# Forum Home Renovation Stairs, Steps and Ramps  Doors at top of stairs

## jacy_m

Hi,  
Could someone please advise what the rules are in regards to doors and stairs 
The stairs (only 3 risers) are going down from the main house (on piers) into a laundry (on slab).  
I'd like to put a cavity sliding door at the top blocking off these stairs to help with heating/cooling. Is this allowed under BCA?  
thanks

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## Sir Stinkalot

From the BCA that I have here at hand (2008  :Shock: ) 3.9.1.3 Stair Construction (h) (iii) Landings must be provided where the sill of a threshold of a doorway opens on to a stair that provides a change in floor level or floor to ground level greater than 3 risers or 570mm (see Figure 3.9.1.5, Diagram b).

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## jacy_m

thanks for checking. So if it is less than 570, it looks like I'm ok to add the door then?  :Smilie:

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## Sir Stinkalot

Yep in the round about way that the BCA is written you are correct ..... but if you are more than 570mm then your stairs don't comply  :Biggrin:

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## jacy_m

true that, didnt even compute  :Biggrin:  
but my stairs dont exist as such yet, aside from a block sitting there. Its about a 420mm total rise, so just miss out on the 2, have to do 3 unfortunately

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## shauck

Are you able to build the ground level up 60mm-ish so you can have 2 risers?

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## jacy_m

no unfortunately, that area has already been completed. We are raising the top floor up about 70mm which has created the problem

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## shauck

So long as you follow the calculations, all good. 
Riser - step height
Max riser 190
Min riser 115 
Going- step depth
Max going 355
Min going 240 
Slope relationship 2R+G (2 rise + 1 going)
Max 700
Min 550 
So this means if you have 140 rise (420/3 risers), 270 is your minimum going, up to 355 maximum. This will keep you within the 550-700 range. 
Don't forget to take finished floor level into account.

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## sundancewfs

As a side note.... I had a door (temporary) at the top of a staircase. I hung it so, if you opened it from the upper level, it swung towards you. Forcing you to step back from the stairs rather than swinging out over the stairs and placing you straight onto the stairs. The door is now gone, but it seemed like a safer way to swing the door.

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## shauck

> As a side note.... I had a door (temporary) at the top of a staircase. I hung it so, if you opened it from the upper level, it swung towards you. Forcing you to step back from the stairs rather than swinging out over the stairs and placing you straight onto the stairs. The door is now gone, but it seemed like a safer way to swing the door.

  Definitely. Imagine standing on the stairs when someone else comes into the room and opens the door towards you.....

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## ringtail

There are millions of non compliant houses out there, I just dont notice them anymore because they are the norm. :Biggrin:

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