet conditions?

Maybe also remove the word "stair" also - instead of saying "Stair landings at grade", just say "Landings at grade", as occasionally you may see a landing that is not located at a "stair".

This is a good clarification to add, thank you for working on this.
 
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INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL CODE Page 1 of 1 CHAPTER 3 BUILDING PLANNING SECTION R311.7.6 2012 Edition IRC Interpretation 71-13 Issued 4-23-2014 RE_12_71_13 R311.7.6 Landings for stairways. There shall be a floor or landing at the top and bottom of each stairway. The minimum width perpendicular to the direction of travel shall be no less than the width of the flight served. Landings of shapes other than square or rectangular shall be permitted provided the depth at the walk line and the total area is not less than that of a quarter circle with a radius equal to the required landing width. Where the stairway has a straight run, the minimum depth in the direction of travel shall be not less than 36 inches (914 mm). Exception: A floor or landing is not required at the top of an interior flight of stairs, including stairs in an enclosed garage, provided a door does not swing over the stairs. R311.7.7 Stairway walking surface. The walking surface of treads and landings of stairways shall be sloped no steeper than one unit vertical in 48 inches horizontal (2-percent slope). ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Q: Can the landing at the bottom of an exterior stairway be the ground or a gravel surface that slopes not more than that permitted in Section R311.7.7?

A: Yes. The code does not regulate the type of material to be used as the landing for an exterior stairway. The code does not prohibit the ground or gravel surface serving as the landing as long as, at the time of final inspection, it complies with the required dimensions and slope. ___________________________________________________________________
 
Gravel should be crusher run or equivalent, with a lot of fines to fill the voids. Gravels that are mostly one size don't provide firm footing.
 
So if one were to inspect the house in question after a heavy rain, would you fail the landing because it was muddy? Or slippery in the mornings because of dew on the grass?
I probably would pass it unless it's obvious that it is a wet area
I like the word "stable" - maybe add a little language specifically about being stable in wet conditions?
I don't live in CA with all it's earthquakes but is the ground considered "stable" there?
 
Code proposal that is being submitted for the Committee Hearings in March/April.

View attachment 8491
fatboy, not trying to dog out your code proposal here. It is good that you are addressing this.

I realized after my comment that the landing section is in the stair section, so eliminating the word "stair" as I suggested is completely irrelevant.

Rick 18071, fair point.
 
We debated over three days on the wording, settled on simple. Is it debatable what the meaning is? Sure, like half of the code book. And we know that we will get beat up in Rochester, but maybe be able to come back at the Public Comment Hearing with a solution. Obviously this is a problem, folks enforce all over the spectrum.
 
We debated over three days on the wording, settled on simple. Is it debatable what the meaning is? Sure, like half of the code book. And we know that we will get beat up in Rochester, but maybe be able to come back at the Public Comment Hearing with a solution. Obviously this is a problem, folks enforce all over the spectrum.
When you say it's a problem, do you have any statistics or reports of injuries caused by the lack of a stable or solid or whatever in landing?
 
Why do we need the word solid anyway? Would not the required load table be enough if it is about structural? Code doesn't say floors are to be solid so why would landings and stairways need it?
 
[BE] STAIR. A change in elevation, consisting of one or more risers.
So one step up from the ground to the deck is a stair and I now need to meet the landing size requirement along the entire width of the stairs as shown in post #16?
 
[BE] STAIR. A change in elevation, consisting of one or more risers.
So one step up from the ground to the deck is a stair and I now need to meet the landing size requirement along the entire width of the stairs as shown in post #16?
R311.7.6 Landings for stairways. There shall be a floor
or landing at the top and bottom of each stairway. The
width perpendicular to the direction of travel shall be not
less than the width of the flight served.
Landings of shapes
other than square or rectangular shall be permitted provided
that the depth at the walk line and the total area is
not less than that of a quarter circle with a radius equal to
the required landing width. Where the stairway has a
straight run, the depth in the direction of travel shall be not
less than 36 inches (914 mm).
 
R311.7.6 Landings for stairways. There shall be a floor
or landing at the top and bottom of each stairway. The
width perpendicular to the direction of travel shall be not
less than the width of the flight served.
Landings of shapes
other than square or rectangular shall be permitted provided
that the depth at the walk line and the total area is
not less than that of a quarter circle with a radius equal to
the required landing width. Where the stairway has a
straight run, the depth in the direction of travel shall be not
less than 36 inches (914 mm).
For the full width of the stair? Looking at photos in #16 it's a big landing - like 30' x 3'.
 
The stairs from my dugout going up…is my baseball field a good enough landing? Sometimes gets muddy.
"The occupants would strongly prefer to see decorative landscaping in the view from this glass/aluminum sliding door than a concrete or wood landing."
 
I probably would pass it unless it's obvious that it is a wet area

I don't live in CA with all it's earthquakes but is the ground considered "stable" there?
Not if it is DG (use of a stabilizer would be required), if susceptable to mud that would be questionable.
What does homeowners insurance say?
 
LANDING (for stairs and ramps). The minimum required area for a walking surface at the top and bottom of a stair flight or ramp run.
LANDINGS (for doors). The minimum required area of approach on each side of a door.
 
yes on the bottom but not required for basement stairways on the top
A landing is not required at top of basement stairs? I thought IRC said a landing was required at top and bottom, with exception for a door at top. Which made me wonder about the typical basement hatch way, which seem to never have a landing at bottom before door. (And a lot don't have handrails). Is there a code exception for these basement egress stairs? The rise and run even seem not compliant.
 
From 2015 IRC:

R311.7.10.2 Bulkhead enclosure stairways. Stairways
serving bulkhead enclosures, not part of the
required building egress, providing access from the outside
grade level to the basement shall be exempt from
the requirements of Sections R311.3 (floors and landings
at exterior doors) and R311.7 (stairways)
where
the height from the basement finished floor level to
grade adjacent to the stairway is not more than 8 feet
(2438 mm) and the grade level opening to the stairway
is covered by a bulkhead enclosure with hinged doors
or other approved means.

This would also exempt anything about stairways including handrails which is also in 311.7

other info for you:

R311.7.6 Landings for stairways. There shall be a floor
or landing at the top and bottom of each stairway. The
width perpendicular to the direction of travel shall be not
less than the width of the flight served. Landings of shapes
other than square or rectangular shall be permitted provided
that the depth at the walk line and the total area is
not less than that of a quarter circle with a radius equal to
the required landing width. Where the stairway has a
straight run, the depth in the direction of travel shall be not
less than 36 inches (914 mm).
Exception: A floor or landing is not required at the top
of an interior flight of stairs
, including stairs in an
enclosed garage, provided that a door does not swing
over the stairs.
 
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The builder of a home I designed in Texas posed an interesting question: what exactly constitutes a "landing", for an exterior (non-egress) door to a back yard? 202 offers no definition. 311.3 says "There shall be a landing or floor on each side...". In lieu of concrete flatwork or buying a paver, he wants to know if he can simply raise grade to within 7 3/4" of the threshold, slope away at 1/4":12" or less, cover it with decorative gravel, and call that "landing". I'm inclined to say yes. Without a clear definition, it seems to me IRC is just looking for a solid surface to catch walking feet, not too far below. Anyone have direct experience with officials/inspectors on this point?
I am thinking 3 or 4 ft wide and 3 ft from the door is min
 
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