I read the article pertaining to ways to reduce cost and loss of energy within your home. In this article there were many suggested ways to save on energy. For instance something as simple as making sure that your home is well insulated can save you a great deal of money. Good insulation in a home is a good way to make sure that you don’t have to overwork utilities such as your heating and air which can be quite expensive to fix should they
As you can tell from the picture I have attached to this essay, I have chosen a set of stairs that do not meet normal safety standards. This stairway has excessive amount of rot along with an extensive list of other deficiencies.
The attached picture indicates the main egress point for this home. The door itself is not code compliant as the width is 35 1/2" compared to the required 36", but does meet height requirements of 6’-8". The step has a height of 4/12" that meets requirements. The door way leads into a hall that is 48" and thus meets requirements.
Article: Stairway Inspection:
This is a short article that provides bullet points indicating the main safety requirements needed for a stairwell and what needs to be inspected at the time of inspection. It also gives added points that can be given to the client to help in traversing stairways safely.
All handrails for staircases should be graspable and secure. The picture noted above shows a loose railing system that could cause an injury if not properly secure to the wall. Recommend a professional repair by tightening the screws in the wall.
The image in the InterNachi gallery labelled Child Safety shows how crucial regulations of stair cases can be. A child’s head, or even an adult’s head could fit between two railing pickets or underneath the railing system, but above the staircase causing injury.
These stairs have 7 1/2 inch risers all the way down to the bottom where the last riser is 8 1/2 inches so I would call that out. There is no railing on the stairs. There is only one light on the mid platform limiting the light in both directions. The winder steps are not 10 inches wide at the 12 inch mark.The risers are open and more than 4 inch openings. I would call out all these problems as safety concerns so they get priority attention.
Basement egress window taught me the clearances for the window opening min 20X24",sill height, 44", depth of well Min. 3X3’ Height of well before needing a ladder, 44", ladder needing 3.5 inches toe space with 12 inch rungs not more than 4.5 inches out from wall, and if covered must not be locked or complicated to open easily. I have rarely seen an escape window well that meets all the paramaters…
As you can see by the photo, this exterior door configuration is acceptable for all exterior doors with the exception of the exterior egress door. The egress door would have to meet exception #1 to the 3’ x 3’ landing rule to be in compliance.
After completing the training course book, watching the training video and reading articles on egress I was surprised to learn that there is a difference between the allowable openings in between balasters for stairway handrails versus deck handrails, I always assumed both were 4" max.
The automatic closure device does not close the door properly. This could allow a fire to enter the home. Recommend adjusting or replacing the hinges to allow for proper closure of the door. The door appears to be fire rated.
I learned that without approval of a structural engineer, trusses cannot be altered in any way. Altering trusses can have severe changes that can lead to critical failures and can impact the structural strength and integrity of the structure. Any trusses that appeared altered should be reported.
Howdy from Texas - Steve Chase - just starting the course. Just finished Safe Practices … very informative. Thanks
I have learned that the primary functions of a window well are for safety during an emergency exit and to prevent moisture damage to windows in a basement. The homeowners responsibilities include keeping window wells maintained and clear of debris and to prevent falls into the well by children and/or animals. Minimum measurements for the horizontal area of a window well are 9 square feet and a minimum horizontal projection and width of 36 inches. If the window well has a vertical depth that is greater than 44 inches, it is required to be equipped with a permanently affixed ladder or usable steps that are operable while the window is fully open.
After completing a visual inspection for the means of egress in a residential property, the main egress is operated by key from the inside, which is a safety hazard. This does not meet modern standards of emergency escape and requirement openings.
This Front door is actually main entry into a courtyard home, which is different because it opens up into an outdoor space, or “courtyard”. However since it is still the primary exit away from the structure it still has to meet emergency egress requirements. In this case the door was the minimum of 36" wide and 6’8" tall. The deadbolt was of the thumb-lock type so that conformed to modern requirements of an egress door. Although this is in Florida, so it is common for the door to swing outward, this door actually swung inward into the courtyard. Although it cannot be seen from this picture, the main entry door into the envelope of the homes main living area was in fact an outward swinging door. In Both cases the door swung out over a landing that was no more then 1 1/2 inches below the threshold.
Window well inspection:
Window Wells offer an egress point in the case of an emergency, they also provide natural light to areas that would otherwise be dark. In order to act as a proper emergency egress it must meet some requirements. The Egress window must be a minimum of 20" by 24" tall. It must open onto a window well that is a minimum of 9 sqft with 36" clearance wide and deep. If the well is more then 44" deep it must have a permanent ladder installed that does not project into the space more then 6", is at least 12" wide and has rungs not more then 18" apart.
This photo shows the main entrance to the home which is one of two egress doors. It is a side hinged door with compliant dimensions of 36 inches wide by 6 foot 8 inches high. The door does not swing over the landing that exceeds the 36 inch requirement. The landing is just 6 inches below the door threshold and compliance says it should be less than 7 and 3/4 inches.
Inspecting Bathroom exhaust fans. Exhaust fans are recommended for all bathrooms and water closets. They should never be exhausted directly in to attics crawlspaces or areas that would be recirculated into the residence. The warm moist air distributed by them con condense on cool attic an crawlspace framing and promote mold growth.
