interior passage

[jtom]

Does a separate toilet compartment that is in a bathroom that has a code compliant interior passage,need a 34″ door to access the toilet area?Does not make since to require a 34″door to a bathroom but not the actual area where the toilet is located.Any thughts would be appreciated.

[Vineyard]

In my opinion the 34-in passage is an incremental accessible feature that may be beneficial for future consideration. It does not require that the bathroom or a passage to the toilet compartment be capable of being made accessible in accordance to R320.2.

[mjeutsey]

R311.2.1 only requires the door to a full bathroom to be 34″ if there is also a kitchen and entertainment area, along with the full bathroom, on the same level as the required egress door. The current code does not require a 34″ door on a toilet room.

[Chuck Bajnai]

There was a meeting in June, 2016, to discuss how Section R311.2.1 should be amended for the 2015 VA-IRC. The stakeholders, including home builders and government, rewrote the interior passage section which would hopefully eliminate the confusion. This was a compromise among all of the participants. It was drafted and submitted to DHCD – and I believe was approved for the consent agenda for the BHCD.

It moved Interior Passage out of R311.2.1 and created a new section R329. This is what the new version says:

Section R329 Interior passage

R329.1 General. This section applies to new dwelling units that have both a kitchen and a living area on the same floor level as the egress door required by Section R311.2. This section is not applicable to ADDITIONS, reconstruction, alteration, or repair.

R329.2 Kitchen. One interior passage route from the egress door to the kitchen shall comply with R329.6.

R329.3 Living area. One interior passage route from the egress door to at least one living area shall comply with R329.6.

R329.4 Bedroom. Where the dwelling unit has a bedroom on the same floor level as the egress door, one interior passage route from the egress door to at least one bedroom shall comply with R329.6.

R329.5 Bathroom. Where a dwelling unit has a bathroom on that same floor level as the egress door, and the bathroom contains a water closet, lavatory, and bathtub or shower, one interior passage route from the egress door to at least one bathroom shall comply with R329.6. Bathroom fixture clearances shall comply with R307 and access to fixtures is not required to comply with R329.6.

R329.6 Opening widths. Opening widths along the interior passage route required by this section shall comply with the following.
1. Cased openings shall provide a minimum 34-inch clear width.
2. A door shall be a nominal 34-inch minimum width. Double doors may be used to comply with this requirement.

Note: the last sentence of 329.5 says that the toilet fixtures only have to comply with R307 clearances, and hence the door to the toilet compartment does not have to be 2′-10″. While it might not be easy to understand, it is what the stakeholders compromised.

[Chuck Bajnai]

To followup on my previous post:

Note also that all the language about doorways at the “end and facing” corridors has been deleted. The significance of this is: the builder might have to widen the hallways or move walls to accommodate the 2′-10″ door if his trim package would not otherwise fit.

[Vineyard]

Thank you Mr. Bajnai, My training tells me the administrative provisions overrides the adopted code in reference to 103.4 would conflict with the proposed R321.9
Currently I have been requiring the 34 inch opening or doors for bedroom additions and reconfiguration of the “same level as the egress door” to include basement levels.

I apologize in advance if this is not the proper forum to discuss this issue, but it also seems contrary to allow the reconfiguration of the level to not maintain the required provision after the certificate of occupancy is issued in reference to the current section R320.2 and R311.2.1

As far as the width of the hallway in my mind if the hallway is not designed at least 40 inches wide on the plans for a 34 door then the bedroom door at the end of the hallway is exempt.

Thanks again for your help in clarifying the intent of that section.

[Chuck Bajnai]

Vineyard,
I am not sure if we are in disagreement or not. I don’t think I am fully comprehending your latest reply.

The 2012 VA-IRC, Section R311.2.1 was poorly written and impossible to get consensus opinion on what it is meant to accomplish, hence the rewrite which I have just been told, was approved by the BHCD for the 2015 VA-IRC.

The new version clearly says additions do not have to comply. Additions can use any size door at the end of a hallway, or anyplace on the same level as the egress door.

What it does say to contractors is this: if your trim package and 2′-10″ door do not work with your hallway, you have to change your hallway width.

Call me if you want to discuss. 804-717-6428

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