No door on loft bedroom. Solution?

supa34

Hi. I have a bedroom in the loft with no door on it. On searching online it says it’s because of building regulations. You need a landing minimum width of stairs for a door to open onto. 

Can any advice what’s the best solution? 

A heavy curtain has been suggested but I don’t know about safety aspect of it. 

Thank you in advance. 

user1977

supa34 said:

Hi. I have a bedroom in the loft with no door on it. On searching online it says it’s because of building regulations. You need a landing minimum width of stairs for a door to open onto. 

Does it otherwise comply with building regulations? I would have thought you needed a door separating the loft room from downstairs (possibly at the bottom of the stairs if not at the top) for fire protection. If it's already breaching building regs then I'm not sure how adding a door is going to make it any worse...

ProDave

Pictures or a sketch of the floor plan would help people make suggestions.

pumas

Bi-fold door

Section62

pumas said:

Bi-fold door

The minimum requirement isn't about space for the door to open onto, rather is is space for the person to understand/appreciate they are at the top/bottom of stairs and prepare to step up/down onto them.

The requirement is the same whether the door is conventional/bi-fold/sliding.

km1500

yes I can imagine someone opening the door, stepping out and falling straight down the stairs

Titus_Wadd

Could you have a door at the foot of the staircase up to the loft room?

theoretica

What is the problem you actually want a solution to?  Noise? Sightlines? People going up stairs without knocking?  Want to physically lock the loft for security?

supa34

user1977 said:

supa34 said:

Hi. I have a bedroom in the loft with no door on it. On searching online it says it’s because of building regulations. You need a landing minimum width of stairs for a door to open onto. 

Does it otherwise comply with building regulations? I would have thought you needed a door separating the loft room from downstairs (possibly at the bottom of the stairs if not at the top) for fire protection. If it's already breaching building regs then I'm not sure how adding a door is going to make it any worse...

It’s does meet building regulations as it was built 100 years before building regulations existed. 

Old Victorian three storey house with open spiral staircase 

supa34

The main purpose is to keep the heat in the room and stop toddler falling down the stairs. 

It’s a Victorian house with wide spiral open staircase. So can’t put a door at bottom and can’t put one on top unless you have a landing partitioned out on bedroom. Was hoping there was a simpler easier solution. 

ProDave

Child gate and curtain at top of stairs.