Door swing over stairs

[Matt Fellman]

I looked up in the code book and couldn't find the exact answer to this...

Obviously, doors can't swing over stairs.

How about a single stair or two stairs?

Just to keep it straight in my mind, is the following true?

A door must always swing over a surface level with the threshold?

[Jerry Peck]

This is the way to think of it:

A door requires a landing on *both sides* of the door and the landing is not allowed to be lower than 1-1/2" below the top of the threshold, except ... (see underlining below) ... and the door *is not* allowed to swing out over a stair ... (also except as noted below in bold)

From the 2006 IRC.

- R311.4.3 Landings at doors.

There shall be a floor or landing on each side of each exterior door. The floor or landing at the exterior door shall not be more than 1.5 inches (38 mm) lower than the top of the threshold. The landing shall be permitted to have a slope not to exceed 0.25 unit vertical in 12 units horizontal (2-percent).

- - Exceptions:

- - - 1. Where a stairway of two or fewer risers is located on the exterior side of a door, other than the required exit door, a landing is not required for the exterior side of the door provided the door, other than an exterior storm or screen door does not swing over the stairway.
- - - 2. The exterior landing at an exterior doorway shall not be more than 73/4 inches (196 mm) below the top of the threshold, provided the door, other than an exterior storm or screen door does not swing over the landing.
- - - 3. The height of floors at exterior doors other than the exit door required by Section R311.4.1 shall not be more than 73/4 inches (186 mm) lower than the top of the threshold.
- - The width of each landing shall not be less than the door served. Every landing shall have a minimum dimension of 36 inches (914 mm) measured in the direction of travel.

[Matt Fellman]

Thanks JP... that's just what I was looking for.