Basement Needs Fire Exit
REM #F723
By Ilyce R. Glink
Summary: A reader is having a tri-level cottage built. He is concerned about the lack of an exit from the basement. Ilyce suggests checking with the local building department regarding building codes on fire safety.
Q: We are having a cottage home built. We’re concerned that there is
no exit door from the basement, and the builder is not being clear about whether
he will provide one.
This is a tri-level house and I will be uncomfortable having guests sleep in the guest bedroom downstairs for fire safety reasons. Is there a requirement for an exit in a basement with a bedroom?
A: I’m with you – I’d be uncomfortable having someone sleep in a basement without some sort of fire escape, either through a window or a door.
Building codes vary from municipality to municipality. But in many places, if you have a basement that is used as a bedroom, you may have to provide a fire exit, either a window or a door.
Please check with your local building department for their requirements. If
you can’t read the blueprints, ask an architect or another contractor
to go over them with you.
NOTE: This column is distributed by Real Estate Matters Syndicate, PO Box 366, Glencoe, Illinois, 60022. This column may not be resold, reprinted, resyndicated or redistributed without written permission from the publisher.
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