Query on minimum number of steps between levels in a split level house

CelicaGT

Hi Guys, I thought I read somewhere that you need a minimum of 2 steps now between floor levels within a split level new dwelling which makes since as it's safer but I can't seem to find the regulations where this was written. Did I just imagine it or could ye point me in the right direction to where that info is?

Gumbo

No minimum requirements.
You do however, need to have an accessible habitable room and toilet at entrance level.

CelicaGT

Thanks Kceire, I don't know where I came across that so I thought I'd ask- it must be uk regs or something or other.

368100

kceire wrote: »

No minimum requirements.
You do however, need to have an accessible habitable room and toilet at entrance level.

Do you know by any chance when this requirement was introduced?

Gumbo

368100 wrote: »

Do you know by any chance when this requirement was introduced?

I was never aware of the rule in the first place to be honest.
I have designed, certified, inspected and signed off dwellings with split levels in the past. Never once occurred to me that a minimum amount of steps were required.

TGD K would give advice on the height and going of said Steo, but not a min / max within a dwelling as per this example.

TGD M would be different, particularly for buildings other than dwellings.



BIG EDIT : It just occurred to me that you may be talking about the accessible room. It’s Part M requirement for as long as I remember.

368100

kceire wrote: »

I was never aware of the rule in the first place to be honest.
I have designed, certified, inspected and signed off dwellings with split levels in the past. Never once occurred to me that a minimum amount of steps were required.

TGD K would give advice on the height and going of said Steo, but not a min / max within a dwelling as per this example.

TGD M would be different, particularly for buildings other than dwellings.



BIG EDIT : It just occurred to me that you may be talking about the accessible room. It’s Part M requirement for as long as I remember.

Yep it's the accessible room/toilet im referring to, sorry I should have been clearer. So would this would have been the requirement going back 10 years at least?

Gumbo

368100 wrote: »

Yep it's the accessible room/toilet im referring to, sorry I should have been clearer. So would this would have been the requirement going back 10 years at least?

2007????
I’d have to root out the older Regulations. Deffo 2010 onwards.

368100

kceire wrote: »

2007????
I’d have to root out the older Regulations. Deffo 2010 onwards.

2010 onwards answer my question thanks. Reason I ask is that i had house plans done in late 2010 and went through planning in December 2010. Split level house but no toilet at entrance level, it's up two steps. Due to economy I didn't process at time but i got extension if duration in 2015 and im planning on building this year.
Architect made a number of mistakes in plans along with being generally hard to deal with not returning phone calls etc.....a lesson not to take on a friend of the family for doing work like that.
Ive an engineer on board now guiding me through current regs and thankfully my utility room is big enough to split in two and put toilet in there.

Gumbo

368100 wrote: »

2010 onwards answer my question thanks. Reason I ask is that i had house plans done in late 2010 and went through planning in December 2010. Split level house but no toilet at entrance level, it's up two steps. Due to economy I didn't process at time but i got extension if duration in 2015 and im planning on building this year.
Architect made a number of mistakes in plans along with being generally hard to deal with not returning phone calls etc.....a lesson not to take on a friend of the family for doing work like that.
Ive an engineer on board now guiding me through current regs and thankfully my utility room is big enough to split in two and put toilet in there.

Glad you have an easy way out. Also, don’t forget, nearly every other part of the building regulations have changed since 2010, so you need to technically design the house from scratch, particularly around fire safety, air tightness and energy consumption.

Also, don’t be so hard on your friend that done the plans. Back in 2010, the new part M was published but the transition period meant that it did not apply to houses that commenced construction before 1st January 2012. Your friend may well have thought you would have been on site before then. Same goes for any other possible deficiencies. They may have been correct at the time.

368100

kceire wrote: »

Glad you have an easy way out. Also, don’t forget, nearly every other part of the building regulations have changed since 2010, so you need to technically design the house from scratch, particularly around fire safety, air tightness and energy consumption.

Also, don’t be so hard on your friend that done the plans. Back in 2010, the new part M was published but the transition period meant that it did not apply to houses that commenced construction before 1st January 2012. Your friend may well have thought you would have been on site before then. Same goes for any other possible deficiencies. They may have been correct at the time.

Yeah thats why I have a good engineer to guide me through the regs.. ...house will look same on outside but obviously different specs for most of it.
Ah ive forgotten about the whole thing now, was just wondering about that.....but I'm pretty sure a front door was a requirement ;-) plans were sent into council with no front door on them, site not measured properly etc...those sorts of mistakes.

Thanks for all the info anyways and apologies OP about the thread hijack.