# Basement door near stairs landing



## JonEhh (Dec 3, 2018)

So I want to put a 36 inch door at the bottom of my stairs. There is currently a 12 inch high landing at the bottom of these stairs and then you turn right to get into the basement. The problem is the distance between the landing plywood and the top of the framing is only 76 & 1/2 inches. I would need to put 2x 2/4's at the top of the framing so I can put the door molding on and the top of the ceiling can be dry-walled so that only gives me 73.5 inches. I am 6'1 and I don't want to duck under this door every time i come down into my basement so I am looking for options.

I created a 2-3 min video demo. Please watch it as it explains everything. I am also attaching pictures to this thread. 

https://streamable.com/6ulkl


The three options I can think of are as follows.
- Cut the door to 73.5 inches and just have a short door and people duck coming down the stairs
- Cut out the landing and lower it 8.5 inches so we can have a full frame for 82 inches to put in a 36x80 door. 
- Rebuild the stairs with steeper steps so we can remove the landing completely and the stairs touch the basement floor. 


Any other ideas or options? I am a pretty good DIY'er.


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## JonEhh (Dec 3, 2018)

Here is a link to the video. 

https://streamable.com/6ulkl


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## JonEhh (Dec 3, 2018)

Anyone anymore suggestions?


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

JonEhh said:


> Anyone anymore suggestions?


 You are up against it, You can't get to the min. required height at the nose of the landing and usually there are changes to the floor framing above that can be made but you have trusses hanging from a beam. 


Can you measure the total distance from the floor nose upstairs to the end wall? 
draw a level line from the floor up stairs over to the wall above the landing and measure down to the concrete floor. 
It doesn't look like you could re work the stairs but doing the math is cheap.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)




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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

If you cut away half of your landing like the picture on the right above. and build a new wedge shaped landing at 6" high extending that landing out about 12 inches past the door I think you will find that reasonably comfortable. And it will be code almost.


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## 195795 (May 24, 2013)

1. Why door at all ?

2. Why door at bottom ? Is there one at top of stairs ? If not, possible ?

3. If no door at top, just build out a little foyer at bottom and put door in that foyer instead of at that landing - looks like you have the space to do so.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Texasdiyer said:


> 1. Why door at all ?
> 
> 2. Why door at bottom ? Is there one at top of stairs ? If not, possible ?
> 
> 3. If no door at top, just build out a little foyer at bottom and put door in that foyer instead of at that landing - looks like you have the space to do so.


 As is he doesn't have 80" head room.


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## 195795 (May 24, 2013)

Nealtw said:


> As is he doesn't have 80" head room.


For the little foyer option, sure he does - he said it's 76.5" from top (underside of ceiling joists) to the plywood on landing, and that landing is easily another 6" right.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Texasdiyer said:


> Sure he does - he said it's 76.5 from top (underside of ceiling joists) to the plywood on landing, and that landing is easily another 6" right.


 You measure from the nose of the stair or landing to the obstruction so he has 76"


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## 195795 (May 24, 2013)

Nealtw said:


> You measure from the nose of the stair or landing to the obstruction so he has 76"


I know - I'm saying add a little foyer in the basement itself - so add the step(s) to the landing to get you onto the actual basement floor and once in the actual basement, frame out a little foyer and in that framing add a standard pre-hung door - the bottom of the door is an inch or so above the actual finished basement floor.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Texasdiyer said:


> I know - I'm saying add a little foyer in the basement itself - so add the step(s) to the landing to get you onto the actual basement floor and once in the actual basement, frame out a little foyer and in that framing add a standard pre-hung door - the bottom of the door is an inch or so above the actual finished basement floor.


 Yes that I understood but the landing is too high, The pie second bottom step is the best he gets and if he expands the bottom one out into the room he can cheat the pie wedge to a more comfortable one.


I know he won't be happy because he just built that landing but he should remove it and build a new one at the lower level and then play with the shape of the wedge on top of it.


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## 195795 (May 24, 2013)

Texasdiyer said:


> 1. Why door at all ?
> 
> 2. Why door at bottom ? Is there one at top of stairs ? If not, possible ?
> 
> 3. If no door at top, just build out a little foyer at bottom and put door in that foyer instead of at that landing - looks like you have the space to do so.


Just watched the video again and see you do have a door at top of stairs - so why a door at the bottom ?

I don't have a door at the top or bottom of stairs going down to my finished basement - no worries.


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## 195795 (May 24, 2013)

Nealtw said:


> Yes that I understood but the landing is too high, The pie second bottom step is the best he gets and if he expands the bottom one out into the room he can cheat the pie wedge to a more comfortable one.
> 
> I know he won't be happy because he just built that landing but he should remove it and build a new one at the lower level and then play with the shape of the wedge on top of it.


The height of the landing is not an issue for him, 76.5" is plenty of headroom, even for him at 6'1" (73") - he is concerned about a door there. I'm saying forget putting the door there (actually I say no door down there at all), put it in the basement itself in a little added foyer area. :smile:

PS - not crazy about the tile on the landing, that's a slip and fall (and lawsuit) waiting to happen.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Texasdiyer said:


> The height of the landing is not an issue for him, 76.5" is plenty of headroom, even for him at 6'1" (73") - he is concerned about a door there. I'm saying forget putting the door there (actually I say no door down there at all), put it in the basement itself in a little added foyer area. :smile:
> 
> PS - not crazy about the tile on the landing, that's a slip and fall (and lawsuit) waiting to happen.


 I got that, 80" is still min height. :wink2:


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## 195795 (May 24, 2013)

Nealtw said:


> I got that, 80" is still min height. :wink2:


Doesn't R305.1 require 84" ?

With that said, I think a new switchback landing that provides the required 84" headroom on that staircase is necessary to make this situation code compliant.

That, or a new staircase, which in the end might be easier, but could end up being a bit steep, especially for older folks and/or to get furniture down there.

OP - are you doing this with a permit ? If yes, and the building inspector lets you off the hook on this, get it in writing !

If it is not built code complaint, when you go to sell the house, any home inspector worth their salt will flag this as an issue and that often leads to opening the floodgates on anything else non-compliant.

Make it right Mike !


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

I like Neal's winder step solution but I also like Texas' question; why a door at the bottom, if for no other reason than no matter which side you hinge it on, it's going to be cumbersome.


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

Just push the door out by framing another short wall on the left side. 

You need a step or two to get up to the landing, the door would be in front of that first step.


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## 195795 (May 24, 2013)

kwikfishron said:


> Just push the door out by framing another short wall on the left side.
> 
> You need a step or two to get up to the landing, the door would be in front of that first step.


That's what I've been trying to say (if, ur gona have a door (again, why tho ?))


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## JonEhh (Dec 3, 2018)

I wanted to put a door down there for a few reasons.


1.The wall on the other side of the stairs is going to mount a tv and be a theater room. Don't want sound bleeding all the way up the stairs and into the living main floor.
2.Kids (little ones) don't want going up or down stairs till they are a few years old
3.Basement has windows, bathroom, 2 bedrooms, large closet and a great room. Might rent it out later down the road.



So it sounds like my options are as follows.


1. re-do the entire steps and make them more steep (difficult for older people)

2. frame out a wall once we come down to the landing. (blue lines) See picture attached. Once the two steps come down from the landing come out 4-5 feet and then build a door (red line).


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