residential egress

[Jim Baird]

Does a twin 30" patio door set meet residential egress?

[Jim Katen]

Yes, providing it just has normal hardware that people can operate without a tool, key, special knowledge, or special effort. 

[Chad Fabry]

Each of the doors must be operable if the door is the required egress door.

14 hours ago, Jim Baird said:

Does a twin 30" patio door set meet residential egress?

R311.2Egress door.

Not less than one egress door shall be provided for each dwelling unit. The egress door shall be side-hinged, and shall provide a clear width of not less than 32 inches (813 mm) where measured between the face of the door and the stop, with the door open 90 degrees (1.57 rad). The clear height of the door opening shall be not less than 78 inches (1981 mm) in height measured from the top of the threshold to the bottom of the stop. Other doors shall not be required to comply with these minimum dimensions. Egress doors shall be readily openable from inside the dwelling without the use of a key or special knowledge or effort.

[Chad Fabry]

Side-hinged.... there goes the drawbridge idea.

[Jim Baird]

Thanks guys.

Chad did not say yes or no.  Jim K. says yes, but Jim B. says no.  Patio set is two doors, not one.  Neither leaf when swung makes it.

[Jim Baird]

22 hours ago, Jim Katen said:

Yes, providing it just has normal hardware that people can operate without a tool, key, special knowledge, or special effort. 

Please define normal hardware.

[Marc]

I'd say that the inlaid deadbolts at top and bottom do not meet the egress requirement.

[Jim Katen]

13 hours ago, Jim Baird said:

Thanks guys.

Chad did not say yes or no.  Jim K. says yes, but Jim B. says no.  Patio set is two doors, not one.  Neither leaf when swung makes it.

Nothing in the code requires the door to have only one leaf. Double doors are used for egress in multifamily all the time. 

[Jim Katen]

1 hour ago, Marc said:

I'd say that the inlaid deadbolts at top and bottom do not meet the egress requirement.

Why not? Nothing in the code rules them out. I see egress doors with deadbolts and, indeed, multiple deadbolts often. Is having them inset in the stile really that much of a barrier to egress ? 

[BADAIR]

my 2¢

dimension depends on ahj & code used @ time of construction to determine

cabo 1992 1&2 dwelling modeled by the early versions of irc as i understand call them exit doors

SECTION R-211-DOORS AND HALLWAYS

The required exit door shall be a side-hinged door not less than 3 feet in width and 6 feet 8 inches in height. Other exterior hinged or sliding doors shall not be required to comply with these minimum dimensions.

The minimum width of a hallway or exit access shall be not less than 3 feet.

dimension was later reduced in Chad's citation to 32" clear width opening

i believe Marc is speaking of top/bottom throw bolts or similar...not all are readily accessible & may require special knowledge, (often do not align properly or function as intended...no bearing on width)

https://www.google.com/search?q=double+door+throw+bolts&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-1

 

 

Edited June 29, 2018 by BADAIR

[Jim Baird]

Patio sets usually have both head and foot bolts to keep one side inactive.  I would say not everyone in a house knows how to operate those.  Everyone knows how to turn a doorknob.

 

 

[Marc]

10 hours ago, Jim Katen said:

Why not? Nothing in the code rules them out. I see egress doors with deadbolts and, indeed, multiple deadbolts often. Is having them inset in the stile really that much of a barrier to egress ? 

Where I'm from, those head and foot bolts are difficult and sometimes impossible to open.  That's not good when there's a roaring fire and stampede of folks coming up behind you.  I believe an AHJ would rule that way.