Issue with new stairs (headroom clearance under 2m)

[ey143]

We need to have two new straight flight of stairs installed as part of our house renovations. The problem is, we want to avoid a winder or L shape and have a straight flight and to do so will require us to breach building regs by reducing our headroom clearance of an overhead RSJ by 1.85m to 1.9m instead of the 2m rule.

We have a private building regs inspector and I am wondering whether he will allow this. We have spoken to 3 different stairs company who said that due to our high GF to 1st floor height and our desire to have a certain number of steps and low pitch angulation so its not uncomfortable to walk up, it's going to be tight.

I will of course speak to our inspector but just wondering how best to pitch this to him to see if he will be flexible on this issue.

 

[^woody^]

The only person that can answer this is your inspector. The answer should be "no" as you have alternatives available.

 

[tony1851]

What section size is the steel beam?

 

[ey143]

Do you mean the depth of the beam?

 

[tony1851]

Do you mean the depth of the beam?

Yes; sometimes it's possible to cut a little off the depth of the beam, depending on the loading and where along the span of the beam the cut would need to be made (safer to cut at the end of the span rather than in the middle).

Aside from that, why stick strictly to the pitch advised by Building Regs (42°)? If this is part of a renovation by replacing existing stairs, you can go slightly above that. If it's an older house, the stairs can often be quite steep. If your new stairs are at a slightly lower pitch they would be safer, and you would be improving the situation, even if they didn't get down to 42°. Your inspector would not have reasonable grounds to refuse an improvement over the existing situation.

 

[^woody^]

I'm working on a new basement job where the owners previously excavated the basement down about 18" to gain additional ceiling height.

The original staircase was ripped out along with the old slab since it wouldn't reach the new lower floor. Currently, a set of Home Depot "special" stairs are installed as a temporary means of getting downstairs. The HO wants to replace these steps with a new staircase that would be very steep so that he doesn't hit his head on the way down. My preliminary calculations look like it's going to take an 11"+ riser and about an 8" tread to give this guy the headroom he wants. I think it's dangerous and way too steep see here. I'm pretty sure I'd need to get a variance to pass inspection. Other than reframing the stairwell (not an option) any suggestions on how to cut the stairs a safer way..

This is a UK site. We're not familiar with US regulations or practices.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

This is a UK site. We're not familiar with US regulations or practices.

WTF @^woody^ ?

 

[^woody^]

WTF @^woody^ ?

It was an attempted yank incursion, but I held the line just like at Bunker Hill.

Cup of tea?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Milk, no sugar, please - unless you have Earl Grey