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Landing on an exterior door.

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bdubya24

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Jun 22, 2013
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First off, cool site. Lots of good info., just not the stuff I currently need. Searched and can't find an answer.I have a Main entrance door that at one time had cement steps up to it with the last riser being the side of the house. Approx threshold height 42". Tore them out as it was a hazard. Now want to install a new set of steps into the house. It currently has a screen door that opens out followed by a exterior door opening in. I know I need a 36" landing off the house. My question is, if the landing is not considered a "deck", what are the rules for posts on the outer corners of the landing? There seems to be no info on this.

Thanks.
 
welcome.. what do you mean by "posts".. guardrail is required (that happens at 30" above grade).
 
A support post (4×4, 6×6), to hold up the far side of the landing. One on each corner. A landing is not considered a deck because of size, so what rules apply for construction?
 
air is not a very good support, so yes, you need to something to hold it up. How you get there is a design decision.
 
The footings for the support posts need to rest below frost depth on undisturbed soil. If close to the building the undisturbed soil you bear on cannot be closer to a previous excavation than a 45 degree angle from its' edge and depth... you can't perch on the edge of the old foundation hole excavation if that's making sense. Usually it's better if close to the house to set the new footings to the same depth as the house footings. Personal opinion but a 4x4 is something to support a mailbox, a 6x6 gives room to notch and support the rims of the landing on, generally not good to hang the rim on the side of a post but rather to set them in notches in the post. I'd call it a deck that happens to also be a landing and follow awc.org DCA6's methods.
 
bdubya24 said:
A support post (4×4, 6×6), to hold up the far side of the landing. One on each corner. A landing is not considered a deck because of size, so what rules apply for construction?
Click to expand...
A landing could also be a deck and a deck can be a landing . Construction methods and designs don't know the difference.
 
It's still a deck if it's an elevated, framed walking surface.

What's even more exciting is according to the grand-ol' 2011 National Electric Code that deck must have a receptacle outlet within its perimeter. Crazy...I know... Size specifically doesn't matter anymore.
 
I'd do concrete.. but i'ts a design decision. They can probably have a 7-3/4" drop to the landing (like a front door).. but that's a decision for the AHJ.
 
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