I sure could use some help with a floor-through combination (aka duplex). About 12 years ago I purchase 2 apts, each about 1,100 sq ft and had them combined. They were mirror images and the combination was pretty straightforward -- keep the 4 bedrooms, make a little office out of part of one of the kitchens, expand and open part of the wall to the other kitchen, and leave a large area for dining... [more]
I sure could use some help with a floor-through combination (aka duplex).
About 12 years ago I purchase 2 apts, each about 1,100 sq ft and had them combined. They were mirror images and the combination was pretty straightforward -- keep the 4 bedrooms, make a little office out of part of one of the kitchens, expand and open part of the wall to the other kitchen, and leave a large area for dining and living.
I just went into contract to purchase the apartment underneath one half of what I now have (i.e., one of the original two apts I combined).
I'm having a very difficult time finding the space and location for the stairs. I wanted to put a switchback ("U" shaped) staircase in the little office created -- it's about 92" x 82".
I had my architect bring a structural engineer who said he's 95% certain I can't put the stairs where I want them because the cut needed in the floor will be up against a column.
The building is 20 stories tall and the floors are concrete slab with rebar supporting and into the columns. The building was built in 1960 but the original structural plans are non-existent, so we can't verify this.
Then he said that wherever we make the cut, we will need to weld an iron frame around the hole to make up for the decrease in integrity of the concrete floor, and that will take up between 12 and 18", creating a need to make the hole that much larger.
I asked my architect about stair width and was told 36" is the minimum, but a spiral is okay. When I said that spirals are much narrower, I couldn't get an explanation as to why spirals are okay, but a 32" staircase, for example, wouldn't be.
I'm feeling quite stuck.
Does anyone know about cutting a hole near a support column for concrete slab floors?
Anyone know how wide a duplex staircase must be where there is a means of egress on each floor (the original apt door)?
Anyone have any other suggestions?
Thank you,
Joseph
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Response by flarf
about 13 years ago
Posts: 515
Member since: Jan 2011
Has anybody else in your building created a duplex? Obviously that would be a good place to start.
As far as stair widths, the 36" requirement is part of the building code, and it's there for safety. The code also mandates things like maximum/minimum stair rise and run dimensions. But as you learned, spiral stairs get some massive breaks. It makes about as much sense as some of the ADA rules for bathrooms.
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Has anybody else in your building created a duplex? Obviously that would be a good place to start.
As far as stair widths, the 36" requirement is part of the building code, and it's there for safety. The code also mandates things like maximum/minimum stair rise and run dimensions. But as you learned, spiral stairs get some massive breaks. It makes about as much sense as some of the ADA rules for bathrooms.
Anyway, I had bookmarked this guy when I was doing my research for my own duplex renovation, but never used him: http://www.jamesanzalone.com/index.html
He seemed to have a better than average knowledge of the code nuances. Good luck.
flarf: I'm gathering a list of other duplexes in the complex and we're checking out what they've done.
Just so I'm absolutely clear, minimum width for interior, non-egress stairs for a duplex apt is 36"?
But a 26" wide step spiral is just fine?
So this is just one of those 'it doesn't make sense' rules?
Thanks!