Deck + Bilco Door Access (floor, foundation, washer, furnace)
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In my dream renovation (part II), I'd like to install a deck attached to the house, but there is a set of Bilco doors in the way. I'd like to keep the doors accessible. They're rarely used, but I don't want to permanently cover them.
The deck would only about 3 feet off the ground. I'm picturing something like a "trap door" made of the decking. If anyone saw "Baby Boom" with Diane Keaton, she had a house with a trap door in the front porch, with steps that led to the cellar (not sure if there was a Bilco door).
Alternately, I'm picturing a removable wooden "counter/island" on the deck that would cover the doors but could be pulled away.
Is this a crazy idea, or has anyone solved this one before?
seems like it would be a lot of work to open the bilco doors. We have them, but we do not use them much. They make a good entrance ot the utility room for workers, we use them to get big heave things into the basement with ropes hooked to a car to lower them slowly down (could not do that with interior stairs). However we open the bilco doors less than ten times a year, some years less than five. It certainly would not be disaster to cover them up.
If you do this, I would suggest a deck that pivots and swings completely out of the way. Not a hinged thing that has to be held up and could get in tthe way of putting tall/long things down the bilco stairs.
If you do this, I would suggest a deck that pivots and swings completely out of the way. Not a hinged thing that has to be held up and could get in tthe way of putting tall/long things down the bilco stairs.
Wow -- that's a different idea! Something to think about. I've also thought of just a hole in the deck with a hinged railing around it. Not pretty, but simple.
I probably use the doors less than once a year. Most of the basement is unfinished, but there is a room that is somewhat finished (panelling, tile floor, lowered ceiling). If I (or a future owner) wanted to make this an actual room/bedroom, I concerned about "legal egress" and I know having an outside entrance is a huge plus where this is concerned. I'll have to do some research regarding that, as well.
I doubt that you will get "legal egress" per fire code with bilco doors covered in any way. (I'm not sure they are acceptable per fire code anyway, due to the possibility of snow load, locks, etc.) Nor can any legal egress doors have the potential of being blocked with patio furniture placed on them. Doing the job right will likely involve removing the bilco and stairs, and extending the basement under the deck as a hallway with a regular door and dry well at the end. For a once-a-year use, I'd just make a sill in the deck framing and have a drop-in section of deck with a couple of lift rings.
With enough time and labor pretty much anything can be achieved -- I've seen homes with an extend "tunnels" that allow legal egress to a basement. Precast blocks were used for below-grade retaining walls and the original stairs were converted to a more gentely sloped "ramp"...
I have also seem homes where folks were able to change the grading on one side of the lot to give nearly walk-out access to a new basement door and use the other portion to create a foundation for a new addition. I am sure a similar solution might work for things like decks or terraces too.
I doubt that you will get "legal egress" per fire code with bilco doors covered in any way. (I'm not sure they are acceptable per fire code anyway, due to the possibility of snow load, locks, etc.) Nor can any legal egress doors have the potential of being blocked with patio furniture placed on them. Doing the job right will likely involve removing the bilco and stairs, and extending the basement under the deck as a hallway with a regular door and dry well at the end. For a once-a-year use, I'd just make a sill in the deck framing and have a drop-in section of deck with a couple of lift rings.
I have seen it done this way. Simple and cost effective. One person did not put rings, they just dropped a hook on a rope between decking and lifted. They also had a removeable deck joist for added room.
...The deck would only about 3 feet off the ground. I'm picturing something like a "trap door" made of the decking.
...or has anyone solved this one before?
Well, as a matter of fact it has been done. I couldn't find it but, I'll try and describe it.
Think trap door that is split in half like a Bilco door unit:
These doors have gas struts to assist with opening as used in the project I saw. The unit was water-tight and was secured onto the walls of the stairs that had been extended up to the surface of the deck so all was flush. Decking material was attached to the face of the doors to blend in with the rest of the deck.
So, basically this setup took the place of the Bilco doors, had gas struts to make opening easier, was securable, and presented no objectionable appearance or hazard.
There's several I could use just for my own access to the basement, say for replacing the furnace or washer. I like the above idea, where the Bilco doors are removed and the deck floor then becomes the new doors. That seems the most user-friendly, but also must be done well to appear seamless.
As for legal egress, yes, I will have to look up to see what would be up to code. There's another possibility in that I could have one of the existing windows in the semi-finished part enlarged to be an egress window/well. That part of the yard is on the side, and is not used at all (away from the deck area). Finishing that part of the basement is WAY down on my wish list, but I did want to keep it in mind.
These doors have gas struts to assist with opening as used in the project I saw. The unit was water-tight and was secured onto the walls of the stairs that had been extended up to the surface of the deck so all was flush. Decking material was attached to the face of the doors to blend in with the rest of the deck.
I'm in the same boat as the OP and like that idea however I have to wonder how water proof that is or will be down the road especially when you consider freezing water in gaps etc. Glad you posted it becsue it's given me some ideas for custom fabricated steel doors over the Bilco doors. Wood is just too heavy and bulky...
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