"NY" Wrote in message:
wrote in message
...
On Thursday, 16 March 2017 19:12:04 UTC, wrote:
I'm thinking of replacing a pull-down loft ladder with a proper
staircase and door. The loft would still only be used for storage, but
someone thought the presence of a staircase invoked a pile of Building
Regs requirements.
Can anyone clarify whether there are any rules around this?

I think the staircase itself will have to comply with Building Regs, but
there are some relaxations for staircases only serving one room (or
perhaps a non-habitable room) eg the spacesaver alternating tread
staircases.

If the loft is floored / walled / has any windows then adding a staircase
would I think be presumed to be using the loft as a habitable room and the
full requirements of loft conversion would apply. If the loft isn't
floored etc then it won't be a habitable room.

Walls and windows I can accept could make a room be deemed to be habitable,
but surely a loft is not habitable just because you've laid some chipboard
flooring to save you having to walk on the joists and to place boxes across
joists.

Those alternating tread staircases look horrific. I think I'd rather have a
ladder that had 2" treads across the whole width that one which had 6" on
one side and 3" on the other - too much risk of using the wrong foot and
treading on a part of the tread that isn't there!

Unless you are able to & can't stop yourself hopping up/down
stairs you should be ok once you've started :-)

a friend had a really man size folding loft "ladder" fitted that
was more akin to a staircase. It folded in 2 & up & away as
normal.
He asked me to help fit it but as his modern roof was trussed
rafters, I declined & explained why not!

--
Jim K


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