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JC522
08-03-2009, 01:45 AM
So as in previous thread I'm renovating and finishing up my attach double car garage. Out the door to the garage from the house you step onto a landing and then the steps run along the side of the garage. The problem is the stairs pretty much come right up to the hood of my other car. If I park the car back a bit more, it might not clear the bay door, so every time I park my car in the garage I have to squeeze behind the car or step over the hood and use the railing for help so I don't face plant.

My question is, is it up to code if I take the landing out and just put the stairs right to my door, that should give me 37" of extra space. The landing is 37" wide and the run of the stairs is about 36". If I take out the landing is it possible to use preconstructed stair stringers such as this and just bolt it up to the wall underneath my door (4 step stringer). If so how do I secure the bottom of the stringers where it contacts the garage cement floor

http://totem.ca/images/product/107-032.jpg

JC522
08-03-2009, 02:37 AM
Forgot the landing is about a step lower then the door so it would be 5 steps

sputnik
08-03-2009, 06:28 AM
Originally posted by JC522
If so how do I secure the bottom of the stringers where it contacts the garage cement floor


Why?

Are you scared that your stairs will defy gravity and float away?

Davetronz
08-03-2009, 11:54 AM
I'm pretty sure this isn't code.

I have a 1 foot step down into my outdoor detached garage. When I had it inspected, he was going to "fail" me because I only had 1 step, 12" in width.

He made me extend this 1 step about 3x the length (around 36"). That was my ONLY code violation on my entire bloody garage.

Apparently there are rules on how big your landing has to be which depends on height from ground and number of steps...

I don't know the exact code, but I'm sure you could obtain it online or give 311 a call to be routed to the correct dept/person.

FiveFreshFish
08-03-2009, 12:48 PM
The first step out of the house is the first step down. There is no landing.

JC522
08-03-2009, 03:29 PM
I'm pretty sure it's a landing, here's the pictures of my garage

http://i1013.photobucket.com/albums/af253/jc522/DSC01257.jpg

http://i1013.photobucket.com/albums/af253/jc522/DSC01258.jpg

http://i1013.photobucket.com/albums/af253/jc522/DSC01259.jpg

FiveFreshFish
08-03-2009, 03:38 PM
Originally posted by JC522
I'm pretty sure it's a landing, here's the pictures of my garage
Yes, you have a landing.



Originally posted by FiveFreshFish
The first step out of my house is the first step down. There is no landing.
Clarified. Sorry for the confusion.

JC522
08-03-2009, 03:41 PM
as you can see it's a tight squeeze, it sucks bringing groceries in from the other car. Behind the car pictured, the rear bumper is just close enough to the bay door to let the hinges pass through without scratching the bumper.

FiveFreshFish
08-03-2009, 03:45 PM
Originally posted by JC522
[b]My question is, is it up to code if I take the landing out and just put the stairs right to my door, that should give me 37" of extra space. The landing is 37" wide and the run of the stairs is about 36". If I take out the landing is it possible to use preconstructed stair stringers such as this and just bolt it up to the wall underneath my door (4 step stringer). If so how do I secure the bottom of the stringers where it contacts the garage cement floor


Shouldn't be a problem to remove the landing. As long as you have a handrail if you have 3 or more steps, you should be fine. No need to attach the stairs to the concrete.

mo_money2supe
08-03-2009, 03:48 PM
Could you not just simply keep the landing and move the stairs to the side of the landing (ie. to the left of the door)?

JC522
08-03-2009, 03:58 PM
nope there's a push out there from the house so I can't move the stairs over there either

http://i1013.photobucket.com/albums/af253/jc522/DSC01260.jpg

Z_Fan
08-03-2009, 04:10 PM
Yeah that's some bad design there...

logix
08-03-2009, 08:00 PM
From the National Building Code of Canada:
9.8.6.2
Required Landings

1)Except as provided in sentences (2) and (4) and Sentence 9.9.6.6.(2), a landing shall be provided
a)at the top and bottom of each flight of interior and exterior stairs, including stairs in garages,
b)at the top and bottom of every ramp with a slop greater than 1 in 50
c)where a doorway opens onto a stair or ramp,
d)where a ramp opens onto a stair, and
e)where a stair opens onto a ramp.

2)Where a door at the top of a stair within a dwelling unit swings away from the stair, no landing is required between the doorway and the stair

3)A landing may be omitted at the top of an exterior flight serving a secondary entrance to a single dwelling unit, not including entrances from attached garages, provided
a)the stair does not contain more than 3 risers,
b)the principal door is a sliding door or swings away from the stair, and
c)only a storm or screen door, if any, swings over the stair and is equipped with hardware to hold it open.



and this is something i pulled off the net haha:

Sentence 9.8.6.2.(3) then states that a landing may also be omitted on exterior stairs provided there are no more than 3 risers and the door swings away from the stair (unless there is a screen or storm door with a hold-open device). However, a change that was introduced to Sentence (3) in the Alberta Building Code 2006 makes it very clear that this exemption does not apply to a flight of stairs between an attached garage and the associated dwelling unit.

The rationale behind requiring the landing is that a door between a garage and an attached dwelling unit requires a self-closing device, as provided in Sentence 9.10.13.15.(1), and a hazard exists where such a door opens directly onto a flight of stairs. The door could swing closed and impact a child or an individual with impaired mobility, thereby causing the child or individual to fall down the stairs.

JC522
08-03-2009, 08:39 PM
Great thanks, I called 311 and they gave me a diff number to call but they were closed.

So section 1 says I need a landing, I don't qualify for section 2 because the stairs aren't within the dwelling unit (is garage considered dwelling unit?), and section 3 says I need a landing. So Basically I'm shit out of luck and gotta deal with the landing?

em2ab
08-03-2009, 10:17 PM
Why even bother? It's your house, take it out if you don't want it.

88CRX
08-03-2009, 10:32 PM
The code just recently changed.... used to be ok without a landing, now one will be required.

Probably should actually read up on it one of these days.

JC522
08-03-2009, 11:25 PM
hmm this is becoming a headache trying to stay up to code because i'm getting another suv soon and won't have that teg there. The teg sits about 3.5 inches off the ground so hopping over the hood isn't too much of a hassle right now but with another suv there (if it fits) I can't hop over the hood anymore

FiveFreshFish
08-03-2009, 11:28 PM
Originally posted by 88CRX
The code just recently changed.... used to be ok without a landing, now one will be required.
Can you make the landing the size of one or two stair treads, or is there a minimum size specified?


Originally posted by em2ab
Why even bother? It's your house, take it out if you don't want it.
True. When it's time to sell, build the landing to code if it's required at that time.

FiveFreshFish
08-04-2009, 12:02 AM
Originally posted by JC522
hmm this is becoming a headache trying to stay up to code because i'm getting another suv soon and won't have that teg there. The teg sits about 3.5 inches off the ground so hopping over the hood isn't too much of a hassle right now but with another suv there (if it fits) I can't hop over the hood anymore

Just thought of three alternatives if you want to keep your existing landing somewhat intact.

1. Move the handrail to the right side so you don't need to hop over it.

2. Remove the far half of the landing (the part in the corner) and install two or three corner stairs. This reduces the staircase protrusion into the garage.

http://www.homedesignersoftware.com/support/images/486_Image7.jpg

http://www.fashioncarpet.com/images/gallery/Tight-corner-stairs-t.jpg

http://www.burnbankterrace.com/images/stairs.jpg

http://www.handpaintedkitchens.ie/images/sce/aredchairweb300.jpg



EDIT: Another possibility came to mind:

3. Drop the far half of the landing so it becomes a step itself such that your landing has two tiers. This is good if you don't like pie-shaped stairs and still reduces the staircase protrusion by one step.

http://www.anthonyshome.com/images/Deck%20Photos/The%20Deck%20-%20Stairs%20&%20Landing.JPG

5000Audi
08-04-2009, 12:20 AM
yeah id just rip it out, and build a few steps.. then if you ever decide to sell rebuild the landing.. so the next owner has to deal with it

sml
08-05-2009, 01:28 PM
Originally posted by FiveFreshFish

3. Drop the far half of the landing so it becomes a step itself such that your landing has two tiers. This is good if you don't like pie-shaped stairs and still reduces the staircase protrusion by one step.

http://www.anthonyshome.com/images/Deck%20Photos/The%20Deck%20-%20Stairs%20&%20Landing.JPG

:thumbsup: I was going to suggest the same thing! That should work as long as the distance from the edge of the door to the wall is greater than the length of the stairs that he currently has. If you choose this option, you should be able to reuse your stair case and just saw off part of the landing.

EDIT: Just noticed that your stair treads are routed in so, you might have to get new stair cases since the width won't match your landing width.