I am new to this and think I blew it when I wrote earlier!!
I have a contract to install three apartments over 3 businesses in a commercial building. I built the original a few years back and it was designed with the apartments in mind. The problem that I have is that the owner wants a floating floor now to keep the sound from the businesses. The apartments have the stairways installed for fire and access. I used 1″ dense foam between two sheets of plywood previously in a home and it worked great (It was part of the design) but to install the foam and plywood is going to cause problems with the top riser on the stairs. The inspector does not want any change in the rise. My answer so far has been that we have to do the stairways over—which will disturb the lower businesses. Any ideas?????
Replies
Happy,
What's on the floor now?
Also, what's on the stairs?
Joe Carola
AND THE REST THAT ANSWERED---THANKS!!!
I did not provide the full story very well---sorry!
There is 3/4" T & G subfloor in place glued and screwed for the floor at this time. The 1st floor ceiling is 10'. The existing stairways have dbl 5/8 fire rock on the bottom rails, are insulated, and are part of the storage space for the lower businesses. Change orders are no problem---just impacts to the lower businesses. I think that I will raise the base and the treads such that there are no changes at the top and use an epoxy concrete to build a slope at the bottoms. There is 5' of room at the bottom both on the river side and on the street side and (I'm on the Oregon coast) I 'need' drainage anyway. I think the inspector will let me have most of the 1-3/4" without a problem since it is not handicap and there are no frost problems. I worked out this from your answers and sure appreciate the help.
HAPPY---again!
Other than an elevator, you're stuck with changing the stairs or changing the owners mind. Therre may be other ways of confusing the sound waves.
http://soundproofing.org/
Excellence is its own reward!
If you have the floor space on the second floor where you can create a landing at the top of the stairs you may have a work-around for the rise problem. You'd have to run it by your inspector, however. With a large enough interim platform (the landing) you could then have a step up transition that is independent of the stairs and not subject to the exacting rules required of continuous stairs. Or maybe a mini-ramp? Also, no changes would be required to the stairs.
If you can't work that into the plan at the top, you might consider the same thing at the bottom. If there is sufficient space downstairs to create a transition landing, or mini-ramp, then whatever thickness you make your insulated upper floor you would retread the stairs that thickness as well as the platform or mini-ramp.
Ralph,
What I was going to tell Happy was that we had a similar situation on a fire job. The existing stairs from the first floor to the second floor were still good.
We had to raise the floors 1'. The oak floor guy cut the nosing back on all the treads flush and like you said he retreaded the stairs with oak treads and added a piece to the kicker and stained them.
Joe Carola
If I'm reading this right.......maybe a small landing...at the top of the stairs.....that stays the same elevation......then has a small step up to the new...higher..elevation?
Jeff.......Sometimes on the toll road of life.....a handful of change is good.......
If he really wants a floating floor....CONTRACT CHANGE ORDER. Tell him "Okay, can do, but we're gonna hafta tear out the stairway to accomodate you, and that cost is gonna hafta be borne by you." If then the business owner still wants it done...tear out and rebuild.
Sorry, but there is no "easy out" for your dilema. Too bad we all can't eliminate stairways in its entirety, and just say those magic words..."Beam me up Scotty!"
LOL.!"
Davo