A Landing Or A Stair?

georgia dawg

A stairway into the basement terminates at the bottom on a 38"x38" landing that sits about 2" above the concrete floor. The landing will eventually transition to a finished basement floor when the basement is finished at a later date. The local inspector says the landing is a stair and either the entire stairway needs to be redone to a 3/8" max riser variance or the entire basement floor has to be finished at 2". We use IRC, here. I think it's fine as is. I'm debating whether to appeal or not.

Any thoughts?

Mike Finley

Put in a ramp from the "landing" to the basement floor and tell him to inspect that.

Tom R

As far as I am concerned, - - he is correct.

A landing is just a 'wide step' . . .

On what grounds would you argue it ??

georgia dawg

Is it a small floor, or a wide step?

Tom R

Funny, but you can either lament now and labor later, - - or just labor now . . .

georgia dawg

So true. As the saying goes, "The inspectors are always right, even when they're wrong." Grin and bear it, or try to make a point and get on the inspectors s*** list. Easy choice if I plan to build in this county again.

RobertF

How high is the final floor going to be?

__________________
-Robert F

Tom R

That's about the best and most realistic way to look at it . . .

But I also think it's also best to play it safe with the 'liability' factors these days, also.

Anybody ever takes a fall, - - it's YOU who's REALLY 'goin down'!!

georgia dawg

The homeowner wanted 3/4" thick hardwood over 1" thick p.t. sleepers over poly for 1 3/4" total. We could even use 1.5 thick p.t. sleepers if we have to. The inspector says he allows up to 3/4" max for various floor thicknesses.

Tom R

Maybe tell the homeowner you'll give him a $1000 discount if he has you do his floor now

Double-A

Well, the inspector is going to have the be the happy one, but think on this for a sec... does the inspector know that this is the first phase of a multi-phase project, and that the flooring will be done at a later time?

If so, can the work to level up to the "max 3/4" floor variance be handled on that phase of the project? Doing it now will address his issue for the unfinished floor but actually recreates it for the finished floor.

Double-A

YO! DAWG!!

What did you come up with?