Stairs - what is allowed

[A_Novice]

Hi guys,

Would someone in the know tell me if these two layouts would be allowed.

The first shows an open entry in the a downstairs loo. This opening would be very close to the bottom of the stairs.

The second is the stairs on the first floor. Was thinking of having a one step down landing so as you go up the stairs you end up on a landing with one step up to the left and one step up to the right into the new bedroom. With this layout do you then have to have another landing going into the bedroom on the right?

Or can it just be the width of the wall as shown.

Thanks in advanced for everyones help.

 

[Nakajo]

New build? Refurbishment?

 

[A_Novice]

Sorry yeah an extension onto an existing house. Current stairs wind left at the top so trying to sort the best and neatest way to access a new bedroom on the right hand side over garage.

 

[Nakajo]

Well, you see these kinds of arrangements all the time in domestic properties - but why not run it past Building Control?

 

[garyo]

Wasn't there a very similar thread to this last month, where someone ended up with a neat looking arrangement involving a pair of diagonal steps?

 

[tony1851]

Both those layouts are compliant without any modification.

 

[wessex101]

We've had this type of query numerous times and it boils down to the interpretation of what is the stair flight.

Some people seem to think the flight finished at the quarter landing so the 2 steps at the top are not part of the flight and do not need a landing.

Personally I take the view that the 2 steps and quarter landing are all part of the flight so the doorway into the extension would need a landing. That is just my preference as I think a doorway opening directly onto a step is really naff and bloody dangerous.

 

[^woody^]

At the last count there were 3,700,004 semi's in the UK with side extensions knocked through off the 1/4 landing or kite winders.

 

[RichA]

Can’t you squeeze another step in thus doing away with the quarter landing?

 

[A_Novice]

This design has brought the stairs forward towards the front door by 2 steps. Could move it the full 3 steps and completely unwind the winder but then it eats more into the hallway and a chunk of the box room upstairs as the head room needs rejigging.

Apologies if this is a slight repeat of a previous post on the subject

 

[lt8480]

If the stairs is existing it usually allowed no problems. But as you are changing the stairs they may be more strict. But if limited by space the BCO will usually allow it.

The door on the step is the worst part.

also consider the more you move that stairs forward the worse that bulkhead gets over the stairs.

 

[tony1851]

The door on the step is the worst part.

Personally I'm not so sure about that. I read somewhere recently that (in a dwelling) a door over a step can improve safety because it makes you stop to actually open the door, so giving you more opportunity to realize that there is actually a step (as compared with a single isolated step on a long landing).

 

[lt8480]

Personally I'm not so sure about that. I read somewhere recently that (in a dwelling) a door over a step can improve safety because it makes you stop to actually open the door, so giving you more opportunity to realize that there is actually a step (as compared with a single isolated step on a long landing).

Agree that would make sense on a long landing and the door is commonly kept closed. But this is a quarter step in a domestic house on a door likely to be often left open.

The only time a step in a door threshold seems okay to me is when it's an entrance/exit door to a dwelling, like you sometimes see in entrance door to an upper flats in a victorian conversion, or a step out onto a terrace.

Of course ideally no single steps would be best, but if the only option and also mirrored by a single step on the opposite side I'd keep the non compliant element consistent on both sides at the top.