(A) Habitable rooms.
(1) Habitable rooms shall have an aggregate glazing area of not less than 8% of the floor area of such rooms. Natural ventilation shall be through windows, skylights, doors, louvers or other approved openings to the outdoor air. Such openings shall be provided with ready access or shall otherwise be readily controllable by the building occupants. The openable area to the outdoors shall be not less than 4% of the floor area being ventilated.
(2) Exceptions.
(a) The glazed areas need not be openable where the opening is not required by the mechanical code and a whole-house mechanical ventilation system is installed
(b) The glazed areas need not be installed in rooms where exception (a) is satisfied and artificial light is provided that is capable of producing an average illumination of six foot-candles (65 lux) over the area of the room at a height of 30 inches above the floor level.
(c) Use of sunroom and patio covers shall be permitted for natural ventilation, if in excess of 40% of the exterior sunroom walls are open, or are enclosed only by insect screening.
(B) Adjoining rooms.
(1) For the purpose of determining light and ventilation requirements, any room shall be considered to be a portion of an adjoining room, where not less than one half of the area of the common wall is open and unobstructed, and provides an opening of not less than one tenth of the floor area of the interior room and not less than 25 square feet.
(2) Exception. Openings required for light or ventilation shall be permitted to open into a sunroom with thermal isolation or a patio cover, provided that there is an openable area between the adjoining room and the sunroom or patio cover of not less than one tenth of the floor area of the interior room, and not less than 20 square feet. The minimum openable area to the outdoors shall be based upon the total floor area being ventilated.
(C) Sunroom additions. Required glazed openings shall be permitted to open into sunroom additions or patio covers that abut a street, yard or court, if in excess of 40% of the exterior sunroom walls are open, or are enclosed only by insect screening, and the ceiling height of the sunroom is not less than seven feet.
(D) Bathrooms.
(1) Bathrooms, water closet compartments and other similar rooms shall be provided with aggregate glazing area in windows of not less than three square feet (0.3 m2), one half of which must be openable.
(2) Exception. The glazed areas shall not be required where artificial light and a local exhaust system are provided. Exhaust air from the space shall be exhausted directly to the outdoors.
(E) Intake openings.
(1) Mechanical and gravity outdoor air intake openings shall be located not less than ten feet from any hazardous or noxious contaminant, such as vents, chimneys, plumbing vents, streets, alleys, parking lots and loading docks. For the purpose of this section, the exhaust from dwelling unit toilet rooms, bathrooms and kitchens shall not be considered as hazardous or noxious.
(2) Exception. The ten-foot separation is not required where the intake opening is located three feet or greater below the contaminant source.
(F) Outside opening protection. Air exhaust and intake openings that terminate outdoors shall be protected with corrosion-resistant screens, louvers or grilles having an opening size of not less than one-quarter inch, and a maximum opening size of one-half inch in any dimension. Openings shall be protected against local weather conditions. Outdoor air exhaust and intake openings shall meet the provisions for exterior wall opening protectives in accordance with the North Carolina Building Code.
(G) Interior stairway illumination. Interior stairways shall be provided with an artificial light source to illuminate the landings and treads. The light source shall be capable of illuminating treads and landings to levels of not less than one foot-candle (11 lux), as measured at the center of treads and landings.
(1) There shall be a wall switch at each floor level to control the light source where the stairway has six or more risers.
(2) Exception. A switch is not required where remote, central or automatic control of lighting is provided.
(H) Exterior stairway illumination. Exterior stairways shall be provided with an artificial light source located at the top landing of the stairway. Exterior stairways providing access to a basement from the outdoor grade level shall be provided with an artificial light source located at the bottom landing of the stairway.
(I) Required glazed openings.
(1) Required glazed openings shall open directly onto a street or public alley, or a yard or court located on the same lot as the building.
(2) Exceptions.
(a) Required glazed openings that face into a roofed porch, where the porch abuts a street, yard or court and the longer side of the porch is not less than 65% unobstructed, and the ceiling height is not less than seven feet.
(b) Eave projections shall not be considered as obstructing the clear open space of a yard or court.
(c) Required glazed openings that face into the area under a deck, balcony, bay or floor cantilever, where a clear vertical space not less than 36 inches in height is provided.
(J) Required heating.
(1) Every dwelling unit shall be provided with heating facilities capable of maintaining a room temperature of not less than 70° F, at a point three feet above the floor and two feet from exterior walls in habitable rooms at the design temperature.
(a) The installation of one or more portable space heaters shall not be used to achieve compliance with this section.
(b) Winter design condition in Camden County is 20° F.
(2) Exception. Unconditioned sunrooms that are thermally isolated from the dwelling.
(K) All fixtures, receptacles, equipment and wiring shall be maintained in a state of good repair, safe, capable of being used, and installed in accordance with the National Electric Code with North Carolina Amendments.
(Ord. 2019-08-01, passed 9-9-19)