Door at top of loft stairs - building regulations?

zoothornrollo_2

So my builder reckons we cannot have a door opening off the top stair - even if it opens into the room. With the result that we are having to construct a landing with an extra stud wall that takes a chunk out of the room.
But I cannot find this code, only that a door cannot open over the stair? So

DominicH

Page 19 of this PDF?

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/8393/2077370.pdf

Landings for stairs

1.16 At the top and bottom of every flight, provide landings as shown in Diagram 6.

steeeb

That diagram seems to only apply when the doors are opening onto the landing (there must be 400mm between where it opens and the stairs).

Doesn't seem to suggest anything is required if the door isn't opening onto the landing?

Gloomendoom

steeeb wrote: »

That diagram seems to only apply when the doors are opening onto the landing (there must be 400mm between where it opens and the stairs).

Doesn't seem to suggest anything is required if the door isn't opening onto the landing?

It requires a landing at the top of the stairs. If the stairs finish at a door, there is no landing.

martinsurrey

steeeb wrote: »

That diagram seems to only apply when the doors are opening onto the landing (there must be 400mm between where it opens and the stairs).

Doesn't seem to suggest anything is required if the door isn't opening onto the landing?

you are reading a bit too favorably.

EVERY flight of stairs needs a landing, per 1.16, and that landing must conform to diagram 6

Diagram 6 tells you that the landing must be ATLEAST 1 step width deep.

diagram 7 tells you that if a door opens onto the landing (from diagram 6), that the door must open no closer than 400mm from the top of the steps.

you cannot get away from having a landing.

Rain_Shadow

zoothornrollo wrote: »

So my builder reckons we cannot have a door opening off the top stair - even if it opens into the room. With the result that we are having to construct a landing with an extra stud wall that takes a chunk out of the room.
But I cannot find this code, only that a door cannot open over the stair? So

A door that opens directly on to a flight of stairs sounds very risky to me regardless of regulations to prevent it.

Doozergirl

If it's that bad, put the door at the bottom of the stairs instead!

martinsurrey

Doozergirl wrote: »

If it's that bad, put the door at the bottom of the stairs instead!

but note that the landing requirement is the same for the top and bottom, so the door has to be 1 step width away from the bottom step and open outwards (or inwards no closer than 400mm).

zoothornrollo_2

DominicH wrote: »

Page 19 of this PDF?

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/8393/2077370.pdf

Landings for stairs

1.16 At the top and bottom of every flight, provide landings as shown in Diagram 6.

Ah, thank you, that would be it.

zoothornrollo_2

Rain_Shadow wrote: »

A door that opens directly on to a flight of stairs sounds very risky to me regardless of regulations to prevent it.

Yet somehow houses up and down the land managed with them for centuries...

zoothornrollo_2

Doozergirl wrote: »

If it's that bad, put the door at the bottom of the stairs instead!

Oh now I'd never thought of that, how silly of me.