Pushing the limits of sleepout size

[crashy]

According to legislation, any part of a bedroom that is less than 1.5m in height is excluded from the calculation of area. Therefore, if we raise a queen bed platform, and lower the ceiling so that the measurement between the platform and ceiling is 1499mm, then this is a few extra metres of area we can gain? Likewise for tallboys? Fridge (short one)?

Also, I cannot find any legislation that says you can't have more than one sleepout?

[John the builder]

where do you get the 1500 from?

since when does a bed become floor area anyway? a mezz bed should not count either?

[crashy]

10 Every habitable room shall have a height from finished floor to finished ceiling of at least 2.1 m in the case of an existing house and of at least 2.4 m in the case of a new house:
provided that where a habitable room has a sloping ceiling it shall have that height over at least one-half of its floor area, and in computing that area no regard shall be had to any portion of the room the height of which from finished floor to finished ceiling is less than 1.5 m.

Sleepout rules state that floor level must not exceed 1m above ground. So a mezzanine is a breach, though many seem to overlook or ignore this

[John the builder]

10 Every habitable room shall have a height from finished floor to finished ceiling of at least 2.1 m in the case of an existing house and of at least 2.4 m in the case of a new house:
provided that where a habitable room has a sloping ceiling it shall have that height over at least one-half of its floor area, and in computing that area no regard shall be had to any portion of the room the height of which from finished floor to finished ceiling is less than 1.5 m.

where do you get this from and what authority does it have?



Sleepout rules state that floor level must not exceed 1m above ground. So a mezzanine is a breach, though many seem to overlook or ignore this

what is the definition of a floor?

a raised fixed bed is not a floor
if so top of double bunks are out as well?

re your other query about number there is no limit as long as the 'distance from other buildings' requirement is met (but you need to consider planning building coverage rulet

[crashy]

floor area, in relation to a building, means the floor area (expressed in square metres) of all interior spaces used for activities normally associated with domestic living

[crashy]

"habitable space a space used for activities normally associated with domestic living, but excludes any bathroom, laundry, water-closet, pantry, walk-in wardrobe, corridor, hallway, lobby, clothes-drying room, or other space of a specialised nature occupied neither frequently nor for extended periods"

So kitchen, lounge, dining, bedroom is "habitable", by default.
"non-habitable" isn't defined, but is often quoted in council planning rules, which is interesting.

I have a granny flat I want to expand. I'm going to abuse the zero setback rule and extend right to the boundary to a maximum length of 7.5m. But they can't be "habitable" rooms. If I don't want to go through consent I might decide to build 2 porches, take a photo, then enclose each to 5m2. All schedule 1 exempt. One might be used as a walk in wardrobe, the other a clothes drying room. Then on the opposite side I might repeat the process, up to a maximum footprint of 90m2 (maximum for a granny flat).

Do you know the minimum ceiling height for a non-habitable room? Habitable is 2.4m, but I can't find anything for non-habitable.

[John the builder]

Crashy
it would be helpful if you included your reference to what ever standard you are relying on.

The building code doesnt have a minimum stud height except that fireman access (with breathing apparatus) demands 2.0 clearance in D2AS1. This applies to habitable and non habitable.

You can not demand building standards in excess if the building code so other standards become redundant (such as home improvement regulations 194

[crashy]

My bad

Building Regulations 1992, schedule 1, A2 for "floor area" and "habitable space".

1.5m from housing improvements act 1947