Originally Posted by
Rick Hurst
In the homes in the Dallas area that I personally inspect, I'm not seeing windows in the theatre rooms. They are not bedrooms.
While they are not "bedrooms" they are "habitable spaces" and "habitable spaces" are required to have natural light and ventilation. Therein lies the problem. Put in windows to meet that requirement and you might push the room into the realm of being a bedroom. Do not put windows in and you are violating the code - even if the AHJ says it is okay to not put windows in - it is specifically against the IRC and the AHJ is not allowed to 'interpret' against the specifically written IRC ... says so in the IRC itself.
That said, I go for no windows in that room, to reduce the likelihood that it will someday become a bedroom, meaning 'it no longer looks like a duck', therefore it might not be a duck.