Interior Ladder-Optional??
Hey there brownstoners, I am in the middle of renovating the upper floors of a brownstone and was wondering if an interior ladder was necessary for access to the roof or if the fire escape ladders would be sufficient? the ladder currently inhabits what would be a very desirable closet. Any input would be appreciated.
Hey there brownstoners, I am in the middle of renovating the upper floors of a brownstone and was wondering if an interior ladder was necessary for access to the roof or if the fire escape ladders would be sufficient? the ladder currently inhabits what would be a very desirable closet. Any input would be appreciated.
Thanks!
You do have to have a ladder at the top of the public stair hall in a multiple dwelling. Say you are on the 2nd floor of a building and your access down is blocked by a fire – you then go up the stair hall and get onto the roof through the ladder/hatch.
See New York State Multiple Dwelling Law, article 7, title 2, section 233 “Bulheads and Scuttles” (This publication is on sale at the City bookstore in the Municipal Building)
This came when I was in a 4-unit brownstone coop 10 yers ago. DOB violated us for having the ladder in an enclosure. There was no administrative code provision or regulation that anyone could find requiring that teh ladder not be in an enclosure. Finally, someone at DOB showed me an inspector’s training manual that said ladders must be in an open, rather than enclosed area. I argued that they can’t sustain a violation without a regulation, to no avail. Not worth hiring a lawyer or architect for a $300 violation. We removed the closet, had the inspection and cleared it.
All of that tells me that there is a rule requiring fixed ladders, but you may not find it anywhere. Also, the “rule” may vary depending upon occupancy — that is, if you are 1-2 family, the rule may not apply.
Ultimately, I don’t think anything anyone on this web site tells you will give you any comfort — you are at the mercy of DOB. Find out directly from DOB what it thinks teh rule is, and if it is nto what you want it to be, ask for a citation to the rule you you can see it for yourself.