Loft Guidelines

1.  The house corporation president must give approval for the installation of a loft.

2.  The minimum distance from the top of the mattress to the ceiling is 36 inches.  If a fire occurs, the smoke and heat collect at the top of the room.  Contrary to what some people may think, smoke will NOT wake you up if you are sleeping as it actually puts a person into a deeper sleep.  It only takes one breath of super heated air to sear the inside of a person’s lungs which would severely injure them at this time and possibly end their life.  There will not be any building of decks or any other structures in student’s rooms on campus unless specific permission has been received by Environmental Health and Safety.  You must contact EHS for approval prior to building anything in your dorm rooms.  EHS will contact the House Corp. President to verify approval.

3.  The loft cannot block a window if the building does not have a sprinkler system.

4.  Lofts should not exceed the floor area of the beds they replace.  It must be engineered to be structurally safe.  If more than 30 inches high a guard rail and mid-rail must be installed.  Access to the loft must be secured to the loft.

5.  The occupant must be able to get out of the loft quickly.

6.  If a building has a sprinkler system and the loft is more than 48" wide, a sprinkler head will be installed under the loft.  The house corporation president will decide if the house will pay for this installation or the student.

7.  Wiring shall not be attached to a loft.

8.  Lofts may not interfere with the functioning of smoke detectors.  An additional smoke detector is required.

9.  Flammable materials such as paneling, tapestries, curtains, flags, posters, and fishnet may not be attached to or enclose the loft.

10.  Lofts may not be placed near any heat-producing source.

11.  Protruding objects such as coat hooks, nails, etc. are considered hazardous and are prohibited.

12.  Lofts or beds cannot be placed on more than one concrete block.  The concrete block must be positioned under the bed with the longest, solid side on the floor.

Lofts that do not conform to the above loft regulations are considered to be in violation, and a student must make immediate changes to comply. The loft is then re-evaluated. If it is found to be unacceptable, it must be removed.

Any alterations after the initial inspection must be discussed with the EHS before any revisions are made.