Section 12-B303. R303- LIGHT, VENTILATION AND HEATING

 

Strike Section R303.1 of the International Residential Code in its entirety and insert new Section R303.1 in the Residential Code in its place to read as follows:

R303.1 Habitable rooms. All habitable rooms shall have an aggregate glazing area of not less than 8 percent of the floor area of such rooms. Natural ventilation shall be through windows, doors, louvers or other approved openings to the outdoor air.  Such openings shall be provided with ready access or shall otherwise be readily controllable by the building occupants. The minimum openable area to the outdoors shall be 4 percent of the floor area being ventilated.

 

Exceptions:

 

1. The glazed areas need not be openable where the opening is not required by Section R310 and a whole-house mechanical ventilation system is installed in accordance with Section M1507, subject to Section R303.4.

 

2. Except for living rooms and bedrooms, the glazed areas need not be installed in rooms where Exception 1 above is satisfied and artificial light is provided capable of producing an average illumination of 6 footcandles (65 lux) over the area of the room at a height of 30 inches (762 mm) above the floor level.  For purposes of Section R303, bedroom shall mean a room or space located on any level of a building and designed or intended as a space in which people sleep.

 

3. Use of sunroom and patio covers, as defined in Section R202, shall be permitted for natural ventilation if more than 40 percent of the exterior sunroom walls are open, or are enclosed only by insect screening.

Strike Section R303.4 of the International Residential Code in its entirety and insert new Section R303.4 in the Residential Code in its place to read as follows:

R303.4 Mechanical ventilation.  Each new dwelling unit shall be provided with whole-house mechanical ventilation in accordance with Section M1507.3, and shall have at least one opening to the outdoors for natural ventilation of not less than 4 percent of the floor area of the habitable spaces in the dwelling unit. 

 

 

authority

Section 10 of the Construction Codes Approval and Amendments Act of 1986 (Act), effective March 21, 1987 (D.C. Law 6-216; D.C. Official Code § 6-1409 (2012 Repl.)) and Mayor’s Order 2009-22, dated February 25, 2009, as amended.

source

Final Rulemaking published at 61 DCR 3063 (March 28, 2014 – Part 2).

EditorNote

The District of Columbia Residential Code (2013), referred to as the “Residential Code,” consists of the 2012 edition of the International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings, published by the International Code Council (ICC), as amended by the District of Columbia Residential Code Supplement (2013) (12 DCMR B). The International Residential Code is copyrighted by the ICC and therefore is not republished here. However, a copy of the text may be obtained at:http://publicecodes.cyberregs.com/icod/irc/2012/index.htm?bu=IC-P-2012-000002&bu2=IC-P-2012-000019.