skylight

[gloreg]

Apologies if I post in English only.

I would need some advice from an architect familiar with the building code applied in Montreal. Indeed I have a bedroom and a bathroom in my condo unit with two skylights and no windows. The skylight in the bedroom could be opened from the room in the past in order to allow some air ventilation. However as the skylight was leaking, it has been sealed from outside and now it cannot be opened anymore. Is there in the building code applied in Quebec a rule that requires a skylight that can be opened if installed in a room without windows? I would like to find a reference to some regulations, if exists, to point out to my condo administrator who was in charge for the reparation that it cannot be done in this way.

Merci.

[Malcolmeyeal]

Hi, after a short review of the Building Code (CCQ 2005, Section 9, article 9.7.1.2), I found something interessting for you:

 

 

Every bedroom must have an opening window to outside with an openning surface of 0,35 m2 min., shortest lenght of the openning must be at least 380 mm and the window must be easy to operate (from the interior, without any tool or specific knowledge of the mecanism). If the building is protected with an automatic sprinckler system, one can ignore the above requirements.

 

Hope it helps!. If you need further advices, I would be happy to answer any other questions you might have.

[gloreg]

Hi Malcolmeyeal thank you very much for your help! This article seems referred to fire safety requirements. Indeed it refers to windows and not skylights (from which you cannot evacuate the buildings). But this room is connected to the emergency exit corridor so fire requirements should be met even with a fixed skylight. I thought that in the building code there were some requirements about ventilation, the only reason that would impose to install an operable skylight in this room..?