Design question.
We all know that sleeping rooms (that’s the code wording) need egress. But what would you say for a room that has mixed use? It’s an office, but provides overflow sleeping. Or an exercise or sewing room that you just know will get a regular or Murphy bed?
Would you make sure all of these mixed use rooms have full egress, which is not always practical, or label them as a “office” and let it be? In the case I’m wrestling with, it’s an older couple with no kids, so there’s definitely no regular occupant of any of the other rooms.
Replies
Jim, seems like if you are clear in all your drawings that it is an office, then egress requirements wouldn't apply. Clearest if the room has no closet.
Add a closet and label it office / "guest room" or "overflow sleeping" and it ought to have egress.
It can be helpful to clarify to the clients what you can do (juggle spaces around, increase/decrease the overall size, etc) and what you can't do (spec a bedroom with only one way out). You and the client are working together to comply wtih codes and have a liveable, affordable design. Don't end up in a role of being the client's advocate to skirt the codes.
I have put in rooms with occassional sleeping use that didn't meet egress requirements. But there were windows to jump out of, even if a SCBA-equipped firefighter wouldn't have fit through that window.
I would say, for your own peace of mind, if you know the room could be used as a sleeping room, plan for egress.
Even if you could skirt the code issue what would you do and how would you feel if the older couple was stuck in that room and could not, under their own power, navigate through the rest of the house or to another room with egress, and the rescue personnel were hindered by, say, a clerestory or undersized window.
A window sized up to meet the egress requirements should not be a challenge to provide in any room.
>A window sized up to meet the egress requirements should not be a challenge to provide in any room.
Except one completely interior. :)
This started out like one of those puzzles where you move the pieces around till you have the picture you want. Well, I set the master suite, and the kitchen, and some other rooms, and put a theater room fully interior, and then I blinked and saw this one multi-use room left and just an interior space left for it. Damn. Small residence, so not lots of wiggle room, and all other exterior walls covered. Double damn. Guess I'll start over.
Sounds like quite a pickle.
I'm no expert on codes, but couldn't the 2nd means of egress be a 2nd door instead of a window? Is that a possibility?Avoid suspicion: when your're walking through your neighbor's melon patch, don't tie your shoe. (Chinese proverb)
Unless I missed it, there's no exception for that.
Just a dumb oversight by me. Caught it before showing anyone, so no harm, no foul. Just trying to think of an easy alternative, be/c the plan meets all their other needs really well. Maybe I'll show it to them and let them help choose what gets moved to make room for egress...
But in addition to egress, isn't there a fenestration requirement for bedrooms? Or it that just a whole house thing?
It better be just an occassional sleeping place - no windows makes for a pretty gloomy room.David Thomas Overlooking Cook Inlet in Kenai, Alaska
Yeah, something like 8% of floorspace of a br has to be matched in glazing. But is a sleeping room a sleeping room if it's 99% office and 1% sleeping? 99.9? 80? I'll change it regardless...just kicking myself for missing something so obvious...
Other issues aside, one thing to consider in new projects is that it can't be counted as a bedroom if it doesn't meet egress and other requirements. And as such could effect the "official" bed count for the house, and in-turn overall value of the home. But you probably already thought about that.
As for egress windows, it's a bit of a sore subject with me. Not the concept, just the restrictivenes (is this a word?) of the requirements. Take for example a traditional double hung window. To meet egress requirments, the minimum size based on most manufacturers is in the 3 ft. wide by 5ft. tall range. This is absolutely rediculous! First it places the sill rediculously low such that you can't furnish in front of it. Second, it's a bit odd proportion. And last, it's way out of scale if you have small bedrooms.
Sure you can get a 4x4 slider to work, but then sliders don't fit every architectural style.
Sorry for the rant-and-rave, I just don't like being boxed-in to such a restriction...