Townhouse Attic Access
If you ll decide to build a.
Townhouse attic access. This access is usually gained through a small hatchway not a pull down staircase. A pull down attic stairway is great but some homes have only a small opening for access barely. I have a clearstory area that bumps up with a 4 way hip roof capping it off. Your attic needs to be easily accessible in order to fulfill its function well.
It had fire retardant plywood in the roof which was apparently the usual way fires would spread from one unit to the other. I inspected a condo in july that didn t have fire walls in the attic and the four units all had access to the attic. The housing authority said fire walls are only required when the attic space is at least 5000 square feet. You should call the local housing authority.
Fire walls and the unit owner is responsible and pretty much can do as they wish. Our townhouse built in 1987ish did not have a connecting attic. When selling condos we ve seen where the homeowner or possibly a previous homeowner installed a pull down staircase to give access to the attic for storage. This was cheaper than a true brick firewall.
Years of inspecting houses taught me that it is not always easy to find an access to the attic. Make sure you can easily access your attic. Being the low pitch and getting 14 16 of insulation up there it fills up a lot of the roof. Nor did it have a firewall however.
In most towns fire department regulations require attic access in case of a fire. Pull down stairs won t be appropriate in this case and you ll need a permanent staircase. You also have to decide where the loft stairs will begin and check how much space it will need. The firewall should extend into the attic separating your attic space from the attic above the neighboring units.
On my new house design it is a prairie style house with wide over hangs and low 3 12 pitches. Buildings with combustible ceiling or roof construction shall have an attic access opening to attic areas that have a vertical height of 30 inches 762 mm or greater over an area of not less than 30 square feet 2 8 m 2 the vertical height shall be measured from the top of the ceiling framing members to the underside of the roof framing members. Here we have so many towns and each with their own regulations.