Stair width to area over kitchen

KevMayo88 · 09-04-2023 04:25PM #1

Hi,

We are putting in a little area over our open plan kitchen- a small place where you could sit and have a coffee etc and look down over the kitchen. Our architect ha come back to us us and shown a massive stairs to this place- he has it 900mm wide with steps 225mm wide. We think this is complete overkill. The area is only a small part over the kitchen and not to a first floor. Surely there is a far smaller stair width that could go here? I am looking online at some prefabricated timber or even spiral stairs I could get that are a fraction of the size.

Lumen · 10-04-2023 07:40AM

I believe the relevant building regulation is TGD K 2014 which specifies a minimum width of 800mm and also specifies rise, going and gait (and other things like guarding).

It is the professional duty of the architect to design things which are compliant with building regs.

I don't believe fire regs are relevant in a dwelling, but I could be wrong about that.

Here's a summary:

https://www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/100541/cef78564-31b1-4475-aa01-b400b0527388.pdf

sydthebeat · 10-04-2023 08:44AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058291715/stair-width-to-area-over-kitchen

1. That's not a massive stairs at all. 225 for the going is bare minimum.

2. A spiral stairs takes up a lot more space than you'd think. That also needs to comply with regulations. ie a 700mm wide spiral stairs will taken up a circle 1.5 meters diameter. Depending on your layout a straight stairs may be more beneficial.

3. There are "loft"stair regulations that you may be able to argue, if you don't plan on using the space as habitable, bit it's sounds like you do want to use it as habitable area.

@Lumen Fire regulations absolutely do apply to dwelling houses.

To the OP, The architect is correct to design in accordance with regulations, and if you wish to do something which isn't in accordance with regs, no body will sign off on it

Lumen · 10-04-2023 09:50AM

> @Lumen Fire regulations absolutely do apply to dwelling houses.

@sydthebeat why does Table 3 in the link I posted not have anything about fire regs (Part B) like Table 1 and 2 ?

Penn · 10-04-2023 09:57AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120460945#Comment_120460945

That's a Supplementary Guidance Document. Fire regs for stairs absolutely apply to dwelling houses, though Part B for dwelling houses generally refers back to the rules from Part K (Stairs) which covers the widths, risers etc for stairs in dwellings.

sydthebeat · 10-04-2023 10:19AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120460945#Comment_120460945

Because fire regulations have to do with a lot more than just the actual stair design.

Penn · 10-04-2023 12:36PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120461030#Comment_120461030

Particularly when it comes to proximity to a kitchen with cooking appliances, direction of stairs, distance to an exit, protection of support for the structure etc. The stair widths are the least of the design issues.

Bracken81 · 12-04-2023 01:45PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120460771#Comment_120460771

100%

The stairs sounds like its bare minimum standards, albeit 100mm wider than 800mm min., but a 900mm wide stairs would still be very tight

And spiral staircases are horrific to use on a daily basis

KevMayo88 · 12-04-2023 03:24PM

Thanks for the advice all- we are not doing it before sign off, but once architect has signed off, we willbe installing a 600mm wide alternate thread stairs- takes up a fraction of the architects stairwell footprint so happy days.

Stair width to area over kitchen

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