# Landings at doors



## alaskajoe (Dec 19, 2019)

Door going from an apartment at top of interior stairs to door going to outside at bottom of stairs in an enclosed stairway. Door gong to outside has a landing at both sides. Does the door at the top of the stairs need a landing in the stairway as the door swings in and not over the stairs? Other means of egress are a door going out to a second story deck and an egress window from sleeping room.


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## rogerpa (Dec 19, 2019)

*2015 IRC
R311.3 *Floors and landings at exterior doors.
*There shall be a landing or floor on each side of each exterior door.* The width of each landing shall be not less than the door served. Every landing shall have a dimension of not less than 36 inches (914 mm) measured in the direction of travel. The slope at exterior landings shall not exceed 1/4 unit vertical in 12 units horizontal (2 percent).

*Exception:* Exterior balconies less than 60 square feet (5.6 m2) and only accessible from a door are permitted to have a landing less than 36 inches (914 mm) measured in the direction of travel.

*R311.3.1 *Floor elevations at the required egress doors.
Landings or finished floors at the required egress door shall be not more than 1-1/2 inches (38 mm) lower than the top of the threshold.

*Exception:* The landing or floor on the exterior side shall be not more than 7-3/4 inches (196 mm) below the top of the threshold provided the door does not swing over the landing or floor.
Where exterior landings or floors serving the required egress door are not at grade, they shall be provided with access to grade by means of a ramp in accordance with Section R311.8 or a stairway in accordance with Section R311.7.

*R311.3.2* Floor elevations for other exterior doors.
Doors other than the required egress door shall be provided with landings or floors not more than 7-3/4 inches (196 mm) below the top of the threshold.

*Exception: *A top landing is not required where a stairway of* not more than two risers *is located on the exterior side of the door, provided that the door does not swing over the stairway.


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## alaskajoe (Dec 19, 2019)

We are still in 2012 IRC and under R311.7.6 Exception:A floor or landing is not required at the top of an interior flight of stairs, including stairs in an enclosed garage, provided the door door not swing over the stairs. They might have got rid of that exception in 2015. I was wondering if it mattered that this was the exit from the apartment, but not an exterior door.


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## steveray (Dec 19, 2019)

You say "apartment"?...2 family?


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## linnrg (Dec 19, 2019)

I would say the apartment door should have a landing at the top of the stairs.  The exception was for going into basements, cellars and small sets of stairs into garage areas


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## alaskajoe (Dec 19, 2019)

It is an apartment but underneath is a garage and the other dwelling is separated by a vertical wall. That is why I asked this question as I kind of agree with linnrg because these stairs are the exit from the apartment to the outside even though it is not an exterior door. Yet it is unclear as to why the exception was created.


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## ADAguy (Dec 20, 2019)

The difference appears to be "within ones own space" vs egressing to the exterior. A visitor needs to egress without tripping while the tenant is expected to be familiar with his own unit.


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## alaskajoe (Dec 20, 2019)

Still not sure. I guess it is up to the AHJ then to call it. As the owner could say under the exception and this is an interior stair he doesn't need a landing. Plans did not show a landing but then again they didn't show a door.


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## rogerpa (Dec 21, 2019)

I'm having trouble envisioning how these stairs are located.
Are they:

Enclosed within the footprint of the building?
Enclosed down the outside of the building?
Enclosed perpendicular to the building (like a tongue)?
Is the enclosure conditioned?
A sketch showing the upper door in relation to the stairs would be helpful.

IRC Section R311 was amended in 2009 and again in 2012. The Section tended to be circular in nature (requiring landings, but not requiring landings).

*2012 IRC
R311.3* Floors and landings at exterior doors. *There shall be
a landing or floor on each side of each exterior door.* The width
of each landing shall not be less than the door served. Every
landing shall have a minimum dimension of 36 inches (914
mm) measured in the direction of travel. Exterior landings shall
be permitted to have a slope not to exceed 1/4 unit vertical in 12
units horizontal (2-percent).
*Exception:* Exterior balconies less than 60 square feet (5.6
m2) and only accessible from a door are permitted to have a
landing less than 36 inches (914 mm) measured in the direction
of travel.
*R311.3.1* Floor elevations at the required egress doors.
*Landings or floors at the required egress door shall not be
more than 1-1/2 inches (38 mm) lower than the top of the
threshold.

Exception:* *The exterior landing or floor shall not be
more than 7-3/4 inches (196 mm) below the top of the
threshold provided the door does not swing over the
landing or floor.*
When exterior landings or floors serving the required
egress door are not at grade, they shall be provided with
access to grade by means of a ramp in accordance with Section
R311.8 or a stairway in accordance with Section R311.7.

*R311.3.2* *Floor elevations for other exterior doors. Doors
other than the required egress door shall be provided with
landings or floors not more than 7-3/4 inches (196 mm) below
the top of the threshold.

Exception:* A landing is not required where a stairway of
two or fewer risers is located on the exterior side of the
door, provided the door does not swing over the stairway.

*R311.3.3* Storm and screen doors. Storm and screen doors
shall be permitted to swing over all exterior stairs and landings.













;

within the footprint of the building?


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## alaskajoe (Dec 23, 2019)

1. Within the footprint of the building
Enter through an exterior door with a landing on both sides of door. Proceed up 4 risers to another landing and take a 90 degree turn up another flight of stairs to a door at the top of the stairs. The last riser enters the apartment with the door swinging into the apartment. Conditioned space.


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## alaskajoe (Dec 23, 2019)

alaskajoe said:


> 1. Within the footprint of the building
> Enter through an exterior door with a landing on both sides of door. Proceed up 4 risers to another landing and take a 90 degree turn up another flight of stairs to a door at the top of the stairs. The last riser enters the apartment with the door swinging into the apartment. Conditioned space.


2012 R311.7.6 Exception


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