A careless remodel

[Phillip Stojanik]

The back exterior patio at this house has been taken in as additional living space. The picture below is from the master bedroom. The only emergency escape and rescue openings for the room are now gone as a result.

Not shown in the pic is another bedroom with an exterior door that used to open onto the same exterior patio which is now interior living space.

[Bruce Breedlove]

What about the structure? Does the patio have a foundation adequate to support the roof and walls? Was the patio covered originally or was the roof added later?

[Joseph P. Hagarty]

Bedroom now has no Windows?

Openings are only into the Interior Living space of the Home (Doors / former Windows)?

[Richard Rushing]

It certainly appears that the re-modeler did not take out the necessary permits. I just cannot imagine a municipal code department overlooking this basic safety requirement.

Rich

[Jerry Peck]

While the EERO *IS* the 'most important' issue with regard to those closed up (effectively closed up to the outdoors) windows and doors, there are two other problems related to those windows and doors which no longer open to the great outdoors.

Natural light.

Natural ventilation.

Life safety (the EERO) comes first.

Safe life (natural light and ventilation) comes second.

[Joseph P. Hagarty]

Agreed with regard to light and ventilation in terms of a Bedroom.

Would the Space qualify as a Den / Office?

[Tim Moreira]

Jeff,

From the 03 IRC: (Bold is mine)

310.1 Emergency escape and rescue required.
Basements with habitable space and every sleeping room shall have at least one openable emergency escape and rescue opening. Where basements contain one or more sleeping rooms, emergency egress and rescue openings shall be required in each sleeping room, but shall not be required in adjoining areas of the basement. Where emergency escape and rescue openings are provided they shall have a sill height of not more than 44 inches (1118 mm) above the floor. Where a door opening having a threshold below the adjacent ground elevation serves as an emergency escape and rescue opening and is provided with a bulkhead enclosure, the bulkhead enclosure shall comply with Section 310.3. The net clear opening dimensions required by this section shall be obtained by the normal operation of the emergency escape and rescue opening from the inside. Emergency escape and rescue openings with a finished sill height below the adjacent ground elevation shall be provided with a window well in accordance with Section R310.2.


Each sleeping room must have the EERO (Emergency escape and rescue opening) in that room. You are not permitted to exit one room and enter another to get to your EERO.

Before the addition was added. It appeared that the bedrooms opened up onto the patio. Which was permitted. Once the patio was enclosed, the patio became a separate room and those EERO exits (which went onto the former patio) were gone.

They need to add an appropriately sized EERO in each of those bedrooms.

[Phillip Stojanik]

An appropriate Emergency Escape and Rescue Opening (EERO) in a residential dwelling goes from a bedroom/sleeping area directly to the outdoors without requiring any individual to traverse any other rooms or enclosed spaces.

That means that you, awaken from sleep and seeking an escape from your bedroom in an emergency situation, can get completely outside of the structure by walking/climbing through ONE appropriately designed portal (be it a door or window).

Conversely, someone risking their life trying to get in (during an emergency situation) in an effort to save your hapless butt should only have to risk themselves as far as walking/climbing through ONE appropriately designed portal (be it a door or window) in order to find and remove you from the emergency situation without being required to sacrifice themselves during the act.

This is the crux of the matter where the minimum building code is concerned. The individual occupant should not have to die within a perilous building and emergency response personnel should not have to die responding to the peril of that individual.

We are smarter than that in this day and age right?

[Jerry Peck]

Conversely, someone risking their life trying to get in (during an emergency situation) in an effort to save your hapless butt should only have to risk themselves as far as walking/climbing through ONE appropriately designed portal (be it a door or window) in order to find and remove you from the emergency situation without being required to sacrifice themselves during the act.


And, to add to the above ...

You only want ONE EERO between the rescuer/you and BACK OUTDOORS.

Once the rescuer enters a structure and starts searching for: A) more persons to rescue, and, B) THEIR WAY BACK OUT ... precious time is lost.