Basement Suites: The Myths, Truths, and Extras
So, the goal of this blog is to get you into the right mindset. Instead of writing everything down into a list, I’ve decided to break this up into three parts bylaws, envelope, and building code. Therefore, your mindset is to understand the basics.
I have been asked many questions or challenged by lots of people about developing basement suites, that I figure the best way to explain is to write another blog entry. I will reveal many of the questions or statements I have received to give you, the reader, an idea of how misinformation is preventing people from doing the right thing.
BYLAWS
Bylaws are rules created by the municipality that will determine if you are allowed to develop what you want. Therefore, your basement suite must meet the requirements within the bylaw to be permissible to build.
MYTHS
“Basement suites are only permissible in R1 and R2 zoning areas.”
“If your suite is not registered, it is still legal if it meets code.”
“I’m allowed to use street parking for my tenant.”
FACTS
Zoning of Basement Suites: Zoning requirements for basement suites are relaxed. Therefore, “almost” any home can have a basement suite. However, you may be subject to a discretionary review because your lot may not be an R1, RC1, RC1s, RC1L, or RC1Ls, etc.
The Legality of a Suite: Your existing suite MUST be registered by May 31st, 2020, to be considered legal. A registered suite confirms that the suite meets the requirements of the Alberta Building Code and the bylaws of the City of Calgary. New secondary suites are subjected to the development and building permit application process of the City of Calgary.
Parking for Tenants: The bylaw states you are to provide a minimum of 1 stall per dwelling unit. That means your basement suite requires a parking stall. You cannot use a public street as private parking for your dwelling.
Amenity Space is Required for Tenants: As the homeowner, you MUST provide an area of 7.5m2 or 85 sqft of outdoor space dedicated to your tenant. This kind of space should be an area within your backyard.
EXTRA
For a legal parking stall, it is important to know the depth is to be a minimum of 5.9m or 19’-4’. The width of your stall should be 3.0m or 9’-10”.
Privacy is a factor with amenity spaces, especially regarding the “landlord and tenant” relationship; therefore, to designate that area can be tricky. A suggestion would be your side yard. But your side yard must have a minimum clearance of 5’-0” from the face of your house to the fence.
ENVELOPE
The outside of your building. To put it simply, the less you touch on the outside walls, the cheaper your renovation becomes. Therefore, we look at the envelope to make sure we meet the minimum requirements.
MYTHS
“My house is not an old house, so I don’t need to change my windows.”
“Do I need a door that leads to outside? Therefore, I need to cut a hole into my basement”?
FACTS
Do You Need Exterior Doors:
A direct to exterior exit is a means to escape. Therefore, you are not required to cut a door into the foundation. Instead, we can alter the existing stairs into an interior common space or vestibule, therefore
enclosing the stairs leading into the basement with a new door to outside. See my notes under the building code extras.Safe Bedroom Windows: What determines your window to be safe is the minimal dimensions of the opening portion of the window, and that the window is free from all obstructions; we call this opening Egress.
What is Egress: The minimum opening area for an egress window is 0.35m2 or roughly 3.75 sqft. That means the open space of a window needs to be a minimum of 3.75sqft. (If you go to your window supplier, they can show you a lot of options).
If you have a casement window, the window is required to open a full 90 degrees. The same applies for awning windows.
Egress Window Wells: Window wells are required for windows that are partially below grade (ground level). The window well is to have a depth (or clearance from the basement wall) of 760mm or 30” minimum. But if you are using your old window well, make sure its depth is a minimum of 550mm or 21.5”.
EXTRAS
It's hard not going into so much detail over direct exterior doors. So I will suggest this, hire a designer! Because, this practice requires a bit of architectural experience for it to be done RIGHT! Once again read the next section! Because it is more building code related than the envelope.
BUILDING
CODE
I will admit, the building code can be complicated to understand, even design consultants refer to code consultants for clarification. The majority of the rules lie here, and to a lot of people, this can be very confusing. Because in some cases, pre-existing suites fall into grandfathered clauses, whereas new suites are subjected to the current rules.
MYTHS
“We legalized our suite, and we didn’t need another furnace; so the new suite will run off the one furnace again.”
“I have one fire detector in my suite.”
“Yeah, my ceiling is low, but it is ok. Most of my tenants are short”.
“My mechanical room is fine; I didn’t need to do anything with it.”
“I just use a regular door for my mechanical room.”
“I use a regular interior door for the suite entry; I just put a lock on it.”
FACTS
The Type of Door to Exit the Suite: The suite door is the same as any standard exit door.
The width of the door is to be a minimum of 810mm or 32” wide. That's the same as a man door. The same door used for your garage or exit the rear of your house.
Secondly, the door is to be a minimum solid core wood door. Solid core wood doors are heavier wood doors, or you can use an non-insulated fiberglass door (Just like your door leading into your hotel room).
Lastly, the door is to be “smoked-sealed.” Smoke sealing is a gasket (foam rubber tubing) that runs along the perimeter of the door panel within the jamb to prevent air leakage.
Mechanical Room Doors: The door is also to be solid core wood door, smoke sealed, and accompanied with a door self-closer. The width of the door is to be a minimum of 810mm or 32” wide.
The Mechanical Room: I will be brief; this area requires the most amount of work and its challenging.
The mechanical room is to be smoke-sealed. Therefore, minimum 12.7mm or 1/2” drywall is applied to both sides of the mechanical room walls.
Secondly, the mechanical room ceiling is to be smoked-sealed. This rule is the most challenging, especially for existing suites required to 1/2” or 12.7mm minimum drywall to the underside of the ceiling. As an alternative, you are allowed to sprinkler this room.
You Cannot Exit Through Your Mechanical Room: Your mechanical room must remain as a room. Therefore, it cannot be a means to escape. If your exit must cut through your room, then you will need to design a separation through the room. hire a designer.
Smoke Detectors: The number of smoke detectors in newer homes has increased as a result of the new code. Therefore your suite is required the following.
All bedrooms within your suite and your existing home require to have a smoke detector installed.
A combo smoke detector is required for all common areas per floor, or 1 per floor. Combo smoke detectors are a little different because they alert you for both carbon monoxide and smoke.
The mechanical room requires a combo smoke detector. All smoke and carbon monoxide combo detectors need to be interconnected. Therefore, if one goes off, then all of them go off.
How to Heat Your Suite: If your constructing a new suite, then it requires an additional furnace to service the basement only.
You could install electronic base heaters,
Or radiant floor heating.
Existing basement suites already using one furnace are permitted.
The Suite Exist Stairs: Exit stairs are to be a minimum of 860mm wide or 34” finished! I include the handrail towards the minimum width of the stair.
Stair landings to be 810mm wide or 32”.
The ceiling height of the new suite is to be a minimum of 1.95m. However, it can be reduced to 1.85m in areas where ductwork is located.
Soundproofing Your Suite: As per the new code regulations, the suite is to be soundproofed throughout. Therefore, your new basement suite is subjected to the minimum soundproofing requirements.
Between the main floor, floor joists, you are required to place sound absorption material a minimum of 150mm thick or 6”.
To the underside of your floor joists, you are to install resilient channels. Resilient channels help minimize soundwave transmission.
Then install your 1/2” drywall or 12.7mm thickness.
The electrical panel for the suite does not need to be separated. However, your tenant MUST have access to it for their suite. Speak to an electrician for the best practice. You could have another panel that has a lower Amp, since it is only controlling the basement. I will follow up with this on another post in the future.
EXTRAS
Here you should be reading to know how to create the perfect exit, by creating an interior common space or vestibule; where this space has the following:
The interior common space will act as a “means of escape.” Where it is a safe travel distance from the suite to outside.
The common space would requires the door to outside to be the same width or wider than the suite’s entrance door.
For doors exiting the suite, the recommended height is 6’-8” or 80” this a standard height. If your door cannot meet this height, your minimum is 1.89m or 6’-2”.
The stairs within the common space would need to meet the same requirements mentioned earlier. Be sure to factor the required handrail.
You need to add lighting within that space, with a switch at every door.
That common space is to be “smoke-sealed.” Therefore, it needs to be drywalled with 127.mm or 1/2” throughout, both walls and ceiling.
Basement Stair To Suite/ “One Bedroom basement suite for rent in Martensville”/www.banglatoronto.ca/https://guides.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/c.php?g=27779&p=170351
Bedroom doors are to be minimum 760mm or 30”. If I were you, I would look at installing 32” wide bedroom doors to help with furniture moving.
Your new suite’s main bath is to have a door width of minimum 760mm or 30”.
GOT IT?