Correct and high-quality construction of the roof of a house does not mean that upon completion construction work you can forget about it. In the future, the roof requires special and regular care, inspection or repair. You will need a convenient and quick exit to it. In addition, this is often the only way to get out of the house in case of emergency evacuation. The location for access to the roof through a hatch must be included in the project before construction begins. Next we will talk about how to choose the right one and what types of exit devices are available on the roof and under its space.
Types of hatches and why they are needed
Surely you have heard that there are dormer windows, light, fire protection and attic - all these functions can be performed by a hatch. Yes, this is no longer just a cover, but rather a stylish and functional addition to the attic space. After all, it is often used as a full-fledged room - an attic.
Important: for those buildings whose area is less than 100 sq.m, the presence of a hatch is not strictly recommended. In other cases, where the area is larger than the norm, this is a mandatory measure enshrined in SNiP 21-01-97.
Firstly, the roof is a complex structure. Over time, damage to or under the roof covering may occur. Leaks, holes, cracks, etc. To figure out what's going on and fix the problem, you need to get on the roof.
Secondly, security measures. If a fire occurs, you can get out through the hatch on the roof when this cannot be done through the door. Indispensable for removing smoke.
Thirdly, on the roof there is a ventilation system, lighting elements, television antennas, a chimney, etc. This all requires periodic repairs, cleaning, and routine inspection. In addition, there is such a banal but important thing as removing debris from the roof.
Since the attic space turned into a residential attic, manufacturers began to produce beautiful and stylish hatches. They serve not only as an exit to the roof deck, but also as lighting and ventilation of the attic. It is both functional and original in terms of design.
Common types:
Dormer windows.
Luke-window.
Operational.
On sale you can mainly find standard sizes– 1200x1200 and 450x450. If your size and desired shape are not available, it can be made to order. But it will cost 30% more. Let's take a closer look at the popular options.
As mentioned above, there are roof windows. Some of them act as a hatch. Their advantage is that they not only fulfill their functional purpose, but also decorate the attic space with a play of light and shadow. They look just as impressive from the outside. The disadvantage of this type is the high cost and complex installation. As a rule, installation is carried out by specialists. No one takes the risk of producing it on their own, lest it result in wasted money.
A simple and inexpensive option is a hatch-window for a non-residential attic. It simultaneously serves as an exit to the roof and illuminates the room. Easy to install, does not require specialist assistance. Reinforced glass unit, polyurethane or wooden frame. It looks stylish in appearance and opens outwards. There are no obvious shortcomings. The only thing is that it is only suitable for unheated rooms and requires an extension ladder.
Wooden hatches have certain advantages. They represent a kind of transformer. This is a wooden lid, when you open it, you get a ladder, and when you close it, the ladder folds and hides under the lid. Such hatches do not provide lighting, but they are easy to install and practical to use. In terms of design, it is completely laconic and aesthetically pleasing. Mainly used for small private houses. The disadvantage is that the lid is not protected from the outside. It is imperative to take measures to shelter from weather influences that destroy the wood.
To organize access to a flat roof, service hatches are used. It is immediately worth noting that they are not distinguished by beauty and originality. Basically it's deaf metal cover, equipped with a ladder also made of metal. Usually the lid does not allow light to pass through, but sometimes it is made from transparent material. Of course, in terms of design, they don’t really benefit from this. But if you consider that they are used for outbuildings or industrial facilities, such criteria as beauty and aesthetics in this case play the last role.
Which option you need depends on where the hatch will be installed. If this is a residential attic, then you should spare no expense on high-quality insulation of the exit, as well as on its design. For a non-residential attic, which is used as a storage for old things and household items, there is no point in overpaying for beauty. It is better to choose a simple but functional type of hatch.
How to get to the roof from outside the house
To climb onto the roof or reach the same hatch, use stepladders or external ladders. Manufacturers made sure that they not only provide practical benefits, but also combine with the design of the house. You can easily choose a high-quality and stylish item.
The most convenient option is a steep external staircase. Expensive models are made of stainless steel. Its polished appearance gives the building a beautiful and rich look. Cheaper options from steel pipe with welded brackets into which corrugated steel steps are inserted. Railings can be made of cables, rods, pipes, etc.
The steps are not always steel - they can be made of any hard rocks tree. For example, ash or beech. Wood must be impregnated with special mixtures. Outdoor stairs are popular not only for their efficiency, but also for their attractive appearance.
This option is the cheapest and most convenient for accessing a flat roof, and this does not detract from its reliability at all. Nothing superfluous or pretentious. For fans of minimalism and practicality, this is a great option.
Important: the stepladder is attached to the wall of the house so that the last step from the bottom is at a distance of a meter from the ground. This is a safety measure for small children to prevent them from climbing up.
To use such a stepladder, you need to attach an extension ladder to it, and when you go back down, remove it. Pay attention to what your stepladder is made of. Metal elements must be coated with varnish or polymer mixtures - this will protect against rust. Steps should be either corrugated steel or rebar that has projections. This is important so that they are not slippery.
Brief installation diagram:
The first step is to select a location for the future hatch.
WITH inside The exit area is marked on the roof.
Insulation and waterproofing are carefully removed from it.
Then nails are driven into each corner where the hatch will be located.
Marks are made on the rafters.
Where the hatch goes out, they nail it wooden blocks so that the nails pierce through the sheathing. This will help you cut out the roof covering evenly from the outside, focusing on the nails.
When the cut is ready, the location of the reinforcing bars is noted.
Jambs are nailed at the top and bottom of the opening instead of rafters. They will increase support.
5x10 wood beams are nailed to the location of the beams.
To ensure that the sawn beams hold securely, two additional jambs are nailed into the ceiling from the inside.
The finished frame is covered with waterproofing and covered with plasterboard to protect it from moisture.
The hatch frame is secured to the frame using screws or nails, depending on the model.
Joints must be covered mineral wool or a special sealant.
You can carry out the installation work on installing the hatch yourself, but it is better to entrust it to a specialist. Simple types are easy to arrange yourself if you have the necessary skills. Models complex design It’s better to leave it in the hands of a master who will do everything efficiently and according to the rules.
Video
The content of the articleEvery roof, regardless of its design, must be periodically maintained and inspected. Therefore, a special exit to the roof must be arranged to carry out this work. It should be convenient, safe and reliable. The exit device depends on the angle of inclination of the slope and the purpose of the attic space. There are several ways to climb onto the roof. You can climb conventional wooden and metal ladders outside the house, ladders built indoors, ladders or stepladders inside the house through a hatch in the attic, and from the attic through a dormer or dormer window.
You can also climb to the roof from balconies or loggias using permanent or temporary stairs. There are many ways, but it is important that they are all safe and easy to use.
Roofs with large areas must be equipped with an exit to the roof SNiP 21-01-97. If the roof area is less than 100 sq. m, and the building is one-story, according to fire safety standards, it is allowed not to provide access to the roof.
- The roof can carry various elements:
- ventilation system outlet;
- antennas;
- skylights;
- roof hatches;
- chimney pipes and other elements.
Exits to the roof are carried out in several ways and, depending on the purpose of the under-roof space and the angle of inclination of the slope, can be divided into:
- vertical external stairs;
- stepladders mounted to the wall;
- hatches, insulated and cold;
- sliding stairs;
- roof drains;
- hatches – windows are cold and insulated;
- attic windows.
Types of stairs
External staircases of a permanent type are made of metal and must be firmly attached to the wall of the building. The material used to make stairs is metal corner or corrugated steel. These are the so-called fire escapes, which are necessary for buildings of two or more floors. The metal from which the stairs are made must be treated with anti-corrosion compounds. For the safety of children, the bottom end of the ladder should be raised one meter above the ground.
Such a structure must undergo periodic inspection for its strength, which must be recorded in the relevant documents of the organization servicing the building. With the help of such ladders, fire crews can access the flat roof.
In addition, fire escapes on multi-storey buildings can be placed on balconies, communication between which occurs through hatches in the floor of each balcony or loggia. In residential multi-storey buildings, access to the roof is through an attic hatch located on the top landing of the staircase. In this case, the vertical ladder is made of metal and is attached to the floor of the upper landing, the railings enclosing it and the edge of the attic hatch.
Internal stairs leading to the attic or from the attic to the roof can be made of various materials, both metal and wood different breeds. Metal stairs must have a non-slippery, ribbed tread surface, and all stairs must have handrails for safety.
External stairs made of metal and wood must be treated with anti-corrosion and antiseptic compounds.
Roof ladders for the movement of people on pitched roofs are made in the following sizes: width 25-30cm, length 40-300cm. To service chimneys, long ladders are laid along the ridge. In order for these additional elements the roofs were not damaged appearance roofs, they are painted to match the roofing.
Exit to the roof through the hatch
In multi-storey buildings, the hatch to the roof is usually located on the top landing of the staircase. This is suitable for both pitched and flat roofs. With pitched roofs, the exit from the attic to the roof itself is arranged by constructing a booth or canopy with side walls.
The hatch box must be attached to rafter system. When the pitch of the rafters exceeds the dimensions of the hatch, an additional frame is made from wooden beam, which is attached to the rafters. The distance between the hatch trim and the nearest rafter should be about 7cm.
If it is impossible to establish such a gap, either additional bars are inserted (if the gap is large) or a cutout is made in the rafter leg, while simultaneously strengthening the cut rafter by installing additional jibs and spacers. On large rooftops, several exits are installed.
The number of exits to the roof is regulated by building codes and regulations regarding fire safety. Most the best option is the one when the exit to the roof in the form of a hatch is located next to the chimney.
In this case, there is no need to install additional drains for servicing chimneys. If the attic space is turned into a residential attic, then the hatch, naturally, should be combined with a window. For non-residential attic spaces, simple, uninsulated hatches are installed.
Currently, manufacturers offer ready-made hatches for exiting through the roof. . The dimensions of finished hatches can range from 450x450mm to 1200x1200mm. In this case, the design of the hatch cover may be different. This may be a material identical to the roofing material of the rest of the roof; in other cases, the manhole cover can be made of translucent structures. The hatch cover opening mechanism can operate in different directions, and for the safety of those living in the house, the hatch can be equipped with locks or a metal grill with locks.
Exit through the attic window
If the attic space is used as a living space, then a roof window can serve as an exit to the roof. Manufacturers produce both roof windows for pitched roofs and for flat ones.
But in the case of flat roofs, before installing such a window, it will be necessary to make a box for it, which should have a slope relative to the roof of 15-20 degrees.
Standard windows, which serve as an exit device to the roof for warm attic spaces, are manufactured with different sizes, but they all have sealing elements that prevent moisture from entering the room through the window. Seals are also a heat-insulating material.
Special materials are used as sealing elements, which must be laid around the perimeter of the window and closed with cuffs on top. The cuffs are made of aluminum or copper, but there are also more expensive materials such as titanium and zinc. They are designed to waterproof the perimeter of the window and must be tightly connected to the surface roofing material roofs.
Surely, many people who are involved in construction are interested in many topics related to roofing. The topic of this article has a slightly different perspective than the choice of roofing material and its installation. Today we will touch upon such an issue as access to the roof through a hatch and other systems of exits through the roof of the necessary passage elements.
A complete roof consists of more than a base structure, base sheets and drainage system elements.
A safe and functional roof includes various exit elements. These could be passages:
- ventilation systems;
- antennas;
- roof hatches;
- pass-through elements;
- roof vents and fans.
Modern elements of roof space exits are high quality products.
They have the following properties:
- easily combined with roofing;
- have an elegant appearance;
- durable;
- reliable;
- provide ease of installation;
- easy to use.
Application area
Exit elements are used on those roofs where a technical and technological exit to the roof is required.
Technological exits to the roof are provided at the following construction sites:
- mansions;
- residential multi-storey buildings;
- terraced houses;
- kindergartens and school institutions;
- during the reconstruction of ancient buildings;
- public buildings;
- non-residential premises.
Technical outputs (ventilation elements and antennas) are applicable in functioning buildings of any type and with various types roofs. The modern range of products allows you to select components for technical outlets that match the roofing.
Attention. The presence of exits must be provided for at the roof design stage.
Exit methods
Let's look at the technological outputs that are required to carry out the following actions:
- roof repair work;
- roofing cleaning;
- fire extinguishing;
- roof operation.
There are several ways to reach the roof plane, which depend on the purpose of the under-roof space and the slope of the roof slope.
These include:
- stepladder located vertically along the wall;
- external staircase;
- folding ladder;
- roof ladder;
- roof window;
- not insulated hatch window.
Characteristics of hatches
The exit to the roof is a hatch, installed in multi-storey buildings on the top floor above the staircase. The location of the hatch in roofs with slopes depends on the pitch of the rafter beams.
According to building regulations the distance between the rafters and the hatch frame should be no higher than 70 mm. On roofs with a large area, several hatches are installed. Traditional hatch sizes include designs measuring 45x55 cm and 120x120 cm.
The roof hatch has a cover, the surface of which is treated with a primer and paint composition. To ensure that the manhole cover does not stand out from the entire roofing carpet, it is lined with the main material.
Hatches can open in two directions: to the side and up. Gas springs secure the lid in the open position.
When installing a hatch, great importance is given to its thermal insulation properties if it is installed in a heated room. Exit through the hatch is via a fixed metal structure.
Advice. If the roof design does not allow compliance with the installation requirements, then the designer’s conclusion must be provided for the implementation of another option for arranging the hatch.
Properties of roof windows
A roof window, as an exit to the roof, is installed in the attic. Now manufacturers skylights They offer products for pitched and flat roofs.
Windows perform the following functions:
- ventilation of the attic;
- emergency exit to the roof.
When installing a roof window on flat roof on load-bearing elements a box is mounted, the upper part of the slope of which is 19 degrees. Then a window is placed on the body.
Typically, roof windows intended for heated attic spaces have the following dimensions: 66x118 cm, 94x140 cm.
Sealing collars are placed on the edges of the windows where they adjoin the roofing sheet, which prevents water from leaking in and provides thermal insulation.
Attention. To ensure better thermal insulation properties and high-quality installation of the seal, the opening for the roof windows should be 6 cm larger than its frame.
Vertical stepladder
The easiest way to the roof is a stepladder located vertically on the outer wall. To prevent children from being lifted onto the roof, the lower edge of the structure should be 1 m away from the ground.
When arranging a stepladder, it is important that the surface of the steps does not slip. To make them take:
- corrugated steel;
- crescent-shaped fittings.
As a rule, to extend its service life, a stepladder is coated with an anti-corrosion coating using a powder composition or paint and varnish material.
Construction of an external staircase
Many people prefer to use an external ladder instead of a stepladder for flat roofs. As a rule, the design of such stairs contains metal and wooden elements, requiring anti-corrosion and antiseptic treatment, respectively.
To make external stairs as an exit to the roof, you can use:
- corrugated steel;
- polished steel;
- stainless steel;
- impregnated oak, ash or beech wood.
Application of folding stairs
Folding stairs for access to the roof are used if there is an internal cover in the hatch, which helps hide the staircase structure. As a rule, such exits facilitate access to the roof from the interior of the structure.
The internal hatch covers, hiding them, are up to 6.6 cm thick and have a dense layer of thermal insulation.
There are several types of folding stairs:
- scissor;
- sectional.
The sectional allows users to safely ascend and descend the sunroof. They consist of several segments and are more popular than accordion-style scissor designs.
Advice. The use of hatches with an internal cover and folding stairs is recommended between rooms with different temperature conditions(residential and non-residential).
Roof drains
The exit is provided by a roof ladder, movement along which is similar to movement on a stepladder, with the difference that the ladder is located on the surface of the roof.
The ladder can consist of single steps or several, making up a single structure. A ladder located along the ridge, as a rule, leads from the hatch structure to the chimney, which facilitates the work of cleaning the chimney.
With a small slope of the roof, the steps of the ladder are installed at a distance of 70 cm from one another; with a slope of more than 30 degrees, the distance is reduced to 35 cm.
Steel ladders do not always match the roofing, so in most cases they are made from wooden blocks.
Mount any option from the above-described roof exits, and you will be able to carry out all the full-scale work on the roof surface for its long-term operation and safety of residence.
or another building, each of them needs access from the inside to the top, that is, to the roof.
It can be done like this:
- exit to the roof from the stairwell
- using a stepladder, which is attached to the wall from the outside
- along the usual stairs, but with outside building
- on the sliding stairs
- unheated or insulated hatch-type openings
- non-stationary stairs (folding)
- roof ladders
- dormer-type windows
First of all, any building or structure needs such an exit to the top.
After all, residential, industrial real estate, private, communal houses, etc.
All of them require access to the roof.
Its most important purpose is access to the top of the building.
In this case, there will be no need (and no one will require) to make or equip a special ladder. Then it is not worth making any other device aimed at accessing the roof area for servicing the chimney.
So, if there is a question about choosing a stepladder for organizing access to the roof, then it is worth remembering a few that always remain important points. Firstly, the reinforcing steel that is used to make or strengthen such a ladder must be strong.
Its thickness must withstand even a person of larger than average build, or several people at once. And the second point: fastening materials must be of high quality.
In some, especially large private houses (mansions), if there is a large central open staircase, several different exits are made in the middle of the house.
Such “doors” to the roof are created not only for preventive maintenance, but also for entertainment (after all, mansions can have swimming pools, spas and other attractions on top of buildings).
They use both classical methods of organizing the ascent to the roof from the staircase, as well as original or alternative ones.
The latter include folding stationary stepladders. Such a device is only possible when there is a special hatch and space for a folded ladder.
The lid must have a wall thickness of at least six and a half, seven centimeters, judging by general recommendations on the construction and maintenance of buildings and in particular their roof access. This applies to both hatches - external and internal - because when arranging a direct hatch to the top, you need a structure of two covers.
In addition to thickness, there is also a requirement for sound insulation and thermal insulation, as well as the tightness of such a hatch, designed to hide and hold the ladder when folded.
The internal component is usually made of a so-called sandwich, that is, a double coating. It is made of wood or slabs and boards, which are located close to the central, middle homogeneous slab - the manhole cover. Between these layers, a layer of polystyrene or a material similar in purpose is placed with a thickness of three to six and a half centimeters, like the “layers” themselves.
For flat roofs, the thickness of the insulation “level” increases. Therefore, it is difficult to determine its universal dimensions. The most important guideline in this matter is the magnitude of the temperature difference between the internal environment in the house and the external one.
In turn, the staircase for organizing the described exit to the roof can also be of at least two types. These are the following varieties. Scissor ones, which fold in half, and sectional ones, which have several sections folding next to each other.
The first of them are combined like . They are made of steel or mixed steel alloys. Folding occurs with greater difficulty than when moving apart or retracting stepladder structures (like a “ladder”).
All exits to the roof, roof from the stairs (staircase) are made for preventive, fire, repair and installation work. Also – when arranging additional equipment, equipment and leisure facilities at the top of the building.
Roof passage dimensions
The exit to the roof from the staircase, the height of which is regulated by regulations, construction rules, must also meet the requirements of personal comfort of residents of a private house or fire and other safety requirements for public houses.
To determine this value, reference to official sources is required.
What essentially constitutes access to the roof according to such a document?
The answer to the question: an evacuation (or fire) exit.
Such openings for force majeure situations or repair and construction carried out at the top of the building are also emergency and are made not only for decorative or other entertainment purposes. What does the presence of the last mentioned feature suggest?
Compliance with the standards or SNiPs mentioned above is the answer to this question. So, according to this document, access to the roof from the staircase is also an emergency exit from the building during unforeseen situations and the action of irresistible natural, man-made and other types of factors environment. What do these standards suggest regarding the size of openings for penetration to the top of the building?
Specifically, for buildings with a height of more than ten meters to the very top of the wall of the last floor, exits to the roof immediately from the staircase are required. Each output is calculated in this ratio. One opening per hundred square meters buildings without an attic, which are considered in this context.
If the building has only one floor (not a basement) and the covering area is less than 100 square meters. m, then it is not at all necessary to make such an exit according to the instructions of these rules. According to the description contained in the same act, the following comments are present.
If there are differences in the roof (or rather its surface) with transitions of more than upward, it should be done with the installation of a typical fire hatch.
Correct exit dimensions
According to the rules fire safety For different types buildings, among the set of regulations there are clauses regarding access to the roof from the staircase, the dimensions of which must correspond to the sudden need for a group of people to go to the roof.
If we are talking about emergency exits, then minimum distance between these two important objects can be calculated using the following formula:
L=(1.5*sqrt(P)) / (n-1), if staircase is located in a room without a “shaft” allocated to it or L=0.33*D / (n-1) in the case of a separate staircase opening onto a corridor with a length of D (m).
What do the letters in these formulas mean? L is the distance between any outputs located next to each other, measured in meters and is the minimum acceptable value. P is the perimeter of the entire room for which it is being done (the perimeter is calculated by multiplying the length of the room by its width in the case of rectangular or square even shapes).
Sqrt – this set of Latin letters stands for calculation square root from the number that appears further in brackets. The height of the roof exits for possible evacuation must be at least 1.9 m. The width is more than seventy-nine centimeters.
At the same time, it is always worth remembering the presence of acceptable minimum boundaries, regardless of the calculation of formulas based on the number of these passes to the top. In terms of its width, it is a number of ninety centimeters or more. And in the case of constructing a fire protection platform of the second type, this is seventy-five to one hundred and fifty centimeters.
Such structural elements must be made of steel. If there is a slope, it proportional value should be like this: two to one. If this occurs in relation to buildings of a certain type (meaning F 1-4), then these dimensions can be reduced.
Namely: if the exit is through a hatch, again of the second type, then the minimum passage width will be sixty centimeters. Recommended - eighty. This applies to the skylight leading to the roof via a stepladder.
Exits to the roof directly from the stairs can be arranged in different types houses, structures and buildings, both industrial and intended for household Everyday life. Their design rules are the subject of attention of regulatory services, and therefore must be made in accordance with current rules.
The roof terrace is shown in the video:
It's hard to imagine roof maintenance, cleaning gutters, repairing antenna devices, maintenance solar collectors or working as a chimney sweep without access to the roof. The choice of method of access to it depends on the angle of inclination of its slopes and the purpose of the space under it. Access to the roof can be provided by a vertical stepladder or ladder installed outside, an internal folding ladder with a hinged lid, as well as a variety of hatches - insulated and non-insulated. Steps and walkways installed on the roof help to move conveniently on the roof. The path to the roof must be secure. Therefore, it is not so important how it is carried out, the main thing is that it guarantees a quick and safe rise to the roof.
Stepladder on the wall
(Option for flat roofs)
The most simple solution is vertical, fixed on external wall. The bottom edge of the stepladder should be at a height of about 1 m from the ground, this will prevent children from climbing onto the roof, and adults can use a regular ladder in this case. A similar solution is a sectional stepladder, consisting of two parts. Its lower, attached section has a height of about 1.5 m; it can be used if necessary.
It is important that the surface of the steps of the stepladder is not slippery. To do this, they are made of corrugated steel or periodic profile reinforcement (with crescent-shaped protrusions).
A safer stepladder is mounted on the wall of the upper floor, leading to the roof from the balcony or terrace. Its only inconvenience is that to access the roof you need to go through interior spaces Houses. Metal constructions stepladders must have an anti-corrosion coating with paint and varnish or polymer powder compositions.
External staircase
(For flat roofs)
More convenient and attractive in appearance, compared to a vertical stepladder, is a steep external staircase leading from the lower floor to a terrace (or platform) located at roof level. The structure of such a staircase is made of steel pipe with brackets welded to it - for installing steps. Their treads are made of corrugated sheet steel or impregnated wood (oak, beech, ash). And the railings can be made of pipes, rods, cables, etc. Typically, the surfaces of all steel elements of the stairs are protected from corrosion paint and varnish coatings. But such a staircase can be made from polished or ground stainless steel.
Elements metal stairs Roof exits can be coated with polymer powder compounds or made of stainless steel
Sunroof
Typically, roof access hatches are located above the top landing of the stairwell. The installation location of hatches in pitched roofs depends on the pitch of the rafters. The distance between the hatch box and the adjacent rafters to which it is attached should not exceed 7 cm. If this gap is larger, it is necessary to install two cross beams and one vertical (one of the sides of the hatch box is attached to it). When the hatch is wider than the distance between the rafters, you will have to cut out a fragment of one rafter leg, and attach its cut edges to the transverse front beams, which transfer the load to the adjacent rafters. If such a solution is not provided for in the project, it is necessary to obtain an opinion from the designer or architect on the possibility of performing this work. On a large pitched roof with several chimneys, it is better to install two hatches. Then there will be no need for walking ladders for the chimney sweep. Hatches should be located next to the chimney. The market offers hatches in several sizes: the smallest are 45 x 55 cm, the largest are 120 x 120 cm. You can also order a hatch custom size. But the price of such a hatch will be 20-30% higher than the cost of a mass-produced hatch with similar dimensions. The manhole cover is finished with galvanized roofing steel, its surface is primed and coated with paints or powder varnish.
So that the manhole cover on the roof surface does not catch the eye, it is lined with the material used in the roof covering. Finishing a manhole cover on a roof made of bitumen shingles or steel sheets is easier to do. But it is better to entrust this to a professional roofer who will do the job better. The lid can be transparent, filled with glass or polycarbonate. The hatch opens up or to the side. In the open position, the cover can be fixed by two servomotors (gas springs). Serially produced hatches are equipped with devices that prevent uncontrolled closing of the lid. If the hatch is mounted above a heated room (staircase, wardrobe, utility room), great importance have it thermal insulation properties. Some manufacturers offer insulated hatches, the design of which can have a heat transfer resistance of R = 1.5 m2*K/W (a polycarbonate cover has R = 0.45 m2*K/W). The cuffs that come with the hatches allow them to be installed in roofs coated with different materials, both flat and wavy, having both regular and high profile waves.
Sometimes hatches are equipped with burglary protection; their blind cover is additionally reinforced from the inside, and the hinge axes will not allow them to be removed when the cover is closed. The hatch can be equipped with a grille with a lock located in the lower part of the hatch box. You can order the hatch with a lock that has a three-bolt deadbolt, or with a lock equipped with a certified lock insert.
Folding ladder with cover
(for both flat and pitched roofs)
Typically, a folding ladder is installed to access an attic or flat roof.
In the second case, the ladder hatch has two covers: an external one and an internal one (covering the folded ladder).
The inner lid is a sandwich: a wooden frame is covered on both sides with fibreboards, between which a sheet of polystyrene foam 3-6 cm thick is placed.
The thickness of the internal covers is 3.6-6.6 cm. Internal covers, which have a thicker layer of thermal insulation, are recommended to be installed in flat roofs and ceilings between rooms with a large temperature difference (between residential and non-residential premises).
The heat transfer resistance of such a cover R is 1.54 m*K/W (with 3 cm thick polystyrene foam, for which R = 0.91m*K/Wt).
The tightness of the junction of the inner cover is ensured by the gasket round section, located in the milled groove of the box.
There are two types of stairs - sectional and scissor. More popular are sectional stairs consisting of three or four folding or sliding sections. Stairs have different lengths, they are chosen depending on the height of the room. Steel mounting angles for stair flights allow you to clearly fix the sections when unfolded and adjust the angle of inclination of the stairs. The stability of the ladder is ensured by the lid opening mechanism; it fixes it in the open position.
Sectional stairs are made of steel or wood. The staircase may have railings or handles on both sides to ensure safe and comfortable ascent or descent.
Scissor ladders are made of steel and fold like an accordion. They are more difficult to arrange than sectional ones. The surface of the steps, regardless of the type of staircase, should not be slippery - to do this, it is enough to make grooves on the surface of the wooden treads of the steps.
Attention! Thermal insulation of the exit hatch from the living quarters non-residential premises can be increased by additionally placing a 10 cm thick polystyrene sheet on the inner cover.
Folding sectional ladder can withstand loads of up to 160 kg
The steel scissor ladder is very convenient, but it is more difficult to unfold and fold
Roof steps and ladders
(Suitable for pitched roofs)
Free movement of people on the surface pitched roof provide steps and walkways installed on the roof. On roofs with slopes less than 30°, steps must be installed with a distance between them of 70 cm (in every second row of tiles). If the slope of the roof slope is more than 30°, steps are installed every 35-40 cm (in each row of tiles). Walking ladders usually have a width of 25 cm and a length of 40 to 300 cm.
The base of the step is made of strip steel (40 x 4 mm), and the handle is made of sheet steel 2 mm thick. The steps located in every second row of tiles are moved like a stepladder. A long ladder along the ridge serves as a horizontal path leading from the hatch to the chimneys. The treads of the steps and the platforms of the walking ladders are made of galvanized steel sheet, the surface of which is varnished or powder-painted to match the color of the roofing material.
Steel drains do not always visually match the roof covering, such as asphalt shingles. An alternative to a standard metal ladder would be a ladder with a platform made of wooden blocks with a cross-section of 40 mm, impregnated under pressure. These bars are attached above the brackets of the base of the ladders. The base of ladders and steps can rest on bars attached to the rafters with screws. Base brackets are selected depending on the type of roofing material: ceramic and cement tiles, metal tiles, flat or profiled roofing steel, roofing felt or bitumen shingles.
The distance between the ladder brackets should not exceed 80 cm. If the chimney is high, brackets are installed on it to lift it to its mouth.
Steps and walkways must have a corrugated or perforated surface that prevents slipping
To install steps on the roof, special tile elements with aluminum or concrete overlay are used. These elements are selected depending on the type of tile used in the roof. The tile element with a step is attached to the block with two bolts (for example, 4.5 x 45 mm), and the block is attached to the rafters with nails
Walking ladders, platforms and roof steps provide convenient movement along the roof during operational work
Skylight
For both pitched and flat roofs
It can be installed in any room in the attic. Until recently, there were windows only for pitched roofs, but now manufacturers of these products offer windows for flat roofs as well. Both types of windows can serve as an emergency exit to the roof (if their sizes comply with standard requirements). When installing an exit window in a flat roof, on it load-bearing structures install a wooden window frame, the upper part of which has a slope of 19°. The window itself is installed on this body.
Typically, such windows have dimensions of 66 x 98 (or 118) cm or 78 (or 94, 114) x 140 cm and are intended for installation in heated rooms. Therefore, special sealing cuffs are attached to their edges adjacent to the roofing. The plastic mass applied to the underside of the cuff promotes a tight connection of the cuff with the surface of the coating material, guarantees the necessary thermal insulation and eliminates water seepage. Some companies offer universal cuffs designed for any type of roofing, others offer two types of cuffs designed for installation over wavy and flat roofing materials.
Cuffs are typically made from aluminum and copper, but a cuff made from titanium and zinc alloy can be ordered.
Attention! In order to properly lay thermal insulation around the perimeter of the hatch box, the dimensions of the opening for it in the roof should be 5-7 cm more box window.
The exit window for a pitched roof is selected depending on the angle of inclination of its slope. The market offers windows designed for installation in roofs with slope angles of 15-85°, 20-65°, 20-85°.
The exit window can be hinged or tilt upward. Some of them are equipped with gas servomotors to make opening easier. Emergency exit windows can be equipped with a device that automatically lifts the window sash. Usually boxes and window frames made from layer-by-layer laminated wood (usually pine) and coated with several layers of varnish. External glazing is made from tempered glass. Thermal insulating glass unit should guarantee small heat losses. If window glass has a heat transfer resistance R = 0.91 m2*K/W, then the window R will be about 0.67 m2*K/W.
The roof exit window must meet the requirements for an emergency exit and have dimensions of at least 60 x 80 cm