Staircase door question

[pedalguyeric]

Hi, brand new member as of today but longtime troller of the guest forum. I need some advice. I built a 1.5 story 24x28 detached garage. I plan to insulate it over the winter. The garage has a staircase along the back wall that I will enclose but I'm not sure what type of door to use at the bottom of the stairs (there's not enough headroom at the top). I'm planning to install the door on the third step (again, not enough room at the bottom is the stairs). Ideally I would like a door 38x90 (stairs on the steeper side so would like as much head clearance as possible). I can get a custom made solid wood interior door in that size for $300. The closest size custom exterior door that is affordable is $400 but measures 36x84 (for 38x90 the price is over $1000). I plan to heat the garage with propane 1-2 times per month in the winter to do some work. From an R value/heat loss perspective, for the few times I'll use it, what are peoples thoughts on a solid wood interior vs fiberglass exterior door? Thanks!

 

[CraigStu]

First I would check local codes. They vary of course, but in many cases a garage to living space requires a steel door or at least some kind of fire resistant door.

 

[Keithinsc]

We got around the 'living space' by describing it as a sewing room. Our code guy seemed OK with it.
But, we still needed a fireproof door. I made my own with aluminum sheet over a 2x4 frame. He signed off on it. Not pretty, but it passed.
The other issue you will have with code is putting the door on a step. You need a landing. I had similar layout as your picture. Come down the stairs, step onto the landing, turn 90° and three more steps to the concrete floor.

If the room is to be occupied, I think code now requires self closing doors to a garage.

But, if you are not worried about code compliance, just trapping your heat, how about some sort of sliding door, or a pocket door?

 

[pedalguyeric]

No room for a pocket/sliding door.

 

[pedalguyeric]

Garage is detached from my home (sits about 50' away) so no need for a fire resistant door.

 

[SickSpeedMonte]

Why not just put the door parallel with the stringer? Go in the door, turn left and up the stairs. If that's not enough width for the door, frame out a landing at the bottom step height.

 

[yeldogt]

So you are saying the code official is going to allow the door on the third step up ??

No way that would fly around me ... how are you going to open it ? get around the door?

 

[FANTM58]

Do you have room to do something like this ?

 

[LS6 Tommy]

So you are saying the code official is going to allow the door on the third step up ??

No way that would fly around me ... how are you going to open it ? get around the door?

X2. That would never get approved around here, either. At a minimum it would have to open to a landing.

Tommy

 

[cdestuck]

My set up looks very close to yours. I made a trap door that covers the opening at the top. Probably 4’ wide, 11 or 12’ long. It is heavy but made a nice counter weight to balance the door to where it doesn’t require much effort to lift it. Then last year I got a 120v hoist from harbor freight and attached it to above the door on the exterior wall. Switch is located just below the door. Very slick operation

 

[pedalguyeric]

Sickspeedmonte: not enough room for a landing as my exterior door into the garage is in that location.

Yeldogt: garage passed inspection when it was completed. No intention of call him back.

Fantm58: Good idea but don't have the room.

Cdestuck: I like that idea and I already have the hoist since I used it to get the shealthing and shingles up onto the roof

 

[rlitman]

I couldn't imagine a door swinging like that. It's just dangerous.
Do you even need a door, or just something that stops airflow? If that's it, I'd use a flap door made from clear plastic strips like you find in say an industrial freezer.

 

[ard]

Yeldogt: garage passed inspection when it was completed. No intention of call him back.

If you or your heirs ever go to sell the home and there is a home inspection, the door will (should) fail. Take $1500 off the proceeds to correct code issue.

Not the end of the world- I have a few items that are technical violations here and there- but if they can be avoided, they should. IMO.

GL

 

[RKA]

A swinging door just complicates things and it doesn't sound like the space will accommodate it unless you resort to something clumsy. I would do what rlitman suggests if the goal is to stop heat loss to the storage area above when you're heating the ground floor. Another idea is a roll up door of some sort. But I have to imagine it wouldn't be worth the money considering rlitman's idea would be sufficient.

 

[The Cobbler]

yeah, I'm with the need a landing camp... what about a roll up door at the base of the stairs?

 

[yeldogt]

Sickspeedmonte: not enough room for a landing as my exterior door into the garage is in that location.

Yeldogt: garage passed inspection when it was completed. No intention of call him back.

Fantm58: Good idea but don't have the room.

Cdestuck: I like that idea and I already have the hoist since I used it to get the shealthing and shingles up onto the roof

Guess it passed because the inspector never dreamed a door was planed -- it going to be dangerous ... especially going down.

I would find another solution

 

[rlitman]

... Another idea is a roll up door of some sort...

That solves the issue of lack of space for the door swing, plus offers security that the flap door does not. It does however also need to be opened and closed to be effective, so there's that con.

 

[The Cobbler]

.....Another idea is a roll up door of some sort. .....

... what about a roll up door ....

guess I was reading & posting when RKA posted

 

[Stuart in MN]

So we're clear...is the upstairs living space, or just storage? I don't know the regulations but that may affect what is allowed for a door and how it's placed, if this is basically just attic access. However, from your photo it looks like you have space for a door at the base of the stairs that opens out into the garage; you open the door, take a step in, and then turn left to go upstairs.

 

[Kaizen]

So we're clear...is the upstairs living space, or just storage? I don't know the regulations but that may affect what is allowed for a door and how it's placed, if this is basically just attic access. However, from your photo it looks like you have space for a door at the base of the stairs that opens out into the garage; you open the door, take a step in, and then turn left to go upstairs.

EXACTLY. looks to be plenty of room and if you're framing it grab an exterior 200 door off the shelf.

 

[thammel]

I have a similar situation with heat and specially with AC in the summer since I have mini splits on both levels. I do a temporary thing in the summer - put up a piece of rigid insulation board cut to fit. Kinda rinky-dink but it does the trick and is not permanent.

Tom

 

[pedalguyeric]

Thanks for all the input. I like the simple ideas proposed by Rlitman and Thammel. Seems like the best solution for what I need.

 

[larry_g]

I would have you consider building the the wall that encloses the stairs all the way across the to the other side of the entrance door and then terminate it at the other end wall if close or turn and end just past the entrance door, this depends on whether your entrance door is mid wall or in the corner of the building. Now in that wall put another door that is just inside of the entry door that separates the shop from the stairwell.Now you will have to pass through two doors to get from outside into the shop area or make a right coming in the entrance door and go up the stairs.

Now the inside door can be a swinging door, pocket door, or a sliding barn door.

You can kinda see the double door idea in my build thread below, posts 11 & 13. I have a heated machine shop area just inside the outside door, and through the second door is the cold shop area.

lg
no neat sig line