Dwelling with a Secondary Suite Code Regulations

A development and permit must be obtained from the Town of La Ronge prior to construction of the suite. Suite construction must comply with all relevant requirements of the National Building Code, The Uniform Building and Accessibility Standards Act and Regulations, Building Bylaw No. 280/90, and any other applicable Town bylaws.

These guidelines reflect and summarize some of the key requirements from the 2010 National Building Code (NBC):

Floor Area Limits for Secondary Suites The total area of all storeys of a secondary suite shall be not more than the lesser of 80% of the total floor area of all storeys of the other dwelling unit (excluding the floor area and common spaces serving both dwelling units) and 80 m2 (NBC 9.1.2.1.).

Parking Off-street parking must be provided in accordance with the requirements set out in Table 1 – Parking Schedule of the Zoning Bylaw 572/16.

Windows One in each shall provide an unobstructed opening with an area of not less than 0.35m2 (3.8 sq ft) and with no dimension less than 380 mm (15”) (NBC 9.9.10.1).

Window opening into a window-well, Section 9.9.10.1(3): • Where a window required in Article 9.9.10.1 opens indoors, away from the window-well, has a clearance of not less than 760 mm shall be provided in front of the window. • Where the sash of a window referred to in (1) swings towards the window-well, the operation of the sash shall not reduce the 760 mm minimum clearance in a manner that would restrict escape in an emergency.

Heating and Ventilation Every residential occupancy shall incorporate provisions for non-heating and heating season ventilation in accordance with 9.32.2 & 9.32.3. If baseboard heating is the heating source for the secondary suite; please be advised that ventilation must be provided to every bedroom, story and principal living space

Bathrooms require an exhaust fan vented to the outdoors. (See NBC 9.32 for requirements).

An air duct distribution system from one dwelling unit shall not be circulated to any part of the other dwelling unit (Section 6.2.3.9 & 9.33.1.1(3)).

Outdoor air shall be distributed by a system of trunk and branch supply ducts, from the outdoor air supply fan required to each bedroom, any storey (including and heated crawl spaces without a bedroom), and if there is no storey without a bedroom, to the principal living area. (Section 9.32.3.5 (10)).

Fire Protection / Resistance to Forced Entry A smoke-tight barrier of not less than 12.7 mm thick gypsum board installed between suites and separating the service on: • Both sides of and The underside of floor including the of a common room – ceiling framing Section 9.10.9.14(4) and 9.10.10.4(2).

Penetrations in the furnace room walls must be tightly-fitted/smoke-tight or fire stopped to maintain the integrity of the fire separation. Section 9.10.9.6 (1), examples include drywall mud, fire caulking or fire donuts.

Doors in smoke-tight barriers, in a dwelling unit that contains a secondary suite, shall contain: • A 45 mm thick solid-core wood that meets the requirements in CAN/ULC-S113 as per Article A- 9.10.9.3(2), or a 20 minute fire rated conforming to CAN/ULC-S104 and have a self-closing device installed. • Self-closing devices are required on in a fire separation (Section 9.10.13.10). • Every swing-type door in a fire separation shall be equipped with a latch (Section 9.10.13.9). • Deadbolt locks shall be provided conforming to Section 9.9.6.7 and 9.7.5.2 • Door Viewer: Section 9.7.2.1 – main entrance door to dwelling units shall be provided with a door viewer, transparent glazing or a sidelight. Dwelling with a Secondary Suite Code Regulations

Sound-proofing Where a contains a secondary suite, each dwelling unit shall be separated from every other space in the house, by a construction assembly having a sound transmission class rating of at least 43 (Section 9.11.2.1.(2)(b)). Sound Control: An STC rating of 43 can be provided with the following construction: a) The floor joist spaces must be filled with sound-absorbing material of not less than 150 mm (6”) thickness. b) The stud spaces must be filled with sound-absorbing material. c) Resilient channels (sound bars) must be installed at 400 mm (16”) or 600 mm (24”) spacing on one side of each and on the underside of the floor joists

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide (CO) Alarms Smoke and CO alarms shall be hardwired installed in each dwelling unit and shall be wired such that if one alarm sounds, all alarms in the building will activate. A smoke alarm must be installed in each bedroom and carbon monoxide alarms shall be installed at or near the and within 5m of each bedroom door(Section 9.10.19 and Section 9.32.3.9).

Handrails If there are more than two risers on interior , a hand rail must be installed and conform to the requirements of Section 9.8.7.

Room Heights A minimum room height of 1.95 m (6’-4”) [NBC 9.5.3.1.(2)] is required and 1.85 m (6’) under beams and ductwork [NBC 9.5.3.1. (3)].

Air Duct System In a residential occupancy, air from one dwelling unit shall not be circulated to any other dwelling unit nor to a public corridor (Section 6.2.3.9 & 9.33.1.1(3)).

Heating Systems Two separate heat sources - one for each independent living unit are required – Section 9.33.1.1.(3), or other approved systems of heat.

If the pre-existing furnace room serves an existing constructed , the furnace room is considered as part of the main floor area.

Plumbing Each suite shall contain a sink, lavatory, bathtub or shower and water (Section 9.31.4). The system must be installed by an eligible person.

Exiting A separate continuous smoke-tight exit enclosure must be provided (Section 9.10.9.15.4)..

Each secondary suite must have at least one of the following: a) One separate exit, or b) One common exit at grade level where the principal dwelling unit has a separate exit. i. Any common exit must be separated from the dwelling units by a smoke tight barrier not less than 12.7mm (1/2”) drywall [NBC 9.9.4.2.(2)]. ii. Any stairway to a basement that requires a door at the bottom must also have a landing with its dimensions no less than the width of the stairs (NBC 9.8.6.2. & 9.8.6.3).