• Welcome to The Building Code Forum

    Your premier resource for building code knowledge.

    This forum remains free to the public thanks to the generous support of our Sawhorse Members and Corporate Sponsors. Their contributions help keep this community thriving and accessible.

    Want enhanced access to expert discussions and exclusive features? Learn more about the benefits here.

    Ready to upgrade? Log in and upgrade now.

Garage to vestibule to bedroom

The sketch appeared to have double doors from the bedroom to the remainder of the house. If this is the case, then it is possible to egress from the bedroom (ERRO not withstanding) from the bedroom without entering the garage. One could even exit the home without entering a hall that contains a door to the garage!

While the the vestibule is the only route directly between the garage and the house, the code does not require such a connection. In my house you can't get there from here...gotta walk outside to get from the garage to the house.

The plans appear to meet the letter of the code.

...maybe we could install an exhaust fan with a switch in the jamb of the garage door to the vestibule. When the door is opened the fan would come on...
Click to expand...
Providing such an exhaust fan could serve to draw air from the garage into the vestibule (and it is unclear where there would be code support for such an arrangement).
 
The double doors are going from the bedroom to an outdoor patio. I had trouble uploading a bigger drawing as it was too many bytes. We wanted to have a door to the outside patio from the garage and then back into the bedroom from that patio but the H.O. wants it this other way. The original design has a nice enclosed patio where the traffic would go and that's the direction I'll push for.

I think a window in the vestibule is a great idea. The only problem with it is the framing but we still might go ahead and put one in.

If we do an exhaust fan we would provide an air inlet from the outside to the vestibule although there still might be a question of it pulling in air from the garage if the door to the garage was left ajar. I realize it's not per code but was trying to come up with some ideas to minimize the poor design. Both doors will be weatherstripped and will be solid wood self closing ones. Maybe we'll just have the vestibule area with a top and bottom vent to the outside and have it be unconditioned space. The project is in San Diego by the beach so the temperature is no big deal.

Thanks again for all the comments.
 
My opinion is that self closing doors are a bad idea.

It's only a matter of time until some puts a hold-open in to deal with the PITA self-closing doors create in a dwelling.

Likewise with the fan with door interlock- it's a gimmick.

Put in a CO detector if you really have a concern.
 
The bedroom as shown, provides Direct Access to a vestibule. It does not provide Direct Access to the garage. As shown, (EERO and SD notwithstanding) it meets the requirements of the code.
 
The Code says "directly"... it's not direct; Code probably does not disallow it.. (did I get enough double negatives in there?)
 
Direct Directly

You are correct, the code states

"Openings from a private garage directly into a room used for sleeping purposes shall not be permitted."

I will revise my earlier comment to say, the configuration shown, the garage opening is directly into a vestiblue. The garage opening, as shown, does not directly open into a room used for sleeping purposes.

Again the code expressly allows this configuration.

There would be no none not nay neither reason to not nor nix nope this configuration
 
My two cents worth as I don't often get to shake out the old residential cobwebs (it just doesn't come up at the airport ... imagine that). To me, it's a work around, it doesn't exactly meet the intent of the code (as most of us understand it) but it does meet the letter of the code. However, I would ask for/require a window if it's labeled as a bedroom, for an emergency egress. However, if they relabel it as an office/den, you're screwed. When I first came into the world of 'code' that was one of the raging arguments - lots of houses were being built with a room listed as a den, there was no emergency egress. After the OC was issued, the 'den' became a bedroom.

I wouldn't bring up (to the homeowner) the fact that relabeling it would be a work around, but rather would address the emergency egress situation. Adding a window wouldn't add THAT much to his costs and possibly he will see/recognize the safety factor/issue. We have to pick our battles.
 
I for one assumed that there was a window in the room. I also assumed there was more to the structure than the garage and bedroom. No sense in bringing up more issues.
 
There's a set of french doors in the bedroom to the outside so emergency egress isn't an issue.....
 
So the vestibule could be an inswing to the bedroom door ?

No space and a Swing to the garage door?

maybe? on a 2x8 plate as long as the door knobbs don't intefere.?

-cause the supposed space does not have to meet minimum room dimensions as non - habitable.

Sorry Guys I would dissaprove and let them convince my Building Review Board.

That one would not be on me no matter how convincing their illogic;
 
So if you had a door in to a vestibule/hallway, say 100 feet long, then another door to the bedroom, you would not approve that??

How is that any different than the hallway being 3 feet or 6 feet.

I don't believe anyone is advocating just a double door. The plan provided showed a small space inbetween.
 
As long as the bedroom has an EERO, I would approve it. With a vestibule intervening, the garage is not opening directly into the bedroom.

Smoke alarm is already required and there needs to be a CO detector within 15' of the bedroom (in NY at least), so I think there is adequate protection from CO poisoning.

I would strongly recommend a combo smoke/co in the bedroom.

Do I like it, no, but it is what it is. "The code doesn't cover stupid"
 
See I actually agree with TimNY but I would make them earn their "Stupid Sign"

n Righter101 but of course the 100 foot vestibule would be a hallway so they'ed be good to go

but the extra square footage would kick it out of the LEED Certified, IGCC Green, to big and greedy energy hog code.
 
Direct is direct. This connection shown is not direct.

However, I would encourage (not require) that they install a self-closing apparatus on the garage door. This was a requirement in the UBC days.

I have heard the argument that people just disable them. Well perhaps some do. However in the 30+ years that I have lived in my present house, I have never disabled mine. In the many other houses in which I lived, I never disabled a self-closing garage door. I am not familiar with anyone else who has disabled theirs. Perhaps on the west coast we just learned to live with them because it was a code requirement, or perhaps we can see the value of a little more protection from possible cross contamination. In my view putting up with a self-closing garage door is a small price to pay for a little added protection.
 
i have a situation like this , flip flop the garage & put where the bedroom is . walk in from the garage & to the left is a bedroom with door & egress window , & straight ahead is the stairs leading to the

2nd floor . i say its ok , what is the % of shared living space mean & what would it be if it applies ?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top