Separating garden apartment from 2nd and 3rd floors/enclosing stairs.
I am looking for ways to separate our garden apartment from the 2nd and 3rd floor owners duplex. Currently, when you walk in on the garden level there are stairs leading upstairs. I am thinking of enclosing these stairs with a wall and door.
Does anyone have any pictures of something similar they have done?
Suggestions of contractors who have done this before?
Thanks!
l_studio
in General Discussion 6 years ago
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12 replies
Lurker | 6 years ago
I’m not an architect or engineer, but we did this and you have to be careful cutting off a stairway of a rental unit as it may be considered egress. Also, if you simply lock the upstairs as some suggested, you have an issue where if there was a fire someone might run up the stairs and get trapped. Our arch had us block it off permanently rather than have it be a locked door even on the basement level due the potential confusion of emergency egress!
cate | 6 years ago
binbrooklyn, we didn’t remove your comment. Maybe the system flagged it automatically because of the images in the first one? Not sure. Here’s the comment: A client moved the vestibule door and mouldings to in front of the stairs (so the look matched) and used raised panels for the side. Sal at Ebony Woodworking in Sunset Park did the work. Very high quality and reasonable price.
binbrooklyn | 6 years ago
Why was my comment removed? (Did it not post?)
adobera80 | 6 years ago
This is taken from inside the vestibule after passing under the stoop.
The door to the right will have a lock and leads up to the middle of the parlor hall.
On the inside of the stairs is the new dry wall creating the hall to the rental apt front door. The unpainted door at the end opens on the left. We couldnt go stright in due to location of kitchen counters. To the right of the apt entrance is the door to basement which we will both have access to.
You can see the pocket doors immediately on the left. That will be the rental bedroom, they are being left operable as you can see that long hall way with tight turn would not allow for any furniture in or out of the rental unit. Our realtor suggested putting in a large “museum door” which would be flush with the wall inside, as you sometimes see in museums. After the move it would be locked from inside and the pocket doors closed too creating even ore privacy and sound insulation. We have little kids so will use the garden entrance for strollers etc so providing privacy is a concern.
[MVIMG_20190816_134344](//muut.com/u/brownstoner/s3/:brownstoner:kWFJ:mvimg_20190816_134344.jpg.jpg)
adobera80 | 6 years ago
This is taken from inside the vestibule after passing under the stoop.
The door to the right will have a lock and leads up to the middle of the parlor hall.
On the inside of the stairs is the new dry wall creating the hall to the rental apt front door. The unpainted door at the end opens on the left. We couldnt go stright in due to location of kitchen counters. To the right of the apt entrance is the door to basement which we will both have access to.
You can see the pocket doors immediately on the left. That will be the rental bedroom, they are being left operable as you can see that long hall way with tight turn would not allow for any furniture in or out of the rental unit. Our realtor suggested putting in a large “museum door” which would be flush with the wall inside, as you sometimes see in museums. After the move it would be locked from inside and the pocket doors closed too creating even ore privacy and sound insulation. We have little kids so will use the garden entrance for strollers etc so providing privacy is a concern.
[MVIMG_20190816_134344](//muut.com/u/brownstoner/s3/:brownstoner:kWFJ:mvimg_20190816_134344.jpg.jpg)
Guest User | 6 years ago
We added a door between the exterior door and the original “interior” door that leads into that hallway. That gives us access to the basement and upstairs while the tenants only have access to their unit. We also left the original door to the apartment so that if there is furniture or something too big for the tight turn up front we can unlock that for the tenants. I’ve attached a picture to show what we did (it’s a quick iPhone markup, excuse the artistic work). We used Mark Roder at Quality Contracting and cant say enough wonderful things about him! [62B0B479-0592-44C8-9DCA-A2A460627866](//muut.com/u/brownstoner/s2/:brownstoner:wtav:62b0b479059244c89dcaa2a460627866.jpeg.jpg)
adobera80 | 6 years ago
@Bob I think she’s in the same boat as we are. At top and bottom of the stairs there is no door and along stairs it’s open as well. When in garden level you simply go up the stairs into the parlor hallway.
We’re putting a glass door at the bottom of stairs so it doesn’t feel too claustrophobic. Another complication is the large original newell at bottom of stairs. We decided to build the wall around it thus further narrowing the new hall and upping the some need for pocket door access.
adobera80 | 6 years ago
@Bob I think she’s in the same boat as we are. At top and bottom of the stairs there is no door and along stairs it’s open as well. When in garden level you simply go up the stairs into the parlor hallway.
We’re putting a glass door at the bottom of stairs so it doesn’t feel too claustrophobic. Another complication is the large original newell at bottom of stairs. We decided to build the wall around it thus further narrowing the new hall and upping the some need for pocket door access.
RobertGMarvin
in General Discussion 6 years ago
Why not simply lock the door at the head of the stairs?
l_studio | 6 years ago
Nick S -your layout sounds exactly like ours actually and I hadn’t thought of sound proofing the doors. I may just do that. Yes, please send pics when you are done!
adobera80 | 6 years ago
we are having this done right now but are in the opposite position. We want to rent the garden but maintain access to the basement. By sealing off the stairs created a long hallway at the end of which a door is on the left and stairs to basement on the right. Trouble is that making the turn into garden apartment is very tight. There are pocket right next to the main entrance to garden apartment which makes for a not so private feeling for renters. We will close those doors and build a solid door within the apartment and put insulation between it and the pocket doors. That will allow furniture to get in and out during a move, and for day to day use they will go down the hall. Easier to show in pics, when done I’ll send.
adobera80 | 6 years ago
we are having this done right now but are in the opposite position. We want to rent the garden but maintain access to the basement. By sealing off the stairs created a long hallway at the end of which a door is on the left and stairs to basement on the right. Trouble is that making the turn into garden apartment is very tight. There are pocket right next to the main entrance to garden apartment which makes for a not so private feeling for renters. We will close those doors and build a solid door within the apartment and put insulation between it and the pocket doors. That will allow furniture to get in and out during a move, and for day to day use they will go down the hall. Easier to show in pics, when done I’ll send.