Bedroom Inspection – Fire Safety Measures
When a room is used as a bedroom, certain fire-safety measures must be taken. Each bedroom should have at least one outside window as a means of escaping in the event of a fire, and the window sill should be no more than 44 inches above the floor. The window should also have a minimum net clear openable area of 5.7 square feet, with no dimension less than 20 inches in width and 24 inches in height.
If a bedroom is located two stories above the ground, a means to climb through the window (a rope ladder or equivalent device) should be provided in the room to enable occupants to escape in the event of a fire. Some municipalities have local ordinances against transforming a third-level attic into a bedroom without adequate protection against fire hazards. If you find sleeping rooms in a converted attic, check with the local building department to see whether a certificate of occupancy has been issued for those rooms.
In addition, from a safety point of view, each bedroom should have a door leading to the rest of the house. When the occupants go to sleep the door should be closed in order to reduce drafts, thus reducing flame-spread time and smoke infiltration in the event of a fire. A smoke detector should be installed on the wall or ceiling of the bedroom. In new construction, most states require that all smoke detectors within a house be hard wired and interconnected. Check the operation of the smoke detector.
Lastly, look for a closet and check whether there is a ceiling light fixture in the closet. The light fixture is often a porcelain base with an exposed incandescent bulb. If the bulb is relatively close to the closet shelf, it is a potential fire hazard. If clothing or other fabrics come in contact with a light bulb that has been left on for an extended period of time, they could ignite and start a fire. A Bedroom Inspection will prevent such hazards and ensure the safety of the occupants.