# Attic Access above stair



## mark handler (Jun 25, 2018)

Attic Access above stairway?
Never seen it, cant find anything in the codes about it?
thoughts?


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## cda (Jun 25, 2018)

As in you walk up the stairs from 1st flr to 2nd,,,

And the attic access is in the ceiling there??

Have seen it before 

Code does not specify where it can be, does it?

Some people are just not into looks.


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## mark handler (Jun 25, 2018)

yes above the stairs


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## tmurray (Jun 25, 2018)

Hope they got an extension ladder.

We don't have anything about it either. Pretty stupid though.


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## cda (Jun 25, 2018)

tmurray said:


> Hope they got an extension ladder.
> 
> We don't have anything about it either. Pretty stupid though.




I normally see attic access pull down stairs


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## tmurray (Jun 25, 2018)

Attics here in the great white north are generally not used for storage. It does something to that nice fluffy stuff that keeps us warm in the winter. I've never seen a set of attic pull down stairs on a project.


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## Sleepy (Jun 25, 2018)

I've seen that in an old building and I suspect it once was common.  I think that if the stair is required to be enclosed then the prohibition against using the enclosure for purposes other than necessary for the purpose of the shaft or enclosure would apply (IBC 2015 713.7.1 and 1023.4).


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## Francis Vineyard (Jun 25, 2018)

Similar construction assemblies would be IRC bulkhead enclosure stairway from basement and IBC trap door roof access.


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## north star (Jun 25, 2018)

*& * &*

As ***cda***  has mentioned, there is nothing in the Codes
that specifies a location.

The IRC DOES require attic access "if" there are appliances
up there  [  *RE:*  Section M1305.1.3, `09 IRC, aka a Scuttle  ].

These Scuttles can also be located in closets !.......Directly
above a staircase though ?......That is very bad planning &
use-ability to the homeowners........Not against Code, just
very bad consideration of the end users.

*& * &*


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## cda (Jun 25, 2018)

Normally see it on the landing



https://ixquick-proxy.com/do/spg/sh...esign.jpg&sp=cf8065af1fdc9618e6070f09b368d5b1


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## ICE (Jun 25, 2018)

Even small landings and use a step ladder.  I encountered one directly over the stairs and of course it drops so that you enter the stairs walking down the house stairs.  It was difficult to use and  with all of that, I could not get to the furnace from the access anyway.  I might have posted that here previously.


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## Rick18071 (Jun 26, 2018)

The worst pull down stair location I encountered was in a connected garage.


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## Glenn (Jul 6, 2018)

Access to the access...  I have a photo of a water heater directly in front of the sidewall access to the adjacent crawl space.  No access to the access (well, limited access).
These are codes that aren't supposed to need to be written.  Like the size of interior residential doors.


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## Francis Vineyard (Jul 12, 2018)

Glenn said:


> . . . . These are codes that aren't supposed to need to be written.  Like the size of interior residential doors.


Approved plans the other day, the door to the laundry room will be not more than 72-inches in height owing to a girder. To my knowledge a 30-inch width should work for most washer and dryers of 27-inches.

"Other doors shall not be required to comply with these minimum dimensions" ref. R311.2


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