• 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.

opening for two rooms to be one

Hello, I don't think this question ever got answered for Tyr , but I am in a similar situation. We are remodeling a basement, which is currently one large space. One wall of the basement has access to the outside via a standard doorway and two windows which meet fire egress requirements, while the other three walls in the basement have no openings. I wish to partition the basement into two separate spaces one half being kitchenette/dining area and the second half being a bedroom. The way I am planning the space would have the kitchenette in the front half where the windows and door is located and the back half being the bedroom where there are no windows/doors to the outside. I understand a bedroom has egress requirements directly to the outside for fire safety, but I would like to put up a wall to delineate the space between the bedroom and kitchen/dining area. What size opening would I need in the partitioned wall per code, so the bedroom has "enough" access to the kitchen/dining area to use their means of fire egress? Would a standard doorway with no door suffice?
 
The only way a "standard" door might suffice is if the house is fully sprinklered. Try to redesign it so one if the windows is in the bedroom, or else add an egress window and well.
 
Paul Sweet said:
The only way a "standard" door might suffice is if the house is fully sprinklered. Try to redesign it so one if the windows is in the bedroom, or else add an egress window and well.
Click to expand...
Hi Paul, thanks for the quick reply. It is not fully sprinklered and unfortunately, the best layout is the one I have proposed. I am curious how the code defines rooms? How large would that opening have to be for the code to see the bedroom/kitchen/dining area as "one room" and therefore allow the windows and doors in the kitchen/dining area as the bedroom means of fire egress. My point of reference would be a studio apartment, which has a partitioned bedroom, but is still considered one space with the rest of the house.
 
Code can't take into account all the different ways someone wants to parse the words. The intent must be understood, as well as the context of the situation. EERO requirements exist so that a person who sleeping and unaware of the hazards, thereby slow to react can exit the space without going through the area of the hazard, as well as offering a space large enough for safety personnel to enter (hence the "escape & rescue" part of EERO). The code assumes a room is a space with limited access, in this case used for the primary purpose of sleeping. I don't think you will find a blanket definition or parameters for this. It would be up to the AHJ, which is who you should be asking. If I were him, I would need to be able to see this as a studio type setting, without a door, and an opening big enough to make me feel like it is a part of the same room. Everyone will have a different opinion as to just what that is. My default is to think of myself answering the question in front of a jury of reasonable people. I would err on the side of caution. That is the world we live in.
 
Spot on response SIFU, yes a studio often has cooking and sleeping in the same area. Preferable for kitchen to be to the rear if no windows and bed closest to a window.
 
Somewhere in the code is a provision with respect to "borrowing" natural light and ventilation from an adjoining space....I believe the common wall needs to be 50% open. This though has no bearing on the egress you are asking about, but may be a start with discussion with ahj.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top