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"Non-Accessible" Minimum Clear Floor Area?

radioatlas

Registered User
Joined
Sep 27, 2018
Messages
25
Location
North Carolina
In what code are minimum widths dictated for NON-accessible spaces? Example, we're working on a historic hotel renovation (with very tight spaces!) and are trying to figure out the minimum allowable distance between beds for our non-ADA compliant rooms?
 
To my knowledge there is no code-minimum distance between two beds (or any other furniture), assuming the room is "non-accessible" and assuming that the "walking" space between beds is not also part of some defined exit path-of-travel.
 
In what code are minimum widths dictated for NON-accessible spaces? Example, we're working on a historic hotel renovation (with very tight spaces!) and are trying to figure out the minimum allowable distance between beds for our non-ADA compliant rooms?
If non-accessible then why is this a concern?
 
International Property Maintenance Code, where adopted, provides some minimum room areas, and there are general requirements for 'habitable' spaces in the IBC. The IEBC may or may not send you there depending on the scope of the project and compliance path chosen.
 
Typically in the current IBC, a minimum size for a habitable room in new construction is 70 square feet (1208.3), with a minimum dimension of 7 feet in any direction (1208.1).
  • Thus, the narrowest habitable room would be 7'x10'.
  • Technically the smallest footprint of a habitable room would be a circular space of just under 9.5' diameter - - but on a practical basis, it wouldn't be very usable.
If you are able to utilize the historic building code, you may be able to "grandfather" rooms smaller than this.
 
Typically in the current IBC, a minimum size for a habitable room in new construction is 70 square feet (1208.3), with a minimum dimension of 7 feet in any direction (1208.1).
  • Thus, the narrowest habitable room would be 7'x10'.
  • Technically the smallest footprint of a habitable room would be a circular space of just under 9.5' diameter - - but on a practical basis, it wouldn't be very usable.
If you are able to utilize the historic building code, you may be able to "grandfather" rooms smaller than this.

Wilt Chamberlain had a bedroom with a wall to wall water bed at floor level (smiling). Can a water bed be a floor?
 
Wilt Chamberlain had a bedroom with a wall to wall water bed at floor level (smiling). Can a water bed be a floor?

Wilt almost fit into lot of small spaces.

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